Found my first military dog tag today

PikesPeakCharlie

PikesPeakCharlie

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Nov 19, 2008
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*UPDATE * Found my first military dog tag today

Havent been feelin real good,just had to get out of the house,grabbed the detector and dog, took a short walk along a creek and was just a swingin ,then out pops this dog tag, first one I have found. Not sure how to research this,but got home and looked up the name in the phone book(figured that would be a great place to start) and found 2 listings with the same last name, 1 was in a town about 1 mile from where I found it and the other is about 15 miles from where I found it. I called both #s and got no answer,I will be trying again tomorrow, hopefully I will be able to return this to him,or his family ! I will keep you updated
 

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Don , the tag reads , MCCARTHY IRA C JR , US 57_000_ (there are 2 holes in his #) then T48 and his blood type O. Thanks
 

BTW,Service numbers beginning with 57, 58, and 59 were not assigned a specific geographical region but were used instead for enlisted personnel in the Army Reserve or those assigned to special duties. I wonder what he did in the service??
Don.......
 

Well, I spoke to Mr MCcarthy , I explained to him that I had found his dog tag and would like to know and very much enjoy if I could return it to him. I found out he was in the Army,and served in the Korean War,he was reluctent to talk too much ,I dont think he believed me ! I read him all of the info on his tag,he then asked me to wait a minute,I could hear him speaking to his wife,that, I said I had his army dog tag and read it all to him,and I could detect some excitment in his voice ,then after a short time,he came back and said that he would pass, end of phone call. I think they thought I was a scammer or nut job or something. So I need some advise/ideas, I have his address,he lives about 20 miles from me, should I mail it to him, should I knock on his door and just hand it to him,should I try to enlist the help of the newspaper or a news outlet, maybe he would trust them more ?? Maybe I could contact someone at the local Army base for help ?? I sure dont want to scare him,or his family, but I think he would want it,,,,,,,,,, or should I take it as ,No means No ! an put it in my show case . Thanks PPC
 

I've haven't found anything I could return yet, but i vote mail it to him.
 

I've been in your shoes. The vet I chatted with wanted to know how much would it cost to get his tag back. I was fortunate enough to talk to his daughter and convinced her I didn't want a cent; only to return the tag. In one instance I contacted the local VFW Commander and set up a reward service for the Vet, presenting the tag back to the Vet--as part of their Memorial Day meeting. The Commander called the Vet and convinced him that I had the Vet's tag (I had emailed in a file the pic of the tag to the Commander and solicited his assistance--which he totally offered.) Before the service, we had the Vet's service history and during the meeting the Commander related some of the events the Vet's unit encountered (in Normandy, France).
If that doesn't work, I'd mail him a copy of the tag along with your story of recovery and another offer to mail it to him for free. If he still refuses to accept the tag, I'd give it to the local VFW or American Legion unit in the area along with your story.
Don.....
 

I would simply mail the dog tag to him with no return address and no expectation of fanfare. It's his, it's identifiable and you know where he lives.

I hope someone returns my dogtags. Of course, I doubt I lost in the dirt. But you never know.
 

Mariposa, I'm pretty much just a hermit mountain boy ,that comes from a very long line of veterans that dates to the Revolutionary War. I have my Fathers,and my Grandfathers dog tags that span 3 wars,and I know what they mean to me,I also know my feelings arent everybody else's. I Knew the right answer to my question all along. It is going in the mail tomorrow, Thanks.
Don , Thank you for your help !!! because of your help,I will be returning this dog tag to its rightful owner. Ya gotta love this site !!! A good day to all. PPC
 

I agree, mail it to him. I would say go there because it's only 20 miles, but he seems a bit nervous. You can write him a nice story about where and how you found it. I'm sure it would make his day.

Thanks for posting
 

I would include your return address if you are going to mail it and maybe your phone number in the letter. Once he realizes it's not a scam I'm sure he would want to say thank you for your efforts.
 

I think he is wise to be careful nowadays, far too many people take avantage of old folk. You could mail him a picture & say, if your not interested in it, then I will happily keep it.
 

It has been mailed,with a short note explaining how & where it was found. I dont get to see his face when he gets it back,but I do get to see mine in the mirror knowing I returned a Korean war vets dog tag. :thumbsup:
 

PikesPeakCharlie said:
It has been mailed,with a short note explaining how & where it was found. I dont get to see his face when he gets it back,but I do get to see mine in the mirror knowing I returned a Korean war vets dog tag. :thumbsup:
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Well done, its a small shame you didn't get to know a little more of the man behind the tag. But he has a great story of its return when he passes it to his children/family, & faith is restored to mankind.
 

:hello2:On the return of the tag, and hopefully he will be grateful for the return. Maybe just give him a short call in the near future to see if he indeed receive it and maybe his response will be different.
 

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