Dewey Medal facts for kids
The Dewey Medal was a special award given by the United States Navy. It was created by the United States Congress on June 3, 1898. This medal honored Admiral of the Navy George Dewey for his leadership during the Spanish–American War. It also recognized the brave Sailors and Marines who served under him.
Quick facts for kids Battle of Manila Bay or "Dewey" Medal |
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| Type | Commemorative medal |
| Eligibility | Officers and men of the ships of the Asiatic Squadron of the United States under the command of Commodore George Dewey |
| Awarded for | Participation in the Battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898 |
| Status | Obsolete |
| Statistics | |
| Established | June 3, 1898 |
| Order of Wear (1972) | |
| Next (higher) | Organized Marine Corps Reserve Medal |
| Next (lower) | Sampson Medal |
  Reverse and ribbon of the medal |
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Who Earned the Dewey Medal?
The Dewey Medal was given to members of the U.S. Navy and United States Marine Corps. They had to have been part of the Battle of Manila Bay. This important battle happened on May 1, 1898. About 1,848 service members were eligible for this medal.
To get the medal, a person had to serve on one of these ships:
- USS Baltimore
- USS Boston
- USS Concord
- USRC McCulloch
- USS Olympia
- USS Petrel
- USS Raleigh
Two other ships, the Template:Collier (ship)s USS Nanshan and USS Zafiro, were also with Dewey's squadron. They helped support the operation. However, their crews were not eligible for the Dewey Medal. This was likely because these ships were not directly involved in the fighting. Also, they were technically civilian ships at the time. They were bought to help the Navy.
Special Facts About the Medal
The Dewey Medal was a unique award. It was given only once and did not have any extra devices or stars. The medal itself is round. It shows a picture of Admiral George Dewey on the front. It hangs from a blue and yellow ribbon.
Admiral Dewey also received this medal. But he was a very humble person. He always wore his medal with the back side showing. The back of the medal shows a sailor sitting on a cannon.
Dewey was one of only four Americans to wear a medal with their own image on it. The others were Rear Admiral William T. Sampson, Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd, and General of the Armies John J. Pershing.
The Dewey Medal was given for active military duty. However, it was also a "commemorative" medal. This means it celebrated a single important event. It is one of the rarest U.S. military awards. Fewer people received it than the Medal of Honor. Only 1,825 Dewey Medals were made. Each medal had the recipient's name and rank engraved on its edge. The name of their ship was engraved on the back.
What the Medal Looks Like
A famous artist named Daniel Chester French designed this medal. He also created the statue of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The medal was made by Tiffany & Co..
The front of the medal, called the "obverse," shows a detailed picture of Commodore George Dewey. The back of the medal, called the "reverse," has the name of the ship where the recipient served. The name of the person who received the medal is engraved on the bottom edge. This makes it one of only two service medals officially named to the recipient.
