4F

[Stiles/Akin]

http://directionsindentistry.net/4f...BBfUxiC97h0Sh8a3la_wKlqnZ0dcGiHsXcVGeksNTjVG0

Many civilians as well as military personnel are familiar with the term 4-F (also called 4F). 4-F is a classification given to a new U.S. military registrant indicating that he or she is "not acceptable for service in the Armed Forces"due to medical, dental, or other reasons.

Most people do not know that the term 4-F (or 4F) originated in the Civil War and was used to disqualify army recruits who did not have four front teeth with which to tear open gunpowder packages.

 

[Podad]

:Ghost:Good stuff.

My dad was already in the Army before WW2 started. He used to say that after the war started the physical exam consisted of whether the recruits had the ability to see lightning and hear thunder. If so they were designated as 1A.

 

[Stiles/Akin]

Looking at ofd WWI records we se 3F and 4F designations. The blog post has a lot of debatoers. Not sure but it is interesting.