The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-24
THE WEST INDIAN MEDALS.
Designs With SIMPSONS Profile
Likeness AnnrONcd.

Secretary Long today approved the de
signs for the West Indian naval cam
paign medal and the meritorioUs service
medal of the war with Spain, submitted
by board consisting Of Frank W Hack
EFT, Assistant Secretary; Rear AdmiraIs
Luce Renham. and Watson, and Colonel
Reid of the Marine Corps The original
report of the board which recommended
a campaign medal bearing a profile like
ness of Rear Admiral Sampson on one
side and a representation OF the oregon
type of battIeship in action on the re-
verse, was referred back by Secretary
Long with certain suggestions The Sec
rctary desired the board to devote more
careful consideration to the subject in
view of possible dissatisfaction over the
prominence gives one vessel when 9TH
ers Of different types rendered such splen-
did service The board took occasion TO
further discuss the advisabiiity of re
tanning the profile lik5leSs Of Admiral
Sampson. 1t was decided that in view of
the language of the law which provided
that the medal should be awarded to al
officers and men who served in the West
Indian naval campaign and that the mCd-
al was not in commemOration only OF
the battle Of Santiago, the honor should be
given to Sampson as the COMMANDMENT
CHIEF Of the United States feet in the
West Indies
The designs approved by Secretary Long
were prepared by Robert G. Skerrett, of
the Navy Department, a son Of the late
Rear Admiral Joseph S. SkeTrett, and are
regarded as exceedingly artistic and strik-
ing The West Indian medal contains on
the diverse side a profile likeness Of Rear
Admiral Sampson. surrounded by
wreath Of oak leaves and has the inscrip-
ton in plain lettering: United States
naval campaign in the West Indies, 1895
William Thomas Sampson, commander-in-
chief"
On the reverse is a representation of
The Man Behind the Gun 1t shows the
deck of a naval vessel and a group con
sisting of a seaman stripped TO the waist,
Il beardiess young naval officer and a ma
Tine in his shirt sleeves holding a rife.
all standing in the rear Of a small cali
bre rapid-fire gun. In the background are
the outlines of an armored vessel Of con
ventionaI type partly concealed in the
| smoke of battle Just below the group
viii be the inscription commemorating
the principal battle in which the recipi-
ent participated. The designer gives the
following example Of the Inscription:
Santiago. July ), 1855 John Smith, sea
man. L S. S. Texas"
The medal win be held 10 the pin-bar
by crimson and blue ribbon. white be
ing eliminated because it soils so quickly
For every other engagement in which a
recipient of the medal participated there
viii be a bar containing the proper in
seription.
The meritorious service medal consists
Of wreath of laurel leaves holding a five
pointed star, each point being attached to
the inner rim Of the wreath and the space
between the points being open. The star
has an anchor in the centre, While the
points bear the inscription
Navy Of the L s in the War with
SPAIN
At the bottom of the wreath are the
words:
-'AIeritoriCus service
The name Of the recipient viii be en-
graved on the reverse The medal Is at
tached to a broad crimson and blue rib
bon which forms q background for it. AL
the medals viii be OF bronze