Stephen Edward Madigan was born December 4, 1896, on Pierpont St in New Haven, CT. He was the fourth of six children. His parents John J Madigan and Margaret Mortell both emigrated from Ireland in 1880. They met and married in 1890.

Stephen stated in an interview with Elizabeth Johnson that his father John’s drinking caused his parents' marriage to break up and Stephen ended up leaving school at 15 to help the family financially. He possibly joined the military in the hopes of sending money to his mother and siblings. Stephen was already in the service when the United States declared war.

Madigan spent two short months in the Connecticut National Guard before becoming a clerk in the War Department in Washington D.C. On his Military Service Record, he writes that his temporary residence before entry into the service was 35 Girard St in Washington D.C., however, his permanent address was 208 Clinton Ave, New Haven, CT. He writes that Clinton Ave was his home address before entering service but he was working away from home.  On the 1917 Military Census Madigan lists his mother and 3 children as his dependents. There is no record of John J Madigan though it can be postulated that the father’s drinking was so out of control Margaret left. It is more likely that John may have died due to his excessive drinking or an accident.

 Under the section War Record of the Military Service Record, Stephen wrote that he was inducted into service on October 7, 1918, at Washington, D.C. as a private in the Medical Department, a section in the National Army. Pvt. Madigan was not stationed overseas. Madigan was assigned originally to the Army and Navy General Hospital in Hot Springs, Arkansas.