TATTOOS: Historical Background, Examples, and Military

Regulations (Chaplain Joe Hughes)

The Duke of York

The Duke of York, later King George V, acquired his first tattoo, when a midshipman aboard H.M.S. Baccante, from the famous Japanese tattooist Hori Chyo.

BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT:

“Visible tattoos or brands on the neck, face or head are prohibited. Tattoos on other areas of the body that are prejudicial to good order and discipline are prohibited. Additionally, any type of tattoo that is visible while wearing a Class A uniform and detracts from a soldierly appearance is prohibited.” AR 670-1

In 1900, it was estimated that 90% of all sailors in the United States Navy

were tattooed.

•The United States Government issued a circular in 1909 connected with recruiting which stated,

"Indecent or obscene tattooing is cause for rejection, the applicant should be given an opportunity to alter the design, in which event he may, if otherwise qualified, be accepted."

In the 1940s this obscure ruling caused one of the biggest booms the tattoo trade had known in years. From far and wide, eligible young men were flocking to their favorite needlers with demands for lingerie, skirts, brassieres, fans, bubbles, flowers, butterflies, almost anything that would cover up a bare spot.

HOLD, on the knuckles of one hand and FAST, on the other. Said to help the seaman hold on to the riggings better.

A PIG, on the top of one foot and a ROOSTER, on the other. Said to protect the seaman from drowning, because both of these barnyard animals cannot swim so they would get the seaman quickly to shore.

An ANCHOR showed the seaman had sailed the Atlantic Ocean.

A FULL-RIGGED SHIP showed the seaman had sailed around Cape Horn.

A DRAGON showed the seaman had served on a China station.

A SHELLBACK TURTLE denotes a seaman who has crossed the equator.

A GOLDEN DRAGON denotes a seaman who has crossed the international date line.

PORT & STARBOARD ship lights were tattooed on the left(port) and right (starboard) side of the body.

ROPE tattooed around the wrist meant the seaman was a deckhand.

SIGNIFICANCE OF NAVAL TATTOOS:

“JWB” on back of Left Hand

(John Wilkes Booth)

St Theresa

St Paul

St Michael

St Michael

Jesus

St Mary

RELIGIOUS &

PATRIOTIC

Tattoos are showing up everywhere…..even on

Barbie…..

The tattoo machine as we know it today has remained relatively unchanged since it was invented by Samuel O’Reilly and patented in the United States in 1891. In 1876, Thomas Edison patented a tattooing device -- the autographic printer, which was intended as an engraving device for hard surfaces.

O’Reilly modified Edison’s machine by changing the tube system and using the cam conversion of a rotary-driven electromagnetic oscillating unit to enable the machine to drive the needle.

O’Reilly’s patent was actually only for the tube assembly, since the rest of the machine was identical to Edison’s autographic printer.

Tattoo machines work by using a hollow needle filled with permanent ink.

An electric motor pushes the needle in and out of the skin at a rate of up to 3,000 punctures per minute.

The tattoo needle inserts a small drop of ink about 1/8 of an inch below the surface of the skin each time.

(Picture Source, remaining slides: Anti-Defamation League)

W.A.R. SKINS

White Aryan Resistance

The Order (Bruder Schweigen or Silent Brotherhood)

WORLD CHURCH OF THE CREATOR

“Skin” fist

POSSE COMITATUS

OTHALA RUNE

THREE SEVENS

NEO-NAZI SYMBOL:

SKIN HEAD SYMBOL:

NEO-NAZI SYMBOLS

Wolfsangel

Thor’s Hammer

Phineas Priest

Fourth Reich

NEW BLACK PANTHER PARTY LOGO

Peckerwood

Elbow Web

THREE LEAF CLOVER OR SHAMROCK

NATIONAL ALLIANCE

NAAWP: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF

WHITE PEOPLE

KKK

HAMMERSKINS

CRUCIFIED SKINHEADS

CHELSEA

CELTIC CROSS

BOOT SYMBOLS

ARYAN NATIONS

ARYAN FIST

AMERICAN FRONT

Skrewdriver

Sun Wheel

AB (Aryan Brotherhood) Tattoo:

BGF: BLACK GUERRILLA FAMILY

The Nationalist Movement

Stormfront

NLR or Nazi Low-Riders

SWASTIKA VARIANTS:

“Our Race Is Our Nation”

NUMBER SYMBOLS:

•88 = Eight two times signifies “HH,” shorthand for Nazi greeting.

•83 = Eighth/third letter of alphabet: “Heil Christ.”

•666 = Mark of Beast; used to symbolize evil.

•5 (words) = “I have nothing to say.”

•4/20 = Anniversary of Hitler’s birthday.

•4/19 = Anniversary date of two events: Waco/Oklahoma City bombing.

•33/6 = Thirty-three is 3x11. Eleventh letter is K, three Ks signify KKK. “6” signifies the sixth or current era of the Klan. Used as greeting.

NUMBER SYMBOLS (cont):

•311 = Eleventh letter of the alphabet is the letter “K,” thus 3x11 = “KKK.” Used as greeting.

•23 = The 23d letter of the alphabet is “W.” Therefore, white supremacists/racist skinheads use 23 in tattoos to represent “W,” as an abbreviation for the word “white.”

NUMBER SYMBOLS (cont):

•18 = First letter of alphabet is “A”; eighth letter is “H.” Thus 1+8, or 18 = AH, an abbreviation for Adolf Hitler. Number used in tattoos.

NUMBER SYMBOLS (cont):

•100% = Expression of an individual’s pure Aryan or white roots.

•14/88 = Two numbers are used in conjunction to indicate a belief in both ideology of National Socialism and validity of the “14 words.” Symbol can be found at close of letters.

•14 (words) = “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.”

NUMBER SYMBOLS (cont):

RACIST ACRONYMS:

•RAHOWA = Racial Holy War

•ZOG/JOG = Zionist-Occupied Government/Jewish-Occupied Government

•SWP = Supreme White Power

•WPWW = White Supremacists

•CI = Christian Identity

•UAO = United As One

•DOC = Disciples of Christ: refers to a fictional racist gang in movie “American History X.”

Unsere Ehre Heisst Treue

“Our Honor is Loyalty”: slogan of Hitler’s Waffen-SS troops during WW II. Some white supremacist groups use the slogan as a tag line in their publications and Neo-Nazi skinheads also have the slogan tattooed on their bodies.

QUESTIONS?