This Week in USBP History, Vol. 25

February 20 - February 26

I hope everyone is having a relaxing weekend!

I think last week’s into is worth a repeat...

I changed the structure of the Esprit de Corps definition to highlight the part of employee morale.  Let me pose rhetorical a question to those recipients that are still agents.

When workforce morale is low, where is/are employee perception(s) faltering and what can you do to change those perceptions?

Esprit de Corps
The workplace climate resulting from a combination of organizational pride and employee morale. 

• Organizational pride is the positive feeling experienced by employees from being part of a meaningful team that is rich in history, tradition and culture. 
• Employee morale is the feeling experienced by employees based in part on their perception of:
  • Being valued by the organization, 
  • Fairly compensated, and 
  • Performing meaningful work.  

Esprit de corps is reinforced through the shared goals, mission and values of the organization and its employees.

The definition turns Esprit de Corps into a simple formula and defines parts that comprise organizational pride and employee morale.  

Esprit de Corps = Organizational Pride + Employee Morale

Esprit de Corps is the key to a healthy organization and engaged employees.

​Honor First is foundational to the Border Patrol's organizational pride and integral to its Esprit de Corps.

---

USBP History
1904

• On February 23, 1904, a law office wrote a letter of recommendation to the Secretary of Commerce and Labor for Jeff Milton to be a Chinese Inspector.  A few things of note:
  • As per the documents (see page 5) that support Milton’s federal retirement, his federal career was in the following positions:
    • Mounted Inspector – 1887-1889
    • Chinese Inspector – 1904-1913
    • Immigrant Inspector – 1913-1932
  • The letter of recommendation is the oldest document that I collected from the National Archives.

1926

• This February 26, 1926 document from the San Antonio District, speaks against Border Patrol Inspectors carrying their firearms in a visible holster and recommends that they be carried concealed under a long coat.  This sentence really sums up the author’s opinion of law enforcement carrying their firearms in a visible holster – 
  • “In times past all officers dressed in frontier style with from one to three pistols in evidence, an in order that everyone might know that they were officers, and killers, a very short coat or jacket was worn”

1930

• As per these documents, on February 23, 1930, Senior Patrol Inspector (SPI) Irvin Cone shot and killed Pedro Rodriguez in El Paso, TX.  The encounter began with Rodriguez striking SPI Cone with a pistol leaving a deep cut on Cone’s face.  There are several interesting passages in the document:
  • An early mention of “…the Narcotic Weed known along the border as “Marihuana”…”
  • Describing Rodriguez as a “bad hombre” in an official document
  • Mentioning that SPI Cone used his personal, reliable S&W revolver “… in contra distinction to a great many of the Colt revolvers which are at present furnished this Service by the War Department.”
  • The cover memo ends with a recommendation – “This office has heretofore recommend that such Colt revolvers be replaced with .45 caliber automatic pistols…”
• This collection of documents details a gunfight between Border Patrol inspectors and alcohol smugglers that occurred on February 26, 1930 in El Paso, TX.  Only one injury was reported; a smuggler was shot by one of his partners.

1932

• This memo, written February 23, 1932, from the Jacksonville District to the Commissioner-General, describes how the district’s Border Patrol shooting team took 1st place in a state-wide law enforcement competition.
  • The story of the beginnings of the USBP national pistol team can be found on the Honor First USBP History page.
• On February 25, 1932, H.R. 11204, “Border Patrol Act, 1930” was introduced into the House.  In the late 1920’s and early 1930’s, several bills were introduced into either the House or the Senate that would merge the Immigration and Customs patrols and/or place them under the U.S. Coast Guard.
  • Please see this 1930 Congressional Record (page 12098) to see their discussions.
  • Also see this different 1930 Congressional Record concerning H.R. 11204 to transfer the USBP to the USCG. 

1937

• On February 26, 1937, the El Paso District sent a memo to Chief of the Border Patrol Willard Kelly.  The memo informed Chief Kelly that Charlie Askins had inspected, fired and adjusted the entire 900 Colt New Service revolvers (.38 caliber), and informed Kelly that they were ready to be distributed to the districts.  Askins recorded firing each pistol.  I only collected a few of the pages.

1939

• Following up on last week’s post – On January 18, 1939, the Central Office (HQ for you newbies) issued a memo to the field to inventory all badges and cap insignia for all positions. All of the field responses have been collected from the National Archive giving the most complete list of badges and cap insignia available for that time.  By February, the districts began to respond to the request:
  • On February 25, 1939, the El Paso District responded with their report.  There are several interesting portions of their report:
    • By this time, their district has been renumbered from 25 to 17.
    • The report includes some big names in the USBP history like Chief Patrol Inspector (CPI) Herbert Horsley and Charlie Askins
    • Two of the three CPI’s have Immigrant Inspector badges, not a BP badge.

1956

• Acting, Acting, Acting…. I remember before I retired, it seemed that there were many people in acting leadership roles.  Every person mentioned in this document from February 21, 1956, is in an acting role:
  • Harlon Carter, Acting Assistant Commissioner, Enforcement Division
  • W.P. Jaeger, Acting Regional Chief of Border Patrol
  • Einar Wahl, Acting Chief of Border Patrol
  • Acting Chief Patrol Inspector…

---

Newton-Azrak Award Actions 
(Follow this link to see examples of USBP employees Upholding Honor First)

• An organization’s values are codified in its awards system. Recognizing the achievements, service and heroism of employees is important.  It is critical for those in positions of leadership to value the workforce.  Awards are a fundamental manner for leaders to demonstrate appreciation to the workforce for upholding the organizational values. – U.S. Border Patrol Honorary Awards

1992
Jesse Collins  
Senior Patrol Agent
Marfa Sector
On February 20, 1992, Senior Patrol Agent Jesse Collins voluntarily risked his own life and exhibited extraordinary courage rescuing a 15-year-old girl.  The girl was speeding in a car when she lost control and the car plunged into a small, deep lake, with a water temperature of 35 degrees.  When Agent Collins arrived, one Texas Department of Public Safety officer who had entered the water was struggling and having difficulty staying afloat.  Agent Collins went into the lake and assisted the DPS officer to shore.  He then went back into the lake and rescued the young girl from the sinking vehicle.  In frigid waters, Agent Collins moved behind the helpless girl and pushed her toward the bank.  After a number of pushes, each one resulting in Agent Collins going under water, they neared shallow water and a Texas police officer helped bring the girl out of the water.

---

USBP Fallen

As of December 8, 2021, the U.S. Border Patrol has suffered 151* fallen.

Titles

• 3 Mounted Watchmen fell before 1924 and are carried as Border Patrol fallen
• 48 Border Patrol Inspectors fell between 1924 and 1970
• 99 Border Patrol Agents have fallen since 1970
• 1 Enforcement Analysis Specialist

The names that appear below hold a place of honor. They have made the ultimate sacrifice in an effort to fulfill the oath each officer took to protect and defend the United States of America.

The facts regarding each officer are presented without major editing of the "language of the day" found in the reports detailing the circumstances of each event. This is done to provide the reader an association with historical timeframes.

Employees who died in the line of duty due to being exposed to deadly illnesses will not have the cause of death listed.

*With the exception of two of the fallen immediately below, all names are listed (or in the process of being included) on the official Honor Roll of U.S. Border Patrol fallen and inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.  The U.S. Border Patrol should fix these discrepancies. HonorFirst.com honors both of the fallen.

• Joe R. White - He is recognized as officially fallen by the U.S. Border Patrol but his name is not inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial.
• John Charles Gigax - His name is inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial (see link) but he is not recognized as officially fallen by the U.S. Border Patrol.  His EOW was November 7, 1999.

1942
Ralph W. Ramsey
Date of Birth:                      February 22, 1915
Entered on Duty:                May 29, 1941
Title:                                   Patrol Inspector
End of Watch:                    February 26, 1942 

Details:
Patrol Inspector Ralph W. Ramsey was killed on February 26, 1942, in Columbus, New Mexico, while attempting to board a freight train in search of aliens illegally in the United States. Patrol Inspector Harry E. Lennon, in charge of the two-man unit stationed in Columbus, was working with Inspector Ramsey at the time of the accident and related the following concerning the events at the time of the accident. The officers, while patrolling to the east of Columbus, observed an open boxcar on a regular westbound freight heading towards Columbus. The officers returned to Columbus, checked an eastbound freight train at a siding, and awaited the incoming westbound train. Inspector Ramsey took up a position between the siding and the main line while Inspector Lennon stood opposite him across the main line tracks. It was customary that the train crew halt the westbound freight at a water tower.

The officers had stationed themselves in the vicinity of the open boxcar they had observed. On this occasion; however, the train did not stop, proceeding on in order to clear the main track for the train on the siding. Apparently, Inspector Ramsey attempted to board the train when the open boxcar passed him. The first indication Inspector Lennon had that an accident had occurred was when he noticed an object beneath the moving train and realized it was his partner's body. As soon as the train passed, Inspector Lennon rushed to Inspector Ramsey. Death occurred within seconds after he reached his side.


1987
John R. McCravey
Date of Birth:                September 10, 1950
Entered on Duty:          September 9, 1985
Title:                              Border Patrol Agent
End of Watch:               February 23, 1987

Details:
On February 20, 1987, Agent John R. McCravey was sign cutting near Highway 98, east of Calexico, California. He joined a vehicle pursuit that involved an automobile suspected of transporting a group of smuggled aliens. The driver of the fleeing vehicle turned south on a dirt road leading back to the All American Canal, which serves as a boundary between Mexico and the United States. The billowing dust cloud made by the fleeing vehicle prevented Agent McCravey from clearly seeing the road. The reduced visibility may have contributed by diminishing his perception and reaction time, which affected his ability to react to a change in roadway grade and a turn in the road. Agent McCravey lost control of his vehicle, which overturned and rolled into the All American Canal, where it became submerged upside down.

​Fellow officers and farm workers successfully removed Agent McCravey and the three illegal aliens he had arrested prior to getting involved in the pursuit from the vehicle. He died three days later in a San Diego, California hospital.