Name/Title
American Veterans Foreign ServiceEntry/Object ID
2013.3.04aDescription
The item is a "American Veterans, Foreign Service" stud, or commerative medal belonging to James R. Graham. Graham enlisted in the U.S. Army on August 12, 1895 at the age of 25. He served in the army for 6 years before being honorably discharged on November 9, 1901. Graham arrived in Cuba on June 23, 1898 and stayed until August 12, 1898. The stud is bronze engraved medal with the words, "American Veterans, Foreign Service" on the front. The center has two lions on either side of a triangle with a sun in the middle.
On the back is a metal shank designed to hold the stud/medal in a lapel or button hole. The manufacture is written on the back, Whitehead & Hoag Co., Newark N.J.
"After the Spanish-American War, the reluctance of the Grand Army of the Republic to open its membership to other war veterans caused a small landslide in new societies being formed at that time.
There were two independent groups that, without knowledge of each other, formed societies with the same name. The first group was formed in Columbus, Ohio in late 1899. They existed as an independent society until uniting with the second group in 1905. They adopted a badge and a smaller badge version as a lapel pin. The same size lapel pin hanging from an appropriately size bar with the word AUXILLARY is illustrated in Harvey S. Eisenberg's groundbreaking article on Spanish-American War societies (see February, March, July, November and December, 1973 issues of Journal of the Orders and Medals Society). The badge of this group is shown in attachment #1.
In late 1901, a group of veterans in Pittsburg, PA formed a group called PHILLIPPINE WAR VETERANS. In 1902 they changed their name to FOREIGN SERVICE VETERANS. Another group formed in Altoona, PA called itself PHILIPPINE WAR VETERANS. While a third group, in Philadelphia, PA formed a group called the AMERICAN VETERANS OF PHILIPPINE & CHINA WARS. Each of these three groups got together in 1903 and formed a combined new society, the AMERICAN VETERANS OF THE PHILIPPINE, CUBAN-PUERTO RICAN & CHINA WAR. The name was too long and difficult to remember, so later that same year, they changed the new group name to AMERICAN VETERANS OF FOREIGN SERVICE. Their badge is shown in attachment #2. Simply because this badges is more striking in appearance, certainly more expensive, and currently more available than the other badge, I can only guess this badge was adopted by both groups when they merged in 1905." *
For additional information about these types of medals see:
*U.S. Militaria Forum: Helping Collectors Preserve History SInce 2006
American Veterans of Foreign Service
Started by frederick , Apr 27 2008 04:36 PM
http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/19207-american-veterans-of-foreign-service/
"The Whitehead & Hoag company was formed in 1892 in Newark, New Jersey, as a partnership between printer Benjamin S. Whitehead and paper merchant Chester R. Hoag. It soon became the largest manufacturer of novelty advertising in the United States, eventually making over 5,000 different items. In the late 1890s, the company had branch offices across the U.S. and in England, Australia, and Argentina.
In its first decade, Whitehead & Hoag acquired three major patents on the design and manufacture of buttons. The company's non-partisan roster of clients included commercial businesses, both major political parties as well as Socialists, Communists, and Prohibitionists, and various club and fraternal organizations. The U.S. presidential election of 1896 marked the first time political campaign buttons blanketed the country." **
For additional information about Whitehead & Hoag see:
**Busy Beaver Button Museum, Button Manufacturers, Whitehead & Hoag Company
http://buttonmuseum.org/button-manufacturersCollection
Howard J. GrahamAcquisition
Accession
2013.3Source or Donor
Howard J. GrahamAcquisition Method
GiftCredit Line
Donated in memory of Howard J. Graham