Madison, James J.
James Jonas Madison was born on 20 May 1888 at Jersey City, New Jersey. A commercial mariner since his mid-teens, he was Master of a Luckenbach Line ship prior to World War I and enrolled as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserve Force in May 1917, soon after the United States entered the conflict. Madison was later promoted to Lieutenant Commander and in January 1918 became the Commanding Officer of USS Ticonderoga, which was placed in commission at that time.
On 30 September 1918 his ship encountered the German submarine U-152 in the mid-Atlantic and fought a long, losing gunnery duel. Seriously wounded early in the battle, Lieutenant Commander Madison remained on the bridge controlling Ticonderoga's fight until she had to be abandoned. Though incapacitated by loss of blood, he subsequently survived four days in a lifeboat. For his "exceptionally heroic service" during this action, Lieutenant Commander Madison was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Promoted to the rank of Commander in mid-1919, Madison was retired in August 1920. The effects of his combat injuries kept him hospitalized for much of the rest of his life, and he underwent several operations, one of which involved the amputation of a leg. Commander James J. Madison died on 25 December 1922 at the U.S. Naval Hospital, Brooklyn, New York.
USS Madison (DD-425), of 1940-1969, was named in honor of James J. Madison.
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