United States. A Veterans Of Foreign Wars, Eighth Corps Medal For The Philippines, C.1905

In bronze with red, white and blue enamels, measuring 30.7 mm (w) x 32.5 mm (h) inclusive of its integral suspension, intact enamels, slightly frayed original ribbon with pinback, extremely fine.

Footnote: The Veterans of Foreign Wars, also known as the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Inc., is an American veterans' organization established on September 29, 1899, whose membership consists of armed-forces veterans who, as United States Army soldiers, United States Navy sailors, United States Marines, United States Coast Guard sailors, and/or United States Air Force airmen, served the U.S. in wars, campaigns, and expeditions on foreign soil or hostile waters. The purpose of the VFW is to speed rehabilitation of the nation’s disabled and needy veterans, assist veterans’ widows and orphans and the dependents of needy or disabled veterans, and promote Americanism by means of education in patriotism and by constructive service to local communities. The organization maintains both its legislative service and central office of its national rehabilitation service in Washington. The latter nationwide program serves disabled veterans of all wars, members and nonmembers alike, in matters of U.S. government compensation and pension claims, hospitalization, civil-service employment preference, and etc.” Membership in the VFW is restricted to any active or honorably discharged officer or enlisted person who is a citizen of the United States and who has served in its armed forces ""in any foreign war, insurrection or expedition, which service shall be recognized by the authorization or the issuance of a military campaign medal."" The Eighth Army Corps was formed on June 21, 1898, shortly after the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, in order to provide a ground contingent to exploit Commodore George Dewey's success in defeating the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay on May 1, 1898. Under the command of Major General Wesley Merritt, Eighth Corps had only one division, curiously numbered as the Second Division. The Second Division was under the command of Brigadier General Thomas M. Anderson. The Eighth Corps defeated the Spanish forces under the command of Governor-General of the Philippines Fermín Jáudenes in the Battle of Manilaon August 14, 1898. At the end of March 1900, the complexities involved in dealing with guerrilla warfare and governing the islands led to the transformation of what had been the Department of the Pacific into the Division of the Philippines with four geographical departments, each of which was in turn divided into military districts. This step brought an end to the Eighth Corps. Units of the former Eighth Corps also fought to an eventual victory in the Philippine-American War in July 1902.