February 11, 2016 - The Spanish-American War lasted a little less than four months, April 21st – August 13th, 1898 and ended Spain’s worldwide empire. It ended with America easily defeating Spain and signaled the United States emergence as a world power. The blowing up of the battleship USS Maine in Havana harbor on February 15th, 1898 with the loss of 266 crewmen and marines in essence was the start of the war.
The US Navy Department board of inquiry concluded that a mine had detonated under the ship and the American public reacted with outrage blaming Spain for the disaster. It was during this war that Teddy Roosevelt and his cavalry unit known as the “Rough Riders” became famous. This would be the first war fought overseas by the United States and involved campaigns in both Cuba and the Philippine Islands.
The war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898 which established the independence of Cuba gave Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States and allowed the US to purchase the Philippines Islands from Spain for $20 million. The brief war cost the United States $250 million and 3,000 lives of which 90% perished from yellow and typhoid fever and other infectious diseases.
The VFW traces its roots back to these veterans who founded local organizations to secure rights and benefits for their service. There was no medical care or veterans’ pension for them, and they were left to care for themselves. These formed organizations would become what is now known as the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.
In observance of the sacrifices made by the Veterans of the Spanish American War and those who died aboard the USS Maine, Shelby County Memorial Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8904 and the Auxiliary will conduct a wreath laying at the Veterans Memorial on Monday, February 15, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. As always the public is invited. Call Larry Hume, 598-2976 for more information.
