United States of America: Spanish War Service Medal 1898-1899, rim officially stamped: ‘23297’, with replaced ribbon.
Condition: Good Very Fine.
Established on 9 July 1918, the primary purpose for the creation of the Spanish War Service Medal was to recognise units of the Army which had performed homeland defence 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 federalised 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 authorised. 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.
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 authorised to the medal. The award was also strictly for Army personnel, since United States Army and Marine Corps personnel, who had served in the Spanish–American War, qualified for the Spanish Campaign Medal regardless if overseas duty was performed.
