Most major wars are fought by the young.  This was especially true in the American wars of the nineteenth century.  A majority of the soldiers in the American Civil War were under 20 years of age.  The same is true of the Spanish American War, the Philippine Insurrection and the Chinese Relief Expedition.  After these wars, the young men returned home to marry, have children and form fraternal societies.  Many of the children of members of the United Spanish War Veterans were born in the first two decades of the Twentieth Century.  Auxiliaries of most veteran societies usually begin with the wives and mothers of these men.  Auxiliaries containing children of veterans usually begin about 15 years after the end of a conflict.  The Sons of Veterans, an auxiliary of the Grand Army of the Republic did not begin to organize until 1878, thirteen years after the conflict ended.  The sons of civil war veterans had one major advantage over sons of Spanish American War Veterans.  There were no major wars for thirty-three years after the end of the civil war.
     Sons of veterans of the wars of 1898-1902 began forming drum corps for USWV camps around 1914.  In 1914, the April 14^th issue of the Spanish War Review, national organ of the USWV, announced that Camp McKinley No. 1, Sons of the USWV of San Francisco was organized.  The camp was limited to sons of the USWV five years of age and over.  Fifty-three members were listed on their charter.  Unfortunately, all camp officers listed turned out to be members of a local USWV camp and fathers of some of the boys.  It was touted as the first organization of its kind.  “The Veterans intend uniforming and drilling the young hopefuls and have them organize their own band.”  The Scott Young USWV Camp of Portland, Oregon organized a similar band.  While attending the 1914 National Encampment in Louisville, Kentucky, the Oregon camp handed out post cards depicting their band marching at a local parade.   Sons’ bands became very popular for the next twenty years, marching with their fathers in local parades.

    
    The onset of the First World War brought a wave of enlistments of America’s young men, many of whom were sons of Spanish war veterans.  When they returned home these soldiers joined the American Legion or the VFW.  The VFW had begun as a Spanish American War veteran society, but decided to open its membership to WWI veterans.  The USWV did not follow suit, but doomed itself to a finite existence.  By doing so, the men of ’98 lost the chance to incorporate their own sons into their organization and perpetuate their organization long after the last veteran’s death. 
     The momentum of creating a Sons organization was lost and little is heard of a sons’ auxiliary until the 1922 USWV National Encampment in Los Angeles, California.  By resolution the Encampment “recommended that the matter be referred to the incoming administration.”  Regrettably, the incoming Commander-in-Chief, Antonio P. Entenza, did not form a committee until May 20, 1923, near the end of his term.   General Order No. 6 of that date stated:
 

To carry out the expressed wish of enactment No. 4, as submitted to the last national encampment and referred to the incoming administration, the following committee is appointed to outline the auxiliary organization to be known as the Junior Order of the USWV, or other suitable name, to report same to the 25th National Encampment for consideration …

    
     The committee reported backed to the Commander-in-Chief, who then referred it to the national legislative committee.  After all this, the Commander-in-Chief’s statement to the 1923 National Encampment was that the USWV “was favorable to the proposition in substance.”   During the period between these national encampments, it was reported that several applications had been received to charter Sons’ camps.  The fees and applications were held by the national headquarters for “future action.”  After much favorable consideration, the encampment approved resolution No. 91 that directed the Commander-in-Chief to create yet another committee to “effect and put into operation the Sons of Spanish American War Veterans theretofore legally authorized.”   The resolution directed the committee to create by-laws and rules & regulations to govern the new organization.   Soon after their appointment, two of the three committee members resigned, leaving the entire project to be carried on by a single member, Committee Chairman Edward M. White of Illinois.
     At the 1924 USWV National Encampment, Chairman White reported “the work to be undertaken, by said committee, was of such greater import and required much more time and labor than was afforded.”