The Mexican Service Medal awarded by the Army was established by General Orders of the United States War Department on December 12, 1917.

The United States Navy issued the Mexican Service Medal to the sailors and Marines who participated in any of the above actions, as well as to servicemen who served aboard U.S. naval vessels patrolling Mexican waters between April 21 and November 26, 1914, or between March 14, 1916, and February 7, 1917.

Although the Mexican Service Medal was a single decoration, the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy issued two different versions of it.

The Army version displays an engraving of a yucca plant, while the Navy version depicts the San Juan de Ulúa fortress in Veracruz harbor.

For those soldiers who had been cited for gallantry in combat, the Citation Star was authorized as a device to the Mexican Service Medal.