Lanny Martinson Dog Tag Returned After 45 Years

Vietnam veteran, Lanny Martinson, was toying with the idea of asking for a replacement set of his dog tags that he lost on the battlefield over 45 years ago, however, thanks to the wonders of Facebook, the veteran has finally been reunited with one of his original dog tags.

The lost dog tag was found by an exploring Australian, John Naismith, while he was visiting Khe Sanh.

It was because of the very battle that Martinson was involved in that led Naismith to search through the undergrowth surrounding a former airstrip from the late 1960s battle.

According to Naismith, he spotted a metallic glint out of the corner of his eye and, upon closer inspection, realized it was an old dog tag.

Although at the time the Australian wasn’t aware whether Martinson was alive or not, he could clearly make out the Vietnam veteran’s name and personal details, such as his branch and religion.

Soon after finding the dog tag, Naismith sought the help of others in an attempt to locate either the survivor of the battle, or at the very least, his family.

This latest Vietnam related story has a better sense of closure for the reader than the news article about a Vietnam veteran who lost his gun ownership due to a teenage misdemeanor.

The journey eventually led him to give the tag to a motorcycle shop owner called Charlie Fagan, who comes from Glendora, California.

From there the dog tag then travelled to another location and ended up in the care of Tanna Toney-Ferris; she had already reunited two previous dog tags with their service members several years prior to receiving this new tag.

Determined to once again successfully return the dog tag to where it belonged, Toney-Ferris extensively used veterans’ websites, as well as social networks, to try and spread the word as far as she could.

The time spent searching for Martinson eventually paid off when Facebook user, Bob “Sparky” Sparks, tagged a picture of the dog tag asking if anyone knew of the service member imprinted on the tag.

After that it didn’t take long before word got back to Martinson, who now lives in Sugar Land, Texas.

This isn’t the first time the Internet has been used to display all important dog tag information, as shown by The Inquisitr’s Internet warrior dog tag post.

As a sign of his gratitude, Martinson posted on Facebook with a message dedicated to all the Vietnam veterans still alive and the ones who have passed away.

Although the lost dog tag has been linked successfully to Martinson, the tag still hasn’t been returned to its owner, according to the latest reports.

[Image via npr]