Congressional Medal of Honor Society
Stories of Sacrifice
Mexican Campaign (Vera Cruz) - U.S. Navy
James Aloysius Walsh
- Rank: Seaman
- Conflict/Era: Mexican Campaign (Vera Cruz)
- Unit/Command:
U.S.S. Florida - Military Service Branch: U.S. Navy
- Medal of Honor Action Date: April 21, 1914
- Medal of Honor Action Place: Vera Cruz, Mexico
On board the U.S.S. Florida; for extrordinary heroism in the line of his profession during the seizure of Vera Cruz, Mexico, 21 and 22 April 1914.
- Accredited to: New York, New York
- Awarded Posthumously: No
- Presentation Date & Details: January 6, 1915
Presented by Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels on the deck of the USS Florida at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York.
- Born: July 24, 1897, New York, NY, United States
- Died: May 29, 1960, Montroes, NY, United States
- Buried: Long Island National Cemetery (MH) (DSS-47-A), Farmingdale, NY, United States
Additional information on his action comes from U.S. Navy General Order No. 101, dated June 15, 1914. He was in the signal squad with three other men, Fred J. Schnepel, Charles A. Bishop, and Charles L. Nordsiek, under Ensign McDonnell. "They were stationed on the roof of the Terminal Hotel from 11:30 am, April 21, till sunset, and returned there at daylight on the 22d. On this roof and near them a marine was killed, an electrician third class was seriously wounded, and one member of the party (Nordsiek) was wounded. Nothwithstanding the constant fire to which they were subjected and their unusually exposed position, they were not diverted from their extremely important duty of keeping unbroken and efficient communication by signals with the U.S.S. Prairie."