Congressional Medal for Philippine Service.—This bronze medal, authorized by Act of Congress in 1899, was conferred upon officers and men of the Army distinguishing themselves in action during the Philippine Insurrection. On the obverse is a group of three soldiers facing to the left, the central one bearing the colors and the other two with rifles at the “shoulder,” surrounded by the inscription “Philippine Insurrection, 1899.” On the reverse are the words “For Patriotism, Fortitude and Loyalty” enclosed in a circle composed of a branch of pine on the left and a branch of palm on the right. The ribbon is blue with narrow bands of white, red, white near each edge.
Gold Life-Saving Medal.—This medal, established by Act of Congress, June 20, 1874, is awarded to “those who by extreme and heroic daring have endangered their lives in saving or endeavoring to save lives from the perils of the sea.” The obverse has a design of a boat’s crew rescuing a man from a stormy sea, surrounded by the inscription “United States of America. Act of Congress, June 20, 1874.” The reverse bears a scroll surmounted by an eagle and supported at the left by the figure of Victory and at the right by an anchor and a ship’s sails, surrounded by the inscription, “In testimony of heroic deeds in saving life from the perils of the sea.” The medal is suspended from a clasp of gold representing the head of an eagle and the clasp is suspended by a scarlet silk ribbon.
Campaign Medals.
U. S. Navy and Marine Corps
| 1. War with Spain, 1898 | 2. West Indies Campaign, 1898 |
| 3. Philippine Insurrection | 4. China Relief Expedition, 1900 |
| 1. Gold Life-Saving Medal (obverse) |
| 2. Gold Life-Saving Medal (reverse) |
| 3. Silver Life-Saving Medal (obverse) |
| 4. Silver Life-Saving Medal (reverse) |
Silver Life-Saving Medal.—This medal, established by Act of Congress, June 20, 1874, is awarded to “those who have endangered their lives in saving lives from the perils of the sea or in succoring the shipwrecked.” The obverse bears an allegorical design of a rescue from the sea, surrounded by the inscription “United States of America. Act of Congress, June 20, 1874.” The reverse has a wreath surrounded by the words, “In testimony of heroic deeds in saving life from the perils of the sea.” The medal is suspended from a silver clasp representing the head of an eagle, the clasp being suspended by a light blue silk ribbon.
Civil War Campaign Medal.—This is the first of the campaign medals or badges. It is of bronze and was awarded to all officers and men who participated with honor in the Civil War. The Army medal has on its obverse side the head of Lincoln, nearly in profile, facing to the right, surrounded by the inscription, “With malice toward none, with charity for all,” and on the reverse a wreath of oak and olive branches enclosing the words “The Civil War” and dates “1861-1865.” The Navy medal bears on its obverse a scene from the battle of the Monitor and the Merrimac and the inscription, “The Civil War, 1861-1865,” and on the reverse an eagle perched on a foul anchor with the words “For Service” below, the whole surrounded by a circle composed of a branch of oak and a branch of olive leaves in the lower half and in the upper half the words “United States Navy” or “United States Marine Corps,” according to the service of the wearer. The ribbon is blue and gray.
The reverse side of all Navy campaign medals is the same as for the Civil War medal; all Army campaign medals, with the exception of the Civil War medal, have on the reverse a trophy composed of an eagle perched on a cannon supported by five standards, rifles, an Indian shield, spear and quiver of arrows, a Cuban machete and a Sulu kriss, with the words “For Service” below, the whole surrounded by a circle of the words “United States Army” in the upper half and thirteen stars in the lower half.