Teenage Passions, Writ Small

Major companies -- Coca Cola, General Mills, Old Navy -- also were distributing dog tags with their names embossed on them as a way to lure a younger demographic and boost sales, Braddock's book says.

But the current teenage dog tag vogue can be more directly traced to the late 1990s, when camouflage -- camo couture, it has been called -- became the choice look for hip-hop stars seeking to harden their images and build a kind of combative solidarity. Some view the rapper Master P (also known as Percy Miller), with his crew of No Limit Soldiers, as one of many artists responsible for glamorizing dog tag pendants.

(One of Master P's lyrics: "Got the world screaming my name/From every soldier to soldierette/From every killer to cadet/Playa hatas get wet.")

Novelty dog tags became popular in urban communities, especially among blacks and Latinos, the predominant groups who wear them in schools.

"While a lot of African Americans and Latinos may have negative perceptions about the military, they can still identify with the strength of the soldier," said Joseph Anthony, chief executive of Vital Marketing, whose company has organized youth-oriented events for Nike, Nintendo and the U.S. Army.

"The urban culture is very narcissistic. It's about self-glorification and saying, 'I grew up in a poor neighborhood, but if I get something nice, I want to let the world know about it.' It's about have-nots being able to create an equal platform for themselves," Anthony said.

Teenagers get the dog tags mainly from kiosks at local shopping malls, where they can pick out their favorite image from a catalog or bring in photographs for engraving. The process can take a half-hour or so and can be as inexpensive as $30.

But sometimes, kids buy name-brand dog tags from Icedoutgear.com or Ecko Unlimited that are 18-karat white gold-plated or stainless steel. (Gucci sells an 18-karat white gold-plated dog tag necklace with diamonds -- for about $2,500.)

For the most part, students say they buy dog tags for their girlfriends or boyfriends. Often the dog tags outlive the relationships. Jae Sung, 16, a Gar-Field student, got a dog tag several months ago with a picture of her girlfriend on it, and on the back it read: "10-23-04 I Love You."

The dog tag was a conversation starter for new people, and, more often than not, just something to fidget with during class. A few weeks ago, though, Sung and her partner broke up. But she still keeps the dog tag in her backpack as a reminder.

"It was a mutual breakup, but it's kind of inappropriate for me to wear it. It's there for me to hold onto," she said. "I miss the relationship. I changed for the better. Before, I really didn't treat girls in the nicest way. She taught me to treat people better."

For others, the dog tag carries serious weight, serving as a portable memorial to a lost relative. At Montgomery County's Blair High School, Eric Jackson, 17, a senior, was strolling through the cafeteria with a dog tag that reads "R.I.P. Ronald G. Jackson, a.k.a. Dad."

"I'll be walking around, and other students will look at my shirt and read it and say, 'Oh, how did your father die?' " Jackson said. "My dad died of cancer in April of 2005. . . . He was a manager at UPS."

To cultural observers such as Minya Oh, the author of a recent book on hip-hop jewelry titled "Bling Bling: Hip Hop's Crown Jewels" and a radio show host on New York's Hot 97, the emergence of dog tags in the high school scene is a harbinger that the fad could be coming to an end.

"It's completely played out. I've seen the next thing," Oh said. "I am seeing a lot of talented independent jewelers making sneaker-related jewelry or DJ-related jewelry. Like replicas of speakers around your necks."