James was born on the 24th of July 1897, in New York City, and I am unsure when he joined the US Navy, but by the time he deployed to Veracruz, he was a Seaman and three months away from turning 17 years old. His actions during the Mexican Campaign would earn him the Medal of Honor and the citation reads:

On board the U.S.S. Florida; for extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession during the seizure of Vera Cruz, Mexico, 21 and 22 April 1914.

James was 17 years old when he received the Medal of Honor from Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels on the 6th of January 1915. He remained in the Navy and reached the rank of Lieutenant. James Aloysius Walsh died on the 29th of May 1960, at the age of 62. He is buried in the Long Island National Cemetery in East Farmingdale, New York: Distinguished Service Section, Site 47A.