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The Spanish Campaign Medal

The Spanish Campaign badge is to be issued to officers and enlisted men of the Navy who served in the Navy in Cuban and Porto Rican waters and were attached to one of the following vessels between the dates mentioned (Navy Department Special Order No. 81 of June 27, 1908):

In the 1920s, the award criteria was relaxed to provide for award of this medal to all those who served in the Navy during the Spanish -American War.

[Historical note: Just how much attention is paid to the colors selected for service medal ribbons? Unfortunately, sometimes a mistake will occur.

In 1908, the red-and-yellow color scheme was designated for the West Indies and Spanish campaign medals. Hundreds were awarded and worn before Navy leadership belatedly decided that a ribbon bearing the colors of the defeated Spanish nation - who by that time once again were allies - was inappropriate and orders were issued changing the ribbon color to blue-and-yellow.

The change was duly made in 1913, but not without scores of the medals leaving the service through discharges and retirements. Officially, the color remains blue-and-yellow, but finding one with the politically incorrect red-and-yellow helps verify the age of this particular service medal.]

ORIGINAL LISTING OF ELIGIBLE SHIPS 
        AND DATES OF SERVICE

USS Abarenda       07 Jun 1898-26 Jun 1898
USS Alexander      19 Jun 1898-30 Jun 1898
USS Amphitrite     21 Apr 1898-12 Aug 1898
USS Annapolis      25 Apr 1898-    "
USS Apache         04 Aug 1898-    "
USS Armeria        04 Jun 1898-03 Jun 1898
        "          26 Jun 1898-12 Aug 1898
USS Accomac        21 Apr 1898-    "
USS Badger         01 Jul 1898-    "
USS Baltimore      21 Apr 1898-16 Aug 1898
USS Bancroft       09 May 1898-12 Aug 1898
USS Brooklyn       18 May 1898-    "
USS Boston         21 Apr 1898-16 Aug 1898
USS Brutus         23 Jul 1898-    "
USS Buccaneer      06 Aug 1898-12 Aug 1898
USS Caesar         06 Jul 1898-07 Jul 1898
USS Calumet        21 Jul 1898-12 Aug 1898
USS Castine        21 Apr 1898-    "
USS Celtic         18 Jun 1898-30 Jul 1898
USS Cincinnati     21 Apr 1898-30 May 1898
        "          15 Jul 1898-12 Aug 1898
USS Charleston     20 Jun 1898-16 Aug 1898
USS Cheyenne       03 Aug 1898-12 Aug 1898
USS City of Pekin  20 Jun 1898-30 Jul 1898
USS Columbia       30 Jun 1898-12 Aug 1898
USS Concord        21 Apr 1898-16 Aug 1898
USS Cushing            "      -12 Aug 1898
USS Detroit            "           "
USS Dixie          18 Jun 1898-    "
USS Dolphin        21 Apr 1898-29 Jun 1898
USS Dorothea       30 Jun 1898-12 Aug 1898
USS Dupont         21 Apr 1898-03 Aug 1898
USS Eagle          23 Apr 1898-12 Aug 1898
USS Ericsson       21 Apr 1898-    "
USS Fern               "           "
USS Fish Hawk      24 Jul 1898-    "
USS Foote          21 Apr 1898-    "
USS Frolic         31 Jul 1898-    "
USS Glouchester    03 Jun 1898-    "
USS Gwin           08 Jul 1898-    "
USS Hamilton       01 May 1898-    "
USS Hannibal       25 Jun 1898-13 Jul 1898
      "            30 Jul 1898-12 Aug 1898
USS Harvard        11 May 1898-02 Jun 1898
      "            01 Jul 1898-10 Jul 1898
USS Hawk           23 Apr 1898-12 Aug 1898
USS Hector         30 Jun 1898-24 Jul 1898
USS Helena         21 Apr 1898-12 Aug 1898
USS Hist           25 Jun 1898-    "
USS Hornet         23 Apr 1898-    "
USS Hudson         05 May 1898-06 Aug 1898

21 June 1998