Which States & Towns Issued WW1 Service Medals?

[Salvage Sailor]

Not a medal but it is WWI or Interwar...

 

Anyone know which State or time period this came from?  It was mixed in with a bunch of insignia which I picked up in the last Century.

 

MILITARY SERVICE STATE GUARD

 

 

[Primoris Scio]

27 minutes ago, bertmedals said:

Yes.  States, counties, towns/cities, organizations all made their own decisions on whether to issue medals and if so, the design, qualifications, etc.  I believe it is generally accepted that there were over 2000 different state, county, town/city, and organization medals produced for WW1 service.  That number seems to constantly increase as new ones that are not in the references are discovered.

 

Some counties//towns/organizations issued lapel pins, badges, rings, cigarette lighters, and so on in lieu of medals.  Some communities presented more than one type of medal as well.  Ususally this means they issued a medal or something else to men/women who registered or signed up for the military or some other war service organization and a different one to veterans when they returned home.

I suspect the military uniform regs would only allow the wearing of Federal and State issued awards, and not the county/city types?  Money would most likely factor into the state's decision-making whether or not to issue their own medal.

[bertmedals]

Just now, Primoris Scio said:

I suspect the military uniform regs would only allow the wearing of Federal and State issued awards, and not the county/city types?  Money would most likely factor into the state's decision-making whether or not to issue their own medal.

I think yes on both points.  I have seen many photographs of discharged veterans wearing their county/town/organization medals in uniform however.

 

In researching several local medals in town archives, I have read City Council deliberations on cost and in fact serveral deciding against it for that reason.  Cost also factored into the decision as to award a medal or something less expensive such as a lapel pin.

 

Some of the county, and town/city medals were paid for by non-governmental groups but still awarded on behalf of the citizens of the community.  There is a recent post on the forum about the medal awarded for Bethlehem, Pennsylvania that discusses one of those instances.

 

Dennis

[zippo88]

Oddly- Colorado didn't as far as I know for WW1 service, but DID for NG service on the Mexican border- 

 

[mikes militaria]

Hi Dennis, great to see you join the conversation. I read somewhere a while ago that the NY field service medal was for guarding the “Aquaduct”. Do you, or anyone, know anything about this? There seem to be quite a few out there, and I have no idea what the Aquaduct is.  Mike. 

[bertmedals]

17 minutes ago, zippo88 said:

Oddly- Colorado didn't as far as I know for WW1 service, but DID for NG service on the Mexican border- 

 

According to Douglas Boyce's book "State Medals for War Service" Revised Edition, page 12, Colorado issued an "Active Service Medal" with 5 different bars, one of which is 1917-1918 with the qualifying dates being April 6, 1917-June 10, 1919 corresponding to the date the US declared war for WW1 and just prior to the signing of the Versailles Treaty (June 28). Boyce indicates it was awarded to those not in Federal service which I would think was somewhat analagous to the New York Medal for State Service During the World War (also referred to as the "Acqueduct Medal" and the "Field Service Medal").

 

Interestingly, Boyce also identifes a modified Colorado Mexican Border Service Medal which is a Colorado Active Service Medal with the reverse of the Mexican Border Service Medal with the date 1917 erased and replaced with the words "Active Service".

 

Dennis

[bertmedals]

15 minutes ago, mikes militaria said:

Hi Dennis, great to see you join the conversation. I read somewhere a while ago that the NY field service medal was for guarding the “Aquaduct”. Do you, or anyone, know anything about this? There seem to be quite a few out there, and I have no idea what the Aquaduct is.  Mike. 

Mike,

From Boyce's book, page 71, this is the New York Medal for State Service During the World War.  Yes, it is often called the NY "Acquaduct" Medal or the NY "Field Service" Medal.  It was awarded to members of state forces (National Guard mostly) who provided security functions in the state during the war.

Dennis

[JBFloyd]

16 minutes ago, mikes militaria said:

Hi Dennis, great to see you join the conversation. I read somewhere a while ago that the NY field service medal was for guarding the “Aquaduct”. Do you, or anyone, know anything about this? There seem to be quite a few out there, and I have no idea what the Aquaduct is.  Mike. 

The New York State Guard protected public utilities, especially the water supply system of New York City, which involved tunnels, aqueducts and reservoirs feeding into the city.

[bertmedals]

16 hours ago, Flashlarue said:

I have seen an Arkansas WW1 medal

If you have seen one, do you have a photo of it you could post?  It was my understanding that the medal was planned and the necessary laws passed but never produced.

Dennis

[bertmedals]

3 minutes ago, JBFloyd said:

The New York State Guard protected public utilities, especially the water supply system of New York City, which involved tunnels, aqueducts and reservoirs feeding into the city.

Thanks, Jeff, for that explanation.  Very helpful.

[mikes militaria]

Hi Jeff, thank you for the info.

[zippo88]

3 hours ago, bertmedals said:

According to Douglas Boyce's book "State Medals for War Service" Revised Edition, page 12, Colorado issued an "Active Service Medal" with 5 different bars, one of which is 1917-1918 with the qualifying dates being April 6, 1917-June 10, 1919 corresponding to the date the US declared war for WW1 and just prior to the signing of the Versailles Treaty (June 28). Boyce indicates it was awarded to those not in Federal service which I would think was somewhat analagous to the New York Medal for State Service During the World War (also referred to as the "Acqueduct Medal" and the "Field Service Medal").

 

Interestingly, Boyce also identifes a modified Colorado Mexican Border Service Medal which is a Colorado Active Service Medal with the reverse of the Mexican Border Service Medal with the date 1917 erased and replaced with the words "Active Service".

 

Dennis

 

 

I'll be damned...I have never seen one

 

Learn something new everyday 

[Flashlarue]

The Arkansas medal was in very poor condition and I failed to get photos.

[bertmedals]

4 minutes ago, Flashlarue said:

The Arkansas medal was in very poor condition and I failed to get photos.

Thanks.

[Primoris Scio]

On 10/25/2021 at 1:39 PM, mikes militaria said:

I have a copy of Louis Small’s medal book. 1990. He has 180 New York local medals listed. Massachusetts is next with 132 and Pennsylvania with 119. 

 

I wanted to know how many soldiers came from New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts during in WW1, here is what I found:

 

New York - 500,000+

https://www.ny.gov/programs/new-york-state-wwi-centennial-commission

 

Pennsylvania - 297,000+

https://www.worldwar1centennial.org/pennsylvania-ww1-centennial-home.html

 

Massachusetts - 189,000+

https://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/ma-wwi-centennial-commission-home.html

 

If we round the total to 990,000 and divide it by the 4,700,000 US soldiers total (for all services) in WW1, we see that 21% of all US military manpower was supplied by those 3 states.  It now makes sense why they created so many medals.

[mikes militaria]

Pictured are some of the New York local medals. Some local medals are one of a kind.  Most are medals from makers that sold to many localities with minor differences, name of the locality, specific town or city seal etc. I have a few local Mexican Border Service medals that are similar to WW1 medals. There are many medals that look identical to other medals with the only difference being the inscription on the back. I’ll post other states as well in later posts.

 

Top row, left to right. New York county, city and town medals.

  locality: Ft. Plain,   City of N. Tonawanda,    Medina,    Saranac Lake,    Dutchess County,    Fulton Co.,    Hornell District,

# issued: 113                           638                       248                   213                          3780                1851                619

 

       Allegany County,      Yates County

               1518                          686

 

Second row:

 Patchogue,    Inwood, Lawrence, Cedarhurst, Woodmere and Hewlett,   Lovejoy,    N.Y.State Svc.   N.Y. State WW1 Svc.

       166                  659 (1 medal for 5 localities.)                                               N/A                     N/A                     427,871

 

N.Y. Mills,        Tarrytown,    Town of Warwick,    Nyack

     N/A                    239                    100                   183

 

Third row:

La Salle and Niagara,   Scotia,   Glen Cove,   Naples,   Mt. Vernon,   Rensselaer,   City of Saratoga Springs, 

      172                              180         357              47             1,760              446                      543

 

Town of Stillwater,     Barryville and New Village

    40                                       N/A

 

 Fourth row:

City of Kingston,   City of Canadaigua,   City of Utica,   Town of Salem,   Persia, Cattaraugus County,   
  1,100                                303                         3,879                45                                  90

 

Eastern District of Wayne County,    City of Salamanca,   Towns of Glen & Mohawk,   Town of Hamburg

             N/A                                                     382                            120                                  131

[bertmedals]

28 minutes ago, mikes militaria said:

Pictured are some of the New York local medals. Some local medals are one of a kind.  Most are medals from makers that sold to many localities with minor differences, name of the locality, specific town or city seal etc. I have a few local Mexican Border Service medals that are similar to WW1 medals. There are many medals that look identical to other medals with the only difference being the inscription on the back. I’ll post other states as well in later posts.

 

Top row, left to right. New York county, city and town medals.

  locality: Ft. Plain,   City of N. Tonawanda,    Medina,    Saranac Lake,    Dutchess County,    Fulton Co.,    Hornell District,

# issued: 113                           638                       248                   213                          3780                1851                619

 

       Allegany County,      Yates County

               1518                          686

 

Second row:

 Patchogue,    Inwood, Lawrence, Cedarhurst, Woodmere and Hewlett,   Lovejoy,    N.Y.State Svc.   N.Y. State WW1 Svc.

       166                  659 (1 medal for 5 localities.)                                               N/A                     N/A                     427,871

 

N.Y. Mills,        Tarrytown,    Town of Warwick,    Nyack

     N/A                    239                    100                   183

 

Third row:

La Salle and Niagara,   Scotia,   Glen Cove,   Naples,   Mt. Vernon,   Rensselaer,   City of Saratoga Springs, 

      172                              180         357              47             1,760              446                      543

 

Town of Stillwater,     Barryville and New Village

    40                                       N/A

 

 Fourth row:

City of Kingston,   City of Canadaigua,   City of Utica,   Town of Salem,   Persia, Cattaraugus County,   
  1,100                                303                         3,879                45                                  90

 

Eastern District of Wayne County,    City of Salamanca,   Towns of Glen & Mohawk,   Town of Hamburg

             N/A                                                     382                            120                                  131

Mike,

Excellent selection of NY state medals.  There are some really rare ones in there which are nice to see "in the flesh" so to speak.  Thanks for posting them.  I'm looking forward to seeing some of the other states.

Dennis

[mikes militaria]

More New York Local medals.

 

First row, left to right

Locality:  Middletown,   Wyoming County,   Chenago County,   Madison County,   Ulster County,   Lockport,   Granville, 
 # issued:   759                        1,259                         1,441                    1,629                      3,089               878            125

 

 

       Tioga County,       City of Watervliet.

          998                                662

 

Second row:

    City of Rochester,   Village of Ossining,    The Rockaways,    Essex County,    Tompkins County,    City of Troy

             12,185                       442                                    N/A                 1,313                  1,453                        2,967

 

     Steuben County,    Walden,    City of Schenectady

             3,522                   226                 3,656

 

 Third row:

      City of Albany,    County of Albany,    City of Little Falls,    City of Oswego,    Lewis County,     City of Rome

              4,670                    7,668                          537                           973                      977                      1.085

 

     Central Orleans County,    Clinton County,    City of Cohoes

                    404                               1,809                     947

 

   Fourth row:

      City of Fulton,    City of Dunkirk,    Village of Lancaster,    Seneca County,    City of Cortland,    City of Lackawanna

              537                       797                          250                              1,019                       548                         738

 

      City of Newburgh,     Otsego County,     Town of Westfield

                1,251                         1,903                         140

[mikes militaria]

Thank you Dennis. Please feel free to add more info, numbers issued etc, if you have it.
 

One more of a few NY, Mass and PA. medals.

 

Top row:

       City of Chicopee, Mass.   City of Easton, Penn.    Town of Westminster, Mass.     Town of Gardner, Mass.

               1,492                                    1,393                                   55                                           699

 

 Bottom row:

        Town of Haverstraw NY,    Village of Carthage NY,    Town of Corinth, Saratoga County, NY,    Greenport L.I. NY

                   215                                          178                                           106                                                     129

 

        Lynbrook NY

               180

[mikes militaria]

Some Pennsylvania local medals.

 

Top row, left to right:

 

     St Mary’s Welcome Home medal,    Allentown & Lehigh Co.     Doylestown Red Cross,    Meadville,    PA NG State Svc.

                    N/A                                                    6,102                                   158                              600

 

     City of Chester,     City of Harrisburg,    Kutztown,      Lancaster

            2,390                          3,127                     111                 2,190

 

 Second row:

      Sharon,     City of Hanover,     Brookville,     Mt Carmel,      Lansdale,      Carnegie,     Sewickly,      Union County.

         896                  356                      135               719                   195                477              204                 653

 

      Borough of Sunbury

              648

 

    Third row:

        Middletown,    Irwin,     Homestead District,    Blair Co. Welcome Home,     Hazelton,    Fayetteville County-Connellsville,

             243               133                  843                               5,287                                1,329                            7,750

 

       Washington & Welcome Home pin,    City of Dubois,      Borough of Milton

              85                                                            564                          355

 

  Fourth row:

      Borough of Bangor,     Northern Cambria Co.,     Mifflin Co.,     South Fork,    Wayne Co.,   City of Bethlehem,

              223                                        N/A                         1,295               175.                 1,130               2,075

 

      Carbondale,        Monroe County,      Jeanette

           768                          1,001                    438

[mikes militaria]

A note about the previous post. I’ve noticed that the posts don’t always turn out like they appear when you hit the “submit”button.

The third row, first medal is Middletown, 243 issued.  Also Fayette County- Connellsville, 7750 issued.  Not Fayetteville, Spell check got me on that one.

[mikes militaria]

Medals from Massachusetts:

 

Top row left to right:

     Town of Southbridge,     Town of Ipswich,    City of Fall River,    Town of West Springfield,    City of Malden,

                  587                                 255                        4,694                               553                                2,023

 

     City of Newburyport,       City of Beverly,    Town of Maynard,     City of Springfield

                   643                               930                        292                             5,340

 

   Second row:

      Town of Milton,      City of Attleboro,     Town of North Attleboro,    Town of Monson,     Town of Bourne,

              384                            813                                381                                    199                          104

 

     
     Third row: 

        Town of Abington,     Town of Gardner,      Town of Fairhaven,     Town of Falmouth,    City of Marlboro,

                  238                            699                                300                            144                              619

 

         City of Peabody,       City of Somerville,     Town of Hadley,      Ashland

                   806                           3,835                       228                       96

[mikes militaria]

    Medals from New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont and Massachusetts:

 

   Top row:

         Town of Claremont N.H.,     City of Manchester N.H.,     Lancaster N.H.,     Town of East Greenwich R.I.

                       392                                        3,229                                  90                                   136

 

          Town of Bristol R.I.      Town of Westerly R.I.        City of Newport R.I.

                    469                                 410                                    1,247

 

     Second row:

          Kinnebunkport  Maine,      City of Biddeford ME,      City of Westbrook ME,      City of Saco ME,     
                      N/A                                        742                                    389                                   281

 

          City of Barre Vermont,       Rutland and Rutland County VT,     Town of Coventry RI

                     412                                                727                                              234

 

     Third row:

           Town of Norton Massachusetts,     Buckland & Shelbourne MA,     Town of Reading MA,    Town of Medway  MA,

                            98                                                      120                                            306                              122

  

           Town of Holden MA,      Town of Palmer MA,       City of New Bedford MA,

                     122                                   408                                        4,994

 

    Fourth row:

            Town of Northbridge MA,      North Adams MA (Incorrect ribbon),     Town of Ludlow MA,

                          419                                         918                                                          308

 

            Town of Marblehead MA,     Adams & East Hoosuck MA,      Town of Winchester MA,

                         302                                           523                                              432

[mikes militaria]

      Virginia Medals:

 
   First picture:  County of Norfolk (obverse),    City of Norfolk (reverse),     City of Roanoke (obverse),

                                    9,374                                            6,418                                     2,095 

 

        City of Richmond (obverse),      County of Loudoun (obverse)

                        7,072                                          847

 

 

Second picture:  County of Norfolk (reverse),     City of Norfolk (reverse),     City of Roanoke (reverse)

 

         City of Richmond (reverse),        County of Loudoun (reverse)

 

 

Third picture:   City of Winchester & County of Frederick (obverse),   Co. of Rockingham & City of Harrisonburg (obverse)

                                                  797                                                                                            1,238

      Portsmouth (obverse),     Newport News (obverse)

             2,240                                   1,467

  Fourth picture:   City of Winchester & Co. of Frederick (reverse),    Co. of Rockingham & City of Harrisonburg (reverse)

 

      Portsmouth (reverse),       Newport News (reverse)

 

 

 

              

[everforward]

1 hour ago, mikes militaria said:

      Virginia Medals:

 
   First picture:  County of Norfolk (obverse),    City of Norfolk (reverse),     City of Roanoke (obverse),

                                    9,374                                            6,418                                     2,095 

 

        City of Richmond (obverse),      County of Loudoun (obverse)

                        7,072                                          847

 

 

Second picture:  County of Norfolk (reverse),     City of Norfolk (reverse),     City of Roanoke (reverse)

 

         City of Richmond (reverse),        County of Loudoun (reverse)

 

 

Third picture:   City of Winchester & County of Frederick (obverse),   Co. of Rockingham & City of Harrisonburg (obverse)

                                                  797                                                                                            1,238

      Portsmouth (obverse),     Newport News (obverse)

             2,240                                   1,467

  Fourth picture:   City of Winchester & Co. of Frederick (reverse),    Co. of Rockingham & City of Harrisonburg (reverse)

 

      Portsmouth (reverse),       Newport News (reverse)

 

 

 

              

I just want to say that you have an amazing collection of State and County medals, well done.

 

I have a specific question about your Virginia medal collection (since I live here too 😊)……how complete would you say your Virginia collection is..? Are there many others you know of but haven’t found yet..? I’m just wondering how spotty the participation may have been with localities issuing the medals….thanks.