Pair of dog tags for Lt. Vernon O. Nicolls
date: label: Date
content: 1942-1943
name: label: Manufactured by
content: Unidentified
label: Issued by
content: United States Army, American, founded 1775
label: Owned by
content: Lieutenant Vernon O. Nicolls, American, 1909 - 2003
label: Used by
content: 758th Tank Battalion, American, 1941 - 1945
notes: label: Caption
content: Vernon Nicolls was born in Barbados in 1909 and immigrated to the U.S. in 1915. During World War II, while living in Brooklyn, Nicolls enlisted as a Private in the Army at Fort Jay on Governor's Island, New York, in 1942. After graduating from Officer Candidate School, Lieutenant Nicolls served in Italy with the 758th Tank Battalion, the Army's first African American armored unit.
label: Caption
content: Nicolls wore these dog tags during his WWII service. He wore one when he was a Private, and he wore the other after receiving his commission as a Lieutenant. These tags provide important identifying information about Nicolls including his name, Army Serial Number, the dates of his Tetanus shots, his blood type, his religious affiliation, and the name and contact information for his next of kin (his wife, Edith Nicolls).
label: Description
content: A pair of dog tags (2014.142.4ab) with chain (2014.142.4c) for Vernon O. Nicolls, who served with the 758th Tank Battalion of the United States Army during World War II. One silver colored metal dog tag (2014.142.4a) has the text [NICOLLS, VERNON O / 0-1019339 T42 43 A / P] imprinted on the front. The other silver colored metal dog tag (2014.142.4b) has the text [NICOLLS VERNON O / 32328181 T42 A / EDITH NICOLLS / 1386 PROPECT [sic] AVE / BRONX N Y P] imprinted on the front. Both dog tags are notched on the top left side of the tags and have holes on the right sides to thread through the chain. The short chain (2014.142.4c) holding the dog tags is a brass colored ball chain with 2.4mm beads and a connector. The text [BALL / CHAIN] is imprinted on the connector.
place: label: Place used
content: Italy, Europe
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Identity
label: Topic
content: Military
label: Topic
content: World War II
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Accessories and Personal Effects
label: Exhibition
content: Double Victory: The African American Military Experience
label: On View
content: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Community/Third Floor, 3 053
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Kay L. Nicolls
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2014.142.4abc
objectType: label: Type
content: dog tags
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No known copyright restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: metal
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Overall): 1 1/8 × 5 1/2 × 1/8 in. (2.9 × 14 × 0.3 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (2014.142.4a dog tag): 1 1/8 × 2 × 1/16 in. (2.9 × 5.1 × 0.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (2014.142.4b dog tag): 1 1/8 × 2 × 1/16 in. (2.9 × 5.1 × 0.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: L x W (2014.142.4c chain): 3 15/16 × 1/8 in. (10 × 0.3 cm)