Naval and Military Order of the Spanish War

he Naval and Military Order of the Spanish War (NMOSW) was founded on February 2 1899 in New York City by Lieutenant Walter J. Sears USN. There were 98 charter members. Colonel Theodore Roosevelt then Governor of New York was elected as the Order's first president.1 By 1908 the Order had over 1200 members and was active in the era prior to World War I. It seems to have ceased to exist prior to 1920. Unlike similar organizations - such as the Society of the Cincinnati Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States and the Military Order of Foreign Wars - it was unable to attract the descendants of it original members in order to perpetuate its existence. This was probably due to the relatively few individuals eligible to join the organization.