Tattooing - believe it or not - has been ongoing since the Neolithic times as there have been discoveries on mummified preserved skin, ancient art and the archeological record. Thus, extending to the 4th millennium BC.
Tattoos have obviously been going on for thousands of years and where it was mostly practiced was by the Austronesian people. The reason being varies from headhunting (which makes the most sense) to tattoo tradition such as face tattooing - which can be seen in many cultures as spiritual.
Indigenous peoples North America also have a long history of tattooing. It highlighted not only markings on the skin (obviously), but was a process that showed cultural connections to indigenous ways of viewing and knowing the world, as well as social connections with your loved ones.
War always finds itself at the bottom of society's controversial matters and tattoos bare no exception. Military and warfare have had a direct impact on the purpose, subject matter and reception of tattoos in American pop culture. The first American tattoos were predominantly sailors and soldiers with patriotic flags or battles. While this for sure helped push tattoos in becoming popular amongst the masses, certain people were still trying to keep it out of everyday life.
Now, tattoos and the military began to reconnect as tattoos became an opportunity to show social or political views. They are also great to show belonging, affiliation and to mark down war experiences. Or for the average Joe, something important that happened in their life and to express love for meaningful experiences or people. Modern military tattoos in the US became less about honor but more about recognizing fellow servicemen's losses, experiences and struggles.
A very brief article courtesy of Wikipedia. The full page on the History of Tattooing can be found here.
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