One way that members of various military branches identify themselves is by getting a specific tattoo. This marking not only serves as a badge of loyalty and commitment to the group that they served with, but can also serve as a memorial piece. There are hundreds of different designs. Each one has a unique and deep meaning to those who wear it.

The military tattoo originated with the United States Navy. Sailors developed an appreciation for the art form on voyages to the Far East. When they returned home with tattoos of anchors, mermaids, details about their sailing vessels and other things related to sailing, other military branches began to develop their own unique styles of tattoo. This started in the early 1900’s, and the art of the military tattoo has grown steadily ever since.

The Army soon noticed the practices of the Navy. Many Army tattoos currently utilize some variation of the American Flag. Whether the flag is integrated into an eagle’s wing or into the shape of a heart, the red, white and blue usually plays a prominent role. Another theme commonly found in a military tattoo, particularly in the Army, is that of the POW-MIA theme. These tattoos pay homage to the prisoners of war who are missing in action.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 17th, 2007 at 8:25 pm and is filed under Arts, Crafts & Hobbies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.