The Spanish War Service Medal was established in July 1918 to recognize those volunteers who served during the Spanish-American War, but did not qualify for the Spanish Campaign Medal. Originally intended for members of the National Guard, qualification was extended in 1920 to include anyone on active federal service for at least 90 days during the period from 20 April 1898 to 11 April 1899, but who did not qualify for The Spanish Campaign Medal. While approximately 31,000 medals were awarded, only the first 16,650 can be traced through the Army's issue records.