BlueWater-Ink Poetry

 This is my Vietnam era U.S. Navy dog tag…and my late brother's Korean war era Navy dog tag. In later years they started using the social security number instead of a “serial number. The solitary “O” on Keith’s tag and the “B” on my tag

types. The initial “A” on my brother’s tag is for his middle name, “Austian”, our Mother’s maiden name. The “D” on my tag is for my middle name, “Dean”.

I still wear these sometimes. Wearing the tags somehow  makes me feel closer to both my brother, Keith and my Mother, Juanita. These kinds of physical memories are among my most prized possessions. I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

~ Dean Neighbors ~