Spanish Campaign Medal

The Spanish Campaign Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces which recognized those members of the U.S. military who had served in the Spanish-American War. Although a single decoration, there were two versions of the Spanish Campaign Medal, one for members of the United States Army and another for the forces of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps.

Early versions of the Spanish Campaign Medal suspended the metal from a gold and red ribbon, but this design was changed in 1913 upon request from Spain that a United States service medal not bear the colors of the Spanish nation. The new medal was suspended from a blue and yellow ribbon. Separate medallions existed for both the Navy and Army. Marine Corps recipients received the Navy version with the seal of the United States Marine Corps on the reverse of the medal.

The only device authorized to the Spanish Campaign Medal was the Citation Star and then only for U.S. Army recipients of the decoration.

Army Version
The Army version of the Spanish Campaign Medal was established on January 12, 1905. It was awarded for military service performed between May 11th and August 16th, 1898 which such service in the geographical regions of either Cuba, Puerto Rico, or the Philippine Islands. For those members of the Army who had served on active duty during the Spanish-American War, but had not been deployed in action, a separate medal existed for bestowal, known as the Spanish War Service Medal.

Navy Version
The Navy version of the Spanish Campaign Medal was created in June 1908 and issued to any member of either the Navy or Marine Corps who had served in the Philippine Islands between the dates of May 1st and August 16th, 1898. Crews of select ships were eligible for the medal prior to May 1st. For service in the West Indies, the Navy awarded the West Indies Campaign Medal as well as an unofficial decoration known as the Sampson Medal. In 1913, the navy discontinued the award of the West Indies Campaign Medal and extended the criteria of the Spanish Campaign Medal to any member of the Navy or Marine Corps who had served on active duty during the Spanish American War.