photos of waller, and other marine officers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, also show the wearing of numerous unofficial medals awarded by fraternal and patriotic societies. the freemasons, sons of the american revolution, society of the cincinnati, grand army of the republic and united spanish war veterans were some of the more common ones. as military decorations and medals were uncommon prior the first world war, military regulations permitted the wearing of the insignia of societies and organizations composed of service members and/or their descendants.