U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
service medal
A service medal is an award to individuals who participated in designated wars, campaigns, or expeditions, or who have fulfilled specific service requirements in a creditable manner. Service medals are sometimes also Campaign medals.
Examples of s ...
established by an Act of Congress on July 9, 1918. It was awarded for service between May 9, 1916 and March 24, 1917, or with the Mexican Border Patrol between January 1, 1916 to April 6, 1917.
The medal recognizes those military service members who were assigned to the U.S.-Mexico border at the period of time when the United States was on the verge of all-out war with Mexico. The United States was then engaged in the
Pancho Villa Expedition
The Pancho Villa Expedition—now known officially in the United States as the Mexican Expedition, but originally referred to as the "Punitive Expedition, U.S. Army"—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the p ...
, a
military operation
A military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state, or a non-state actor, in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state or actor's favor. Operations ma ...
conducted by the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
Mexican Revolution 1910–1920.
The U.S.-Mexico border was thought to be a potential location for a German-funded invasion by Mexico. Border service went into effect when this possible threat was exposed with the British interception of the Zimmerman Telegram, which discussed Germany's proposal that Mexico join in an alliance with Germany if the U.S. were to enter the war (
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
); in January 1917, the telegram was intercepted and deciphered by British Intelligence and its contents were made public by the United States on March 1 (the U.S. declared war on Germany, April 6, 1917).
To be awarded the Mexican Border Service Medal, a service member must have served with the United States Army, along the Mexican border, or must have been assigned as a Regular or National Guard member to the Mexican Border Patrol. Those who had received the
Mexican Service Medal
The Mexican Service Medal is an award of the United States military for service in Mexico from 1911 to 1919.
History
The Mexican Service Medal awarded by the Army was established by General Orders of the United States War Department on December ...
were not eligible for the Mexican Border Service Medal. The
United States National Guard
The National Guard is a state-based military force that becomes part of the reserve components of the United States Army and the United States Air Force when activated for federal missions.Major General
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
Charles M. Clement
Charles Maxwell Clement (October 28, 1855 – September 9, 1934) was a Pennsylvania attorney and Army National Guard officer who attained the rank of major general as commander of the 28th Infantry Division.
Early life
Charles M. Clement was ...
, in recognition of his status as the longest-tenured National Guard officer eligible for the award at the time it was authorized.
Congress created a similar award to present to members of the Texas National Guard who served on the border from December 8, 1917 to November 11, 1918, known as the Texas Cavalry Medal. These guardsmen deployed to the border to free up regular Army units for service during World War I.