Rare Medal of Honor Recipient's Dog Tag while as a Colonel in the 9th Cavalry. The tag reads "EDWARD S. GODFREY COLONEL  9TH. CAV. U.S.A." This is a smaller version of the WWI Dog Tags commonly seen. The first official request to outfit service members with ID tags came in 1899 at the end of the Spanish-American war. Army Chaplain Charles C. Pierce — who was in charge of the Army Morgue and Office of Identification in the Philippines — recommended the Army outfit all soldiers with the circular disks to identify those who were severely injured or killed in action. It took a few years, but in December 1906, the Army put out a general order requiring aluminum disc-shaped ID tags be worn by soldiers. The half-dollar size tags were stamped with a soldier's name, rank, company and regiment or corps, and they were attached to a cord or chain that went around the neck. The tags were worn under the field uniform. Edward Settle Godfrey (October 9, 1843 – April 1, 1932) was a United States Army Brigadier General who received the Medal of Honor for leadership as a captain during the Indian Wars. He commanded a troop of U.S. Army cavalry soldiers at both the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876, and Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890. Early life and education: Godfrey was born October 9, 1843, in Ottawa, Ohio. He enlisted as a private in the Union Army at the beginning of the American Civil War. He served in Company D, 21st Ohio Infantry from April to August 1861. He was admitted to the United States Military Academy at West Point two years later, and graduated in 1867. Career: Godfrey's career with the 7th US Cavalry would span twenty-five years. Godfrey became the only officer of the 7th US Cavalry to see action in all major engagement with the Plains Indians. This list includes the Washita (1868), the Yellowstone Expedition (1873), the Black Hills expedition (1874), the Battle of the Little Bighorn (1876), and Wounded Knee (1890). After the Battle of the Little Bighorn Godfrey was promoted to Captain due to the many officer deaths. During the Nez Perce campaign of 1877 he was severely wounded while leading his men in action, earning him a Medal of Honor and a brevet to Major. Appointed major of the 1st US Cavalry in 1896, the following year he was transferred back to the 7th US Cavalry. Godfrey remained with the regiment until 1901, when he was appointed lieutenant colonel of the 12th US Cavalry following service in Cuba. That same year he was promoted to colonel of the 9th US Cavalry and commanded the regiment in the Philippines. Godfrey ended his forty-year military career in 1907 as brigadier general in command of the Department of the Missouri. Wounded Knee Massacre: Godfrey was Captain of D Troop of the 7th Cavalry and commanded its soldiers at the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890. He testified: I was posted on the side of the ravine, with the ravine between myself and the Indian village. I was under command of Captain Jackson, whose Troop was there also, and who was my senior. The troop was deployed with intervals, and mounted about 50 yards behind the line of scouts. Soon after the firing began, the cordon of sentinels and scouts rushed back on the line. I told the men to fall back slowly, which they were doing, until a number of Indians from the village came up, across the ravine, onto the plateau, and the shots from the other lines at those Indians were falling among the men, and one of the shots from the Hotchkiss gun fell near the front of the line, when I ordered the men to rally behind the hill, which was just to our left and rear, where I dismounted to fight on foot. I here opened fire on the Indians who had crossed the ravine, who were attempting to escape. Medal of Honor citation: Rank and organization: Captain, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Bear Paw Mountain, Mont., 30 September 1877. Entered service at: Ottawa, Putnam County, Ohio. Born: 9 October 1843, Ottawa, Ohio. Date of issue: 27 November 1894.