James A Smith

James was born on the 2nd of September 1880, in New York (presumably in New York City), and little is known about his early life other than his enlistment into the US Navy. When he deployed to China in support of the Boxer Rebellion, he was a Landsman on board the USS Newark and his actions during this deployment later earned him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:

In action with the relief expedition of the Allied forces in China during the battles of 13, 20, 21, and 22 June 1900. Throughout this period and in the presence of the enemy, Smith distinguished himself by meritorious conduct.

Given that he was a Landsman, it may be safe to assume that this deployment was very early in his Naval enlistment as it was a term given to Seamen with less than a year’s experience at sea and was the lowest rank during this time. James was nineteen years old during this deployment and I was unable to find how long his enlistment was for. It is known that he returned home to New York once his time in service was complete and he married Catherine in 1904, with whom they had five daughters and three sons. James was also a fireman with the New York City Fire Department and participated in the fire and rescue efforts of the USS O-5 in the Brooklyn Navy Yard on the 6th of October 1918. The O-5 was an O-class submarine that was built for coastal defense during World War 1 and its batteries were discovered to giving off toxic gas. Upon further investigation, the batteries exploded, killing one and injuring another, and FDNY, with James present, responded.

James Aloysius Smith died on the 9th of November 1944, at the age of 64 and he is buried with his wife in the Mount Saint Mary Cemetery in Flushing, New York: Division 6, Section 3, Plot C, Grave 16.