The Military Dog Tag Project

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God

Howdy Folks, over the past several years I've sporadically made a number of bead-dangles that are a part of what I call my "Dog Tag Series". The shapes are simple and based on the shape of the classic military dog tag that soldiers wear. I mostly make them out of jet, which is a traditional mourning jewel to help folks, especially members of the military, veterans, and their families deal with their grief, but I've made them out of all different kinds of stones, including lapis lazuli.

For me it's a kind of reclaiming of a symbol. The military dog tags represent an individual soldiers identity and their place in the military. My stone dog tags are made with diverse material that come from all around the Earth and are made directly from the Earth itself. They don't have any other identifying characteristics other than the elemental "source" from which they come. My intention is for these dog tags to serve as reminders and mementos to all those who perish in military conflicts and those affected by these tragedies. I've come to a point in my life where I don't want to just be someone who is simply politically "Anti-War" but rather someone who is actively "Pro-Peace" and does something about it other than simply demand to bring the troops home and stop fighting. It's not realistic. I was also quite impressed by President Obama's acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize.

For that reason, out of all the dog tags I'm making and listing in my DVHdesigns eBay Store, 25% of the gross sales price will either go to Mercy Corps, a Portland, Oregon based non-profit doing sustainable aid and education in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and around the world, or 25% will go to American Combat Veterans of War, a San Diego based all volunteer group which "is a nonprofit organization that recruits combat veteran volunteers to mentor, coach and assist our warriors suffering from combat stress, allowing them and their families to lead productive and fulfilling lives." I know it's not much, but at least I feel like I'm doing something to help the poor people throughout the world who live in situations that foster conflicts, and I'm also reaching out to those American soldiers who come home so traumatized by their participation in those conflicts which they had no part in creating.

I've recently started a larger series of these dog tags specifically in jet, to help those greived everywhere by the loss of life from military action, as well as making more and more in lapis lazuli for those interested in and affected by the Afghanistan conflict, also known as Operation Enduring Freedom.

Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted

Each jet dog tag bead is hand made by me here in my studio in Portland, OR. On these pieces I used Russian jet from near Lake Baikal, which is just north of Mongolia and NE of Afghanistan. While I support our intervention in Afghanistan and pray for a peaceful outcome, I am grieved by the whole long bloody conflict, from the time of the Russian invasion in 1979 until now, 30 years later. I make these jet dog tags in memory of all the soldiers and all their families, in all countries, affected by not only this long and tragic conflict, but also in memory of all those who died in the violent wars and conflicts of the past century.

Here is a selection of dog tags and mini dog tag charms that I've made in lapis lazuli...

Lapis Lazuli has been mined in Afghanistan for 6,000 years. It was used by the Egyptians for everything from jewelry, to eye shadow, to blue paint. In fact, up until the early 1800's, almost all the blue paint in the world was made with ground lapis pigment. I have left these particular pieces with a satinny matte finish. The stone feels different when one touches it without a layer of polish between the wearer and the stone. I think these would make a wonderful gift for a soldier who is or has been deployed to Afghanistan, for one of their family members or friends, or for any individual who cares about the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan. It can serve as a kind of "touchstone", letting the wearer feel a little piece of Afghanistan as they pray for peace in the region.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading and I appreciate your thoughts, prayers, feedback, and support as I continue this project.