Spanish Campaign Medal

Army Spanish Campaign Medal
TypeCampaign medal
Presented byDepartment of War
EligibilityService in the Spanish–American War
StatusObsolete
First awarded11 May 1898
Last awarded16 August 1898


ribbon and streamer

The Spanish Campaign Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces which recognized those men 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 men of the United States Army and another for the forces of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps.[1][2]

The Army medal was designed by Francis Davis Millet while the Navy and Marines medals were designed by Rudolf Freund (1878–1960) of Bailey Banks & Biddle.[3][4]

Early versions of the Spanish Campaign Medal suspended the medal 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.[5] 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.

  1. ^ Military Awards. Army Publishing Directorate, 5 March 2019. Spanish War Service Medal, Section III: U.S. Service Medals and Ribbons No Longer Available, 5–13, p. 80
  2. ^ Spanish Campaign Medal (Army), US Army Institute of Heraldry
  3. ^ "SPANISH CAMPAIGN MEDAL (Army)". COMMEMORATIVE MEDALS FOR SALE. Foxfall Medals. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  4. ^ "SPANISH CAMPAIGN MEDAL (Navy and Marine Corps)". COMMEMORATIVE MEDALS FOR SALE. Foxfall Medals. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  5. ^ Spanish Campaign Medal Red and Yellow