S/Sgt. James P. Madsen Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 4, 1923, to James P. Madsen Sr. and Helen Friedrich-Madsen, and had one sister. His family resided at 1730 North Seventy-Ninth Avenue, Elmwood Park, Illinois. He attended Concordia High School, River Forest, Illinois, and transferred to Proviso Township High School but he did not graduate. After he left school, he went to work for the Chicago & North Western Railroad in its communication department.
On June 29, 1942, Jim registered with Selective Service and named his father as his contact person. He also gave his address as 1403 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois. On October 26, 1942, he enlisted in the US Army Air Corps in Chicago and received the serial number 16 144 800. It is not known where he did his training, but it is known he was a tail gunner. He married Thelma E. Peacock and the couple lived with his parents. While he was in the service, he became the father of a son, James P. Madsen III in December 1943.
Jim was sent as a replacement to North Africa and where he joined 32nd Bomb Squadron, 12th Air Force. He was a member of the crew of a B-17F with the serial number 42-30134. It appears that when he joined the unit it was stationed about 45 miles the outside of Constantine at Saint Donat. The 15th was moved to Tunisia and the flew out of an airfield about 16 miles from Tunis at Oudna Number 2. The 32nd Bomb Group was transferred to the 301st Bomber Group (Heavy), 15th Air Force at this time. The 15th Air Force began the move to Italy on December 2, 1943, which was completed by the 9th and flew out of Cerignola No. 1 Army Airfield on missions against targets in Italy, France, Germany and the Balkans.
What is known is that on at 12:44 am on December 25, 1943, Jim’s squadron was on a mission over Bolzano, Italy with unlimited visibility. The mission was to destroy a railroad bridge and the plane had dropped its bombs. From after mission reports, other pilots stated that Jim’s plane took a direct, in its #2 engine, by flak. It was was hit a second time by flak in its radio room, and hit a third time in near the upper ball turret resulting in the right wing coming off. It appears that Jim and three other members of his crew were killed when the plane was hit. The plane fell from the sky at 10,000 feet per minute in a spiral and disintegrated at 10,000 feet. The other five members of the crew were able to bail out of the plane and were captured.
His wife was sent this telegram by the War Department on January 19, 1944.
MRS THELMA E MADSEN
7826 CRESSETTTE DRIVE
ELMWOOD PARK ILLINOIS
THE SECRETARY OF WAR DESIRES ME TO EXPRESS HIS DEEP REGRET THAT YOUR HUSBAND STAFF SERGEANT JAMES P MADISON JR HAS BEEN REPORTED MISSING IN ACTION SINCE TWENTY FIVE DECEMBER IN ITALY PERIOD IF FURTHER DETAILS OF OTHER INFORMATION ARE RECEIVED YOU WILL BE PROMPTLY NOTIFIED PERIOD
ULIO
THE ADJUTANT GENERAL
The German Government through the International Red Cross reported to the Office of the Secretary of War , on June 3, 1944, that the bodies of four American B-17 crew members had been recovered and buried in the Hero Cemetery in St. Jakob near Bolzeno, (German spelling Boszen.) Italy
MRS THELMA E MADSEN
7826 CRESSETTTE DRIVE
ELMWOOD PARK ILLINOIS
THE SECRETARY OF WAR ASKS THAT I ASSURE YOU OF HIS DEEP SYMPATHY IN THE LOSS OF YOUR HUSBAND STAFF SERGEANT JAMES P MADINSON JR WHO WAS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED MISSING IN ACTION REPORT NOW RECEIVED STATES HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION TWENTY FIVE DECEMBER IN ITALY CONFIRMING LETTER FOLLOWS=
J A ULIO THE ADJUTANT GENERAL.
The contents of the follow up letter is not known.
After the war, the American Graves Registration Service began the job of recovering the dead from cemeteries in areas that had been controlled by the Germans. It was in the Hero Cemetery in St. Jakob near Bolzeno, Italy, that the remains of Jim and the three other members of his crew were recovered from graves. On the map the AGRS was given to locate the graves, it showed the location of the graves and the date that the men were buried in the cemetery. It was reported by the AGRS that the graves were marked with a single marker with the names of the four men buried in the graves on it. Three of the men were identified by their government issued ID tags. The fourth man was believed to be Jim was identified by the process of elimination. The cause of death for the men could not be determined because the remains were too badly decomposed. The remains of the men were moved to the United States Military Cemetery. Mirandola, Italy, in Plot G, Row 1, Grave 868, on July 28, 1945.
In a letter dated November 7, 1947, his wife was presented with her options for Jim’s final burial. She was asked to fill-out and return an enclosed form to the Office of the Quartermaster General, Washington DC, indication where she wanted her son buried. The completed form was received by the OQMG on December 30. 1947, indicating she wanted her husband buried at an American Military Cemetery. Jim’s mother informed the OQMG that his wife had remarried, apparently divorced, and about to marry again. This was proven when a copy of the wife’s marriage certificate was sent to the OQMG, so Jim’s mother became his next of kin. She was sent the same letter and returned the same form which was received on June 8, 1948. The form indicated that Jim should be buried in an American Military Cemetery.
On March 8, 1949, S/Sgt. James P. Madsen was buried – with full military honors – in the Florence American Cemetery, Via Cassia, Italy, in Plot G, Row 9, Grave 2. It is not known why, but the flag that covered his casket was sent to his wife with a letter.
S/Sgt James P. Madsen, Jr., ASN 16 144 800
Plot G, Row 9, Grave 2
Headstone: Cross
Florence (Italy) U. S. Military Cemetery
Mrs. Thelma E. Madsen
7826 Cressett Drive
Elmwood Park, Illinois
This is to inform you that the remains of your beloved one have been permanently interred, as the recorded above, side by side with comrades who also gave their lives for their country. Customary military funeral services were conducted over the grave at the time of burial.
After the Department of the Army has completed all final interments, the cemetery will be transferred, as authorized by the Congress, to the care and supervision of the American Battle Monuments Commission. The commission will have the responsibility for permanent construction and beautification of the cemetery, including erection of the permanent headstone. The headstone will be inscribe with the name exactly recorded above, the rank or rating where appropriate, organization, State, and date of death. Any inquiries relative to the type of headstone or the spelling of the name to be inscribed thereon, should be addressed to the American Battle Monuments Commission, Washington 25, D. C. Your letter should include the full name, rank, serial number, grave location, and name of the cemetery.
While interments and beautification activities are in progress, the cemetery will not be open to visitors. You may be rest assured that this final interment was conducted with fitting dignity and solemnity and that the grave-site will be care-fully and conscientiously maintained in perpetuity by the United States Government.
Sincerely yours,
(signed)
H. FELDMAN
Major General
The Quartermaster General
