Spanish War Service Medal

TypeService medal

Awarded forMilitary personnel who performed active duty during the Spanish–American War, but did not qualify for the Spanish Campaign Medal.

Presented byDepartment of War

StatusObsolete

Spanish War Service Medal
Obverse
Type	Service medal
Awarded for	Military personnel who performed active duty during the Spanish–American War, but did not qualify for the Spanish Campaign Medal.
Presented by	Department of War
Status	Obsolete
Established	July 9, 1918

Service ribbon of the medal

The Spanish War Service Medal was a United States military medal of the U.S. Army which was established by an act of the U.S. Congress on 9 July 1918 (40 Stat. 873). The medal recognizes those members of the Army and of the U.S. Volunteers who performed active duty during the Spanish–American War, but did not qualify for the Spanish Campaign Medal.

The primary purpose for the creation of the Spanish War Service Medal was to recognize units of the Army which had performed homeland defense in the United States during the years of the Spanish–American War. The award was also presented extensively to members of the United States National Guard who had been federalized for active military duty but had not been deployed to actual combat in the Spanish–American War.

The first recipient was Major General Charles M. Clement who was the longest-tenured National Guard officer eligible for the award at the time it was authorized.^[1] The medal was similar in design to the Mexican Border Service Medal, which had been established the same year as the Spanish War Service Medal.

Criteria

To be awarded the Spanish War Service Medal, a service member must have served on active duty in the United States Army between 20 April 1898 and 11 April 1899. Those who were awarded the Spanish Campaign Medal were ineligible to receive the Spanish War Service Medal.

The Spanish War Service Medal was a one time decoration and there were no devices authorized to the medal. The award was also strictly for Army personnel, since United States Navy and Marine Corps personnel, who had served in the Spanish–American War, qualified for the Spanish Campaign Medal regardless if overseas duty was performed.

v t e United States campaign, expeditionary, and service medals
1862–1906	Civil War Campaign Medal Indian Campaign Medal Dewey Medal Sampson Medal Cardenas Medal of Honor West Indies Campaign Medal Spanish Campaign Medal Spanish War Service Medal Army of Cuban Occupation Medal Army of Puerto Rican Occupation Medal Philippine Campaign Medal Philippine Congressional Medal
1905–1921	China Campaign Medal Navy Cuban Pacification Medal Navy Nicaraguan Campaign Medal Haitian Campaign Medal Dominican Campaign Medal
1911–1941	Mexican Service Medal Mexican Border Service Medal World War I Victory Medal Texas Cavalry Medal Army of Occupation of Germany Medal
1936–1945	Navy Expeditionary Medal Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal Haitian Campaign Medal NC-4 Medal Second Nicaraguan Campaign Medal Yangtze Service Medal Byrd Antarctic Expedition Medal Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition Medal United States Antarctic Expedition Medal
1942–1949	China Service Medal American Defense Service Medal Women's Army Corps Service Medal American Campaign Medal European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal Army of Occupation Medal (Navy) Medal for Humane Action
1953–1999	National Defense Service Medal Korean Service Medal Antarctica Service Medal Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Medal Southwest Asia Service Medal Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon Kosovo Campaign Medal Armed Forces Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
2003–present	Afghanistan Campaign Medal Iraq Campaign Medal Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Korea Defense Service Medal Air and Space Campaign Medal Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal Remote Combat Effects Campaign Medal

Spanish War Service Medal

Criteria

Appearance

References

External links

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