James was born on the 11th of April 1872, in Omaha, Nebraska. When he enlisted in the US Marine Corps, he did so under his birth name of James Meredith in Boston, Massachusetts, in July of 1896. When James deployed to Cuba in support of the Spanish-American War, he was a Private on board the USS Marblehead and it was his actions during the severing of an underwater communications cable that would earn him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:

On board the U.S.S. Marblehead during the operation of cutting the cable leading from Cienfuegos, Cuba, 11 May 1898. Facing the heavy fire of the enemy, Meredith displayed extraordinary bravery and coolness throughout this action.

James rose to the rank of Sergeant and received the Medal of Honor on the 15th of August 1899. He then legally changed his name to Patrick prior to being discharged in September of 1901. I could not find a record of a wife or children and on the 18th of January 1915, Patrick F Ford Jr, also known as James Meredith, died at the age of 42. He is buried with his parents and his brother and sister in the Saint Mary’s Cemetery in Omaha, Nebraska.