Roll of Honor
James Madison Patterson
Incident
Special Investigator James Patterson was killed in an airplane crash at Bates Municipal Airport in Mobile, Alabama. The private plane that had been contracted by the United States Treasury Department to conduct aerial searches for illegal alcohol stills. It had taken off Naval Air Station Albany, in Albany Georgia, and was on final approach to Bates Field when it crashed as it made its final approach. Two contractors were killed and one was seriously injured in the crash. Investigator Patterson was a U.S. Army veteran. He had served with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms for two years and had previously served with the United States Border Patrol.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and two sons.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-D5C89E18- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. James is one person.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Special Investigator Patterson gave the United States Department of the Treasury 4 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
James Madison Patterson served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.
Special Investigator James Madison Patterson is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.
In DC, 454 of 1,419 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32% of this state's fallen. That is 32 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, 2 of 3 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Madison Patterson's cause is highlighted.
How James Madison Patterson Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. James Madison Patterson is highlighted in Aug.
Incident Location
Military Service
James Madison Patterson served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.
Visit James Madison Patterson’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
2 officers from United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms are honored on badge.nw.
