MILITARY APPRECIATION
Discounted Military & Patriotic Designs

​CASH ONLY ​(ATM ONSITE)

​MUST BE 18+ TO GET TATTOOED (ID REQUIRED)

Unless stated or illustrated otherwise, price includes BLACK INK & SHADING, ARMS & LEGS ONLY.

Customization upgrades are available upon request and can be discussed directly with your tattoo artist. Upgrades include adding color, water color effects, adding a name or date, and location and size changes. 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!! 

The Tattooed American Soldier

As early as World War I, service men were getting their military ID numbers, and later social security numbers, tattooed on their bodies as a means of identification in case they were injured or killed in service.  Later, World War II servicemen wore tattoos as a symbol of courage, honor, and bravery. Tattoos that really bolstered their morale and gave them a sense of comradery. A permanent mark that they could take with them.

One type of “sweet heart” tattoo that was depicted with the swallow. The swallow represented the journey across the seas, because the swallow is a bird that can go long distances and return home. So for example, if they had a sweetheart and her name was Marie, they would get a ribbon with a heart, and a swallow, to serve as a companionship symbol to keep their sweethearts close while away at war. Tattoo flash art by Sailor Bill Killingsworth, courtesy of the Lyle Tuttle Tattoo Art Collection.

Tattoos for patriotic fervor are tattoos meant to bolster spirits and give a sense of brave comradery. “Death before Dishonor” the most famous of tattoo motifs for World War II include a dagger, dagger with a snake, sometimes a dagger through a heart, or a dagger through a skull... Enter the Rosie the Riveter era. For the first time, women were going into the factories, leaving their homemaker roles and getting into the war effort to support our boys overseas. That’s what is represented by a tattoo like “Death before Dishonor” to protect the future of the United States, our freedom, and our liberties.

In aviation-related imagery artists incorporated symbols that didn’t need a lot of explanation—certainly not between military men who knew each other and served together. For the skull with wings in “Flying Death” or skull with an aviator’s cap and goggles, it meant to communicate, “I am tough stuff, don’t mess with me.” Tattoo flash art by Lou Normand, courtesy of the Lyle Tuttle Tattoo Art Collection.

Comic relief tattoos were fun for servicemen who could lift up an arm pit to show off their tattoo and give their buddy a giggle because a dog would be licking his little behind, or something silly.

Pin-Ups are images of glamorized female models in often sexualized poses that were “pinned” or thumbtacked to the wall. Getting a pin-up tattoo meant having a constant companion to show off to bunk mates or trench mates. Tattoo designs usually mirror trends happening in social society, culture, and was mirrored in women’s hairstyles and fashion in WWII era pin-up designs.

The “Rose of No Man’s Land” is about appreciation for the female nurses who were saving lives. It took courage for them to be there taking care of the servicemen who many times, certainly in World War II, were losing limbs and suffering from blast injuries. Tattoo flash art by Pirate John, courtesy of the Lyle Tuttle Tattoo Art Collection

Many designs were created as a proud way to show where soldiers attended boot camp or did their training. And then of course as you get deeper into the conflicts of WWII, such as in the Pacific and certainly for servicemen that were part of Pearl Harbor, they were paying homage to lives lost in Pearl Harbor.

​Tattoos during World War II told personal stories through images, whether a tribute to a loved one, a symbol of comradery for a service branch, or an emblem of bravery or freedom. The images served as a vernacular language amongst military servicemen. They communicated shared beliefs and sometimes even comic relief during times of crisis. A permanent mark of body art was (and still is) a form of self-expression and served as an unwavering companion that provided comfort during the war in the air, at sea, and in the trenches. For those who returned home, their tattoos were a permanent memory and a symbolic reflection of their service in World War II. Tattoo designs in tattoo culture during the 1940s served a higher purpose, especially for those who risked their lives at war.

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