Living
Temple native pens book, ‘Dog Tags’
Thursday, 28 June 2012 by Berneta Peeples
The famous little slip of metal that every soldier, sailor, airman or marine ever wore — and still is required to wear — called "dog tags" assumes a new meaning and a special connotation in a recently off the press book simply titled "Dog Tags."
Author Ginger Allen Cucolo, a native of Temple, has a close and personal relationship with dog tags.
Introductory pages 12 and 13 show pictures of family dog tags. Her husband's (Maj. Gen. Anthony {Tony} Cucolo III) 32-year military career has six dog tags on a chain. Also shown are tags worn in WWII by her late father, H.K. Allen Sr., of Temple and those of her father-in-law in WWII Anthony Cucolo Jr.
One of the six her husband wears is the latest in high tech with medical history.
A far cry from the first ID effort she opens the story with. First recorded ID worn is of Civil War soldiers — write your name, next of kin and address on a piece of paper and pin it inside your uniform.
Somewhere along the line Ginger found that ingenous GIs tied one tag into a boot lace and left one around his neck.
The olive drab covered book hit the market June 24, 2011, the 100th anniversary of the year that the America Personal Identify Tag became an official part of military issue.
She stresses "Every dog tag carries its own human interest story . . .The tag itself individualizes the human being who wears it within a huge and faceless organization. . ."
Ginger spent years collecting and compiling information from all branches of service.
There are poignant stories, information on the evolving of the dog tag to today's technology. She writes about the what and why every military person needs to wear dog tags at all times.
It is simply a story that had to be told.
Ginger is a native of Temple, the daughter of Raye Virginia McCreary Allen and H.K. Allen. She grew up on Green Oaks Farm between Belton and Temple. She proudly points out that the farm is a part of the 1834 Maximo Moreno land grant to Moses Griffin under the Mexican land grant program to encourage Anglo settlers in this area.
Her ancestors include the Arnolds of Coryell County also. Her maternal grandfather was the late Irvin McCreary, widely know in state and national banking circles.
Ginger graduated from Temple High School in 1978 and from The University of Texas at Austin in 1982. She holds a master of science degree from California College for Health Sciences.
"Dog Tags" is published by Allen House Publishing, and is available at www.outskirtspress/com/dogtags for $14.95 per copy.
