Some of the unidentified dead in this country are veterans, and nobody has counted them either. What identifies them, over and over, is a tattoo.
This is a running page. Entries come from a standing review of the Doe Network, the Charley Project and the NamUs unidentified persons database, filtered for military tattoos, service-related dental or surgical work, and dog-tag or uniform items recovered with remains.
"Paratrooper John Doe" — Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Found floating in the Intracoastal Waterway in the 500 block of Bayshore Drive at about 7:30 in the morning on 26 May 1984. Roughly 20 years old, 5 feet 9 inches, 160 pounds.
Two military tattoos: a Pegasus with the words "Born to fly free," and a skull in a red beret reading "U.S. Paratrooper."
Cause of death drowning, no signs of foul play. The case is inactive pending leads.
Tips: Fort Lauderdale Police homicide tipline, 954-828-6677.
Source: Source ↗
If you recognize a tattoo
Military tattoos are among the most useful identifying marks in an unidentified-person case, because they are specific, deliberate and often tied to a unit, a period or a place.
If a description on this page means something to you — a design you have seen, a shop that did that work, a man who wore it — that is worth sending. Route it through NamUs and the investigating agency first, then to us.