WWII era dog tag found today

[triplehooked]

I found this in my yard today on the maiden hunt with my Vaquero. I think it is WWII, but the fella who owned the house with this last name was 80-90 years old in 1973 when the next owners purchased it from him. That would make him more fitting to WWI, I think.
The tag reads:

RITTENGER,GLENN R
36931717 T45 O
P

I've found out already it is indeed a Series III WWII dogtag. Now to track down some descendants....

 

[Westfront]

Please contact member Mackaydon here on this forum. He is a specialist tracking down dog tag numbers.

 

[Mackaydon]

'T-45' is a clue to dating the tag: Tetanus shot year (1945)
Good luck; if I can help, holler.
Have you tried here:
http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/..._r_f-2_s&gsfn=Glenn+R&gsln=Rittenger&uidh=x14
Don.....

 

[Westfront]

Mackaydon! Had Your ears ringing

 

[Mackaydon]

I believe it's the 4th, not 3rd type of tag: Two lines beginning with surname versus type 3 that begins with GI's first name. Type 4s were issued between Mar. 1944 and April 1946. The tag number beginning with "3" indicated the GI was drafted; the 'O' is his blood type and the 'P' is his religion.

The second digit, '6' indicates the GI was part of the Sixth Corps Area, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, then Fort Sheridan, Illinois and covered the states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois. So, you finding the tag in MIchigan indicates to me the tag may have belonged to a GI who once lived in your area.

I suggest you contact your local VFW and American Legion posts for assistance. Many of those organizations have libraries containing the names, pics, and service records of their members--and nonmembers who have served.
Don....
PS: You might even start with your local phone book and chat with those of similar names. Finding nothing there, you might then try your local reference librarian and ask for phone books in your area of 1944 and 1945.

 

[triplehooked]

Very cool Don, thanks for the info. I found that the fella still lives and is in the general area. I found a number and left a message. I'll keep you all informed as to what I find out.

 

[Mackaydon]

There's a Sharon A. Rittenger living in your town (Lowell) at 745 Foreman St. 616-897-5158.
She was born in 1943; might be your guy's daughter or niece !!
Source: http://radaris.com/p/Sharon/Rittenger/

 

[triplehooked]

I finally got a call back today. It was Glenn's son, also named Glenn Rittenger. His dad passed in '98'. He was excited about the dog tag. We are working out a time to meet...

 

[Mackaydon]

Congrats on finding his son !!
Wouldn't it now be interesting to find out how this GI's ID tag get in your back yard.
If the son can't help in that regard, you might try that number for Sharon; maybe she knows.
Don.....

 

[triplehooked]

The fella who owned my house 40 years ago was this man's (dog tag's orig. owner) father. His name was Ray Rittenger. He was in WWI as I suspected. His son was in WWII, obviously. I assume that he lost it shortly after returning home from the service, maybe heading out to the mailbox, as it was found near the end of the drive. This family owned my house since it was new, which was in 1860, and lived here until 1973. I'm looking forward to meeting Glenn Jr. and gleaning some history of his family from him. Maybe one of his relatives hid some silver here....

 

[dudule44]

Good job.

 

[Mackaydon]

And a pic of you presenting the tag to his son and posting it on this thread would really be great !!
Don........

 

[triplehooked]

Well, the wife took off with our only working camera to Chicago this weekend, so I am bummed that I couldn't get a picture, but I was able to glean some info.....
Glenn Rittenger Jr. showed up at the house today to pick up his father's dog tag and to give some more history about the farm I live on. His father spent the entire war in the Philippines, then came back to the states to became a jeweler. Glenn Sr.'s father was in WWI as a Balloon Coreman and owned the house into his 90's. It was cool to talk to the folks who were living in my house 50+ years ago and to get some info about where buildings used to stand. Now I'm on the hunt for a WWI dogtag..... Thanks for everyone's help!
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