​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 employee 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.

Good morning!

Of course, this week covers the U.S. Border Patrol's 98th anniversary.  To help celebrate the date, let me refer you to the HonorFirst USBP History Page where you can find detailed answers to the following questions:

• Why was the U.S. Border Patrol created?
  • Hint - It wasn't created to enforce Prohibition or to prevent the entry of enemy aliens.
• Was Jefferson Davis Milton the first Border Patrol Inspector?
  • Hint - He was neither a Border Patrol Inspector nor in the Border Patrol. (Sorry Rodney W.)
•  Which was the first sector?
  • Hint - The Border Patrol began not with 1 but with 32 sub-districts (sectors).  Detroit and El Paso were just 2 of the 32.  Detroit and El Paso weren't first, they were among the 32 firsts.
• Which ​was the first USBP station?
  • The Border Patrol did not have a "first" station.  When funding was received in 1924, all USBP actions and activities started simultaneously nationwide. Sorry again Detroit and El Paso.
• Why is the El Paso Station called "Station One"?
  • Hint - 1926's General Order 61 originated a numbering system whose tradition is carried on best in Laredo Sector today (not because it was the first station).
• What is the origin of the slogan, "Where the Legend Began"?
  • Hint - Look no further than David Ham, the President of the Border Patrol Museum and a retired Assistant Chief Patrol Agent. 

Of course, there's much more on the HonorFirst USBP History Page.

Have a great week!
Cliff

PS - 

• As an open and continuous invitation to current and former USBP employees, I am always accepting photos to post in the USBP Photo Galleries and in the Upholding Honor First pages.  I sure would appreciate you visiting those pages and sending me anything that you think I could post (just attach them to a reply to this email).
• As always, make sure to explore all of the hyperlinks to documents and pages.
• Finally, please forward this blog to whomever you think may enjoy it.
• I also send out a weekly This Week in USBP History ​email.  If you'd like to be added to the list, email me at Cliff@honorfirst.com.​

​This Week in USBP History, 05/15-05/215/15/2022
0 Comments

 
Good morning!
 
Welcome to another This Week in USBP History!  
Coming up on next week's anniversary of the Border Patrol, there are some documents that shed light into the uncertainty that existed as the Bureau of Immigration was on the brink of created ing the Border Patrol.  Last week, with the April 30, 1924 memo, we saw there wasn't a plan that was being implemented. This week there are two documents of note.  One concerning a recommendation for the title of the new position.  The other, a lengthy and sharp criticism of only receiving $1,000,000 to to increase the "land-border patrol" and also includes what could be the foundations of "Honor First".  
I also present evidence that the first class a of a National Border Patrol Training School occurred on May 18, 1936, not on December 3, 1934. 
Those are your teasers! 
Let us also remember El Cajon Station Border Patrol Agent Daniel Salazar who was killed in an on-duty single vehicle accident on May 13, 2022.  By the time of this writing, the Line of Death Determination has been made but not released.

Have a great week!
Cliff

PS - 

• As an open and continuous invitation to current and former USBP employees, I am always accepting photos to post in the USBP Photo Galleries and in the Upholding Honor First pages.  I sure would appreciate you visiting those pages and sending me anything that you think I could post (just attach them to a reply to this email).
• As always, make sure to explore all of the hyperlinks to documents and pages.
• Finally, please forward this blog to whomever you think may enjoy it.
• I also send out a weekly This Week in USBP History ​email.  If you'd like to be added to the list, email me at Cliff@honorfirst.com.

HOUSE KEEPING
This is the section where I correct the mistakes from my last email.  I will also use this section to provide other perspectives of USBP history.

• In one of the entries, I erroneously listed George Harris' lifespan as "1976-1941".  It should have been 1876-1941.

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 employee 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.

Newton-Azrak Award Action Anniversaries​
 
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​

​
1980
Joel C. Hardin
Border Patrol Agent
Bellingham, Washington
On Thursday, May 24, 1979, Artie Ray Baker, who had escaped from prison, arrived from Canada at the Lynden Port of Entry with a female companion.  Baker's car was selected for a routine inspection. Baker was referred to Customs Inspector Kenneth G. Ward for further examination inside the port-of-entry building.  Once inside the building, Baker, fearing he would be caught, pulled a .45 caliber pistol from behind his back, shot and killed Inspector Ward.  Baker and his companion fled the port-of-entry in his car.
 
A short time later, Baker drove off-road and his car became stuck. Baker and his companion fled on foot and a large law enforcement search ensued.
 
One of the searchers was Border Patrol Agent Joel Hardin.  Even though the dogs and searching officers had obliterated most of Baker's tracks, Agent Hardin eventually found his trail.  Accompanied by two local law enforcement officers with shotguns, Agent Hardin proceeded slowly to track Baker through the woods.  He found where Baker had taken his boots off and had circled back, and where he hid in a tree.  Agent Hardin pointed out where Baker had paused to put his boots on again, confident he had lost the tracking dogs. 
 
At about 8:00 a.m. Agent Hardin was closing in when a Bellingham Police detective spotted Baker crouching in the bushes, preparing to make a dash across Mission Road.  The detective approached from behind, aimed his shotgun at Baker and ordered him to "freeze." Baker surrendered without a struggle, still in possession of the loaded .45 caliber pistol he used to kill Inspector Ward.
 
Agent Harding was recognized with the Newton-Azrak Award for his part in capturing Baker.
 

1983
Bruce D. Sanny
Border Patrol Agent
San Diego Sector
Border Patrol Agent Bruce D. Sanny was recognized for his courageous actions performed on May 23, 1983, in successfully stopping a driver-less van with three occupants, which was in danger of plummeting down a 100-foot cliff.

USBP Fallen

​As of May 16, 2022 the U.S. Border Patrol has suffered 152* fallen.Titles

• 3 Mounted Watchmen fell before 1924 and are carried as Border Patrol fallen
• 48 Border Patrol Inspectors fell between 1924 and 1970
• 100 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.

Due to the Privacy Act of 1974, 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. This site 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 - He is not recognized as officially fallen by Customs and Border Protection or the U.S. Border Patrol. He is remembered by all except his own agency as his name is inscribed on the:
  • National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial (see this link),
  • Officer Down memorial Page (see this link), and
  • Texas Peace Officer's Memorial (see this link).

2010
Mark F. Van Doren
Date of Birth:                July 18, 1969
Entered on Duty:          January 19, 2009
Title:                              Border Patrol Agent
End of Watch:               May 24, 2010
 
Details:
On May 23, 2010, Border Patrol Agent Mark F. Van Doren was in a vehicle accident while on patrol when his vehicle collided with a large bull on rural Farm-to-Market Road 755 in Brooks County, Texas. After the impact, his vehicle veered off the road- way and hit a tree. Agent Van Doren died on May 24, 2010 as a result of his injuries. His partner was critically injured in the crash, but survived.
 
Agent Van Doren was a native of Garden City, Michigan. He was a member of the 849th Session of the Border Patrol Academy assigned to the Falfurrias Border Patrol Station within the Rio Grande Sector.
 
 
2014
​Alexander I. Giannini
Date of Birth                 October 14, 1989
Entered on Duty:          October 16, 2008
Title:                              Border Patrol Agent
End of Watch:               May 28, 2014
 
Details:
On May 28, 2014, Border Patrol Agent Alexander I. Giannini, of the Willcox Station, was involved in an on-duty, single-vehicle accident on Interstate 10 near Benson, Arizona. He died of injuries at the hospital shortly after the accident. Another agent in the vehicle was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.
 
Agent Giannini, 24, entered on duty with the U.S. Border Patrol on October 16, 2008, as a member of the 822nd session of the Border Patrol Academy. He served the Willcox Station loyally throughout his career.
 
Agent Giannini is survived by his mother, father, sister and fiancée.
 
 
​​2017
Isaac Morales
Date of Birth                October 15, 1986
Entered on Duty:          February 18, 2008
Title:                             Border Patrol Agent
End of Watch:               May 24, 2017
 
Details:
On May 20, 2017, while off-duty in El Paso, Texas, Border Patrol Agent Isaac Morales was confronted by an assailant with a knife. Agent Morales identified himself as a law enforcement officer, and while attempting to disarm the assailant, Agent Morales was stabbed multiple times. Agent Morales succumbed to his injuries four days later, passing away on May 24, 2017.  The killer was arrested and charged with murder.
 
Agent Morales entered on duty with the U.S. Border Patrol on February 18, 2008, as a member of the 749th session of the Border Patrol Academy, and was assigned to the Ysleta Station in the El Paso Sector.  Agent Morales served with the United States Border Patrol for over 9 years.
 
 
2021
Juan M. Urrutia
Date of Birth:                July 28, 1975                            
Entered on Duty:          August 4, 2003
Title:                             Border Patrol Agent 
End of Watch:              May 28, 2021
 
Details: 
Agent Urrutia entered on duty on August 4, 2003, as part of the 560th Session of the Border Patrol Academy.  He was first assigned to the Falfurrias Station in what was then called the McAllen Sector in Texas.  The circumstances of his passing were reviewed by an executive panel and the CBP Commissioner who determined that this death occurred in the line of duty.  At the time of his passing, he was assigned to the Brownsville Station, Rio Grande Valley Sector, Texas.  He was also a certified EMT/Paramedic. 
  
He is survived by his wife: Shayla Lee Urrutia; Brothers: Martin J. Urrutia, Carlos Urrutia, David Urrutia: and his sisters; Juvita Urrutia and Maria Barron-Urrutia.

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 employee 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.

Documents/Events

1922

• On May 18, 1922, a meeting occurred concerning creating a "border patrol".  This document gives a highlight of the meeting as well as those in attendance.  Interestingly, the meeting was organized by H.P. Perrill who is believed to be U.S. Navy Captain Harlan Page Perrill (1874-1962).

1924

• By April 30, 1924, the Bureau of Immigration knew that it was going to receive significant funding to increase their "land-border patrol" functions of which were already being performed.  On that date, the Commissioner-General issued a memorandum to the eleven districts that were to receive funding to hire personnel to create a "land-border patrol".  The districts were instructed to respond via telegram with the number of inspectors they wished to hire. See the memo and responding telegraphs.
  
  • At the time, George Harris (1876-1941) was the District Director of the El Paso District.  The El Paso District oversaw three sub-districts which have become the modern day Tucson, El Paso and Big Bend Sectors.  Also, Harris would be one of the first two "Chiefs" of the Border Patrol in 1926 and the only person to have been "Chief" twice (the position was called Supervisor in 1926 and Director in 1932). 
    • I would also mention that on his death in 1941, man newspapers referred to him as the "Father of the Border Patrol".  However, not document have been discovered that demonstrate his contributions as exists to support Frank Berkshire having the title "Father of the Border Patrol".
  • After his district responded to the Commissioner-General's April 30th call, on May 15, 1924, Harris sent an unsolicited 8-page memo slamming the $1,000,000 amount by saying, "One Million Dollars will not do this, nor in the writer's opinion, would Five Million Dollars. Possibly and probably an organization of a sufficiently comprehensive character to absolutely cork the frontiers would cast nearer Eight Million Dollars."  That's your teaser if you want to read it.
    
  • Also, in the memo is some language that could be the beginnings of Honor First (quote below).  Based on an Immigration Service index reference from 1929, coupled with the 1927 Commissioner General's report to the Secretary of the Department of Labor, it is believed that the motto originated in the El Paso District (which encompasses modern day Tucson, El Paso and Big Bend Sectors) sometime in 1926. The excerpt from the 1927 Commissioner General's report is the earliest use of "Honor First" that has been found.  The report covers July 1926 - June 1927 (FY27).
    
    • There is nothing that the writer regards as more important than the select on of the right kind of men,- men who will reflect credit upon themselves and the Service,- men who will cultivate the good will of the public,- men of unimpeachable integrity,- men of sobriety, industry and equally important, men who understand the value of courtesy. It seems to the writer that conceding for the sake of discussion that the men we get are honest, sober, industrious, level-headed, courageous, possessed of moral and physical stamina, the experiment would be doomed to failure if we were to overlook for one moment the value of having an organization noted for courtesy and dignity. These two things count tremendously with the public; courtesy and dignity. If we get men who are rough, uncouth, arbitrary, discourteous, we are surely going to build up a sentiment of antagonism that will be reflected in the halls of Congress.
      
• On May 20, 1924, the Acting District Director of the San Antonio District wrote a memo to the Commissioner-General concerning the title of the new "patrolmen".  The author advocates that the new position have the title Inspector, "...a designation which will be more fitting to the work which they will perform."

1933

• On May 17, 1933, the short-lived two border district approach (1932-1933) came to an end as General Order 203 came into effect reinstating General Order 61 effective June 1, 1933.  The two border district approach was created when the two general orders below superseded General Order 61:
  
  • General Order 183 - Created the Director of the Border Patrol for the Mexican Border, Gulf and Florida immigration districts.  The district was headquartered in El Paso and George Harris (1876-1941) came back to be the "Chief" for a nonconsecutive term.
    
  • General Order 184 - Created the Director of the Canadian Border District.  The district was headquartered in Detroit and Frank Berkshire (1870-1934), the Father of the Border Patrol, became the third person to be "Chief" of the Border Patrol.

1935

• On May 20, 1935, a blueprint for a USBP sub-district headquarters was finalized.  Interestingly, the design included a bunk room.
  
  • It is believed that the blueprinting is related to the April 1, 1935, memo written by Chief of the Border Patrol Willard Kelly, one of the earliest documents concerning construction of facilities for the USBP.  The USBP had always utilized existing structures for Border Patrol work.  This document proposed new construction for the first time.

1936

• On May 18, 1936, it is believed that the first class of the Border Patrol Training School began based on this  document​ .
  
  • A photograph (courtesy of the  Border Patrol Museum)  of a Border Patrol training class that was in session December 3, 1934 - March 17, 1935, is used as the birthdate of the USBP Academy.  It is unknown if Camp Chigas had been used by the El Paso District (Tucson, El Paso and Big Bend Sub-districts) to train district employees before that photo. However, the concept of creating a national academy had been discussed and researched in 1934 (see this document and this document).  Records were not kept that identified the date that Camp Chigas began training all Border Patrol new hires and therefore became the national Academy. Nevertheless, 1936 is the year that documents support that having occurred.​
    
  • It should be noted, if still standing, the building housing the El Paso Sub-district 2 headquarters and station and, the first national training school (Camp Chigas) would be located in the United States by 10-20 feet.  See this document.  However, there is a former U.S. Border Patrol building that is still standing that is located in Mexico. It is the Comisión Internacional de Límites y Aguas building. See this document.

1952

• On May 21, 1952, the El Paso District and the County of El Paso entered into a lease agreement to house the Border Patrol Training School.  The lease was $1.00 per year.  The location was identified as the Ascarate Park.

1956

• On May 16, 1956, two documents were written to support the construction of additional border fencing:
  
  • This document provides a justification for both the fencing that existed at the time as well as the construction of new fencing.  On an interesting note, this document provides that the USBP was apprehending approximately 200 aliens per day on the southern border, a striking contrast to modern numbers.
    
  • This document provides estimates for the additional manpower and equipment needed if the request for additional fencing were not approved.  the fencing locations are identified as Chula Vista, Calexico, Yuma, El Paso and Brownsville.
    
• On May 18, 1956, a memo was written concerning the transfer of GS-7 Border Patrol Inspectors.  It gives a valuable insight to the INS hierarchy and locations of the time.

2020

• On May 19, 2020, a memo​ was issued to change the criteria of the USBP Purple Cross.
  
  • The updated criteria allowed the USBP to commemorate the physical sacrifices of workforce suffered due to duty related injuries and wounds inflicted that are attributed to the criminal acts.  
    
    • Wounds attributed to criminal acts are distinguished with a "V" device affixed to the suspension ribbon and the ribbon bar.
      
  • Before this update, only agents suffering significant injuries due to the criminal acts on another person would be eligible for the award.  Therefore, the majority of the USBP's fallen could not have their deaths commemorated with the decoration.  With the update, all past and future agents who die in the line of duty are eligible to receive the award.

Newton-Azrak Award Action Anniversaries​

This Week in USBP History, 05/08-05/145/8/2022
0 Comments

 
Welcome to another This Week in USBP History!  
 
There are no Newton-Azrak Award action anniversaries this week.  But, I am highlighting five recipients from 1984 whose dates of action are unknown or whose actions spanned a timeframe. I should also mention that a Newton-Azrak Award recipient, George E. Evancheck (award statuette, notification letter), had somehow been omitted from any lists and was at risk of being forgotten.  I have added him to the the HonorFirst Newton-Azrak Award page and will add more information once its found.
 
Also, among the anniversaries of the fallen are Hector R. Clark and Eduardo Rojas, Jr. who fell due to the same incident in 2011.  A sad fact is that the USBP has lost two Agents/Inspectors due to the same event nine times (18 fallen).  Their names are listed below:

1. Donald Kee and William F. Buckelew in 1954
2. Douglas C. Shute and James M. Carter in 1956
3. Theodore L. Newton, Jr. and George F. Azrak in 1967
4. Friedrich Karl and John S. Blue in 1973
5. Susan L. Rodriguez and Ricardo G. Salinas in 1998
6. Jesus de la Ossa and Thomas J. Williams in 1998​
7. Travis W. Attaway and Jeremy M. Wilson in 2004
8. Ramon Nevarez, Jr. and David J. Tourscher in 2007
9. Hector R. Clark and Eduardo Rojas,  Jr. in 2011

Daniel P. Cox and Edgardo Acosta-Feliciano both fell on July 31, 2021.  However, their causes of death were not related.
 
Have a great week!
 
Cliff
 
PS - 

• As an open and continuous invitation to current and former USBP employees, I am always accepting photos to post in the USBP Photo Galleries and in the Upholding Honor First pages.  I sure would appreciate you visiting those pages and sending me anything that you think I could post (just attach them to a reply to this email).
• As always, make sure to explore all of the hyperlinks to documents and pages.
• Finally, please forward this blog to whomever you think may enjoy it.
• I also send out a weekly This Week in USBP History ​email.  If you'd like to be added to the list, email me at Cliff@honorfirst.com.

Housekeeping
​
This is the section where I correct the mistakes from my last email.  I will also use this section to provide other perspectives of USBP history.
 
I didn't find any errors of significance from last week.


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 employee 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.


Documents/Events
 
1914

• On May 14, 1914, future Chief and Father of the Border Patrol Frank Berkshire (1870-1934) wrote a memo to the Commissioner-General recommending against expanding the duties of Junior Inspectors, a position that had been announced in 1913​.
  • In 1924, Border Patrol Inspectors had no immigration authority.  By law, authority rested with employees who had the title "Immigrant Inspector" who were paid more than Border Patrol Inspectors.  In order that Border Patrol Inspectors might receive legal authority without being paid more, the Commissioner-General wrote a proposal to the Second Assistant Secretary of the Department a Labor requesting to resurrect a plan that was used in 1913 for Mounted Watchmen, and to rename Border Patrol Inspectors, Junior Immigrant Inspectors. See this document.

1924

• On May 13, 1924, the San Antonio District sent a detailed memo to the Central Office in response to an April 30, 1924 request.  The San Antonio District memo described, in detail, the locations to which the "additional guards" would be assigned.  The San Antonio District included modern-day Del Rio, Laredo and Rio grande Valley Sectors.
  • On April 30, 1924, the Action Commissioner-General sent a memo to the 11 immigration districts that were adjacent to the borders of the United States.  The memo indicated that funding was expected to be approved in the amount "...to effectively put a stop to all smuggling operations along the land boundaries..."  The memo instructed to the district heads to respond by telegram with the number of "guards or patrolmen" each district wished to receive.  They were instructed to follow the telegram with a written, more detailed response.  The memo also contains the telegram responses.
    • Interestingly, once created and until 1941, the Border Patrol had more inspectors assigned to the northern border than to the southern border.  This occurred even though the southern border had requested staffing levels three times greater than that of the northern border. some my say that a greater number of inspectors were placed on the northern border in response to the ratification of the 18th Amendment and the passage of the Volstead Act, Prohibition. Further, many sources cite that the Border Patrol was created in response to Prohibition.  However, no official Immigration Service documents have been discovered in the National Archives that support that popular claim.
    • When I was conducting research at the National Archives, I assumed that there must have been a plan in existence to implement once funding was received to create the USBP.  The memo above and the corresponding telegrams clearly demonstrate that no such plan existed a mere three weeks before funding would be received.

1925

• On May 14, 1925, the "Chief, Accounts and Personnel Division" wrote a high-level memo concerning the operating costs and strength of the Border Patrol by position.

1928

• On May 8, 1928, George Harris (1976-1941), wrote a letter concerning H.R. 11755​ which was introduced on March 5, 1928 and would have had the USBP be a separate agency under the Department of Labor. 
  • George Harris would be one of the first two Chiefs of the Border Patrol (called Supervisor, Border Patrol) in 1926 with the implementation of General Order 61​.  In 1927, he would be reassigned to other positions leaving Ruel Davenport to be the sole Chief of the Border Patrol.  In 1932, Harris would return as the Chief of the Border Patrol (called Director at that time) and be the only person to serve nonconsecutive terms in the position.

1931

• On May 14, 1931, Commissioner-General received a letter​ from the Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association.  The  letter concerned Chief of the Border Patrol Ruel Davenport's interest in having personal participate in a shooting match that occurred annual at Camp Perry in Ohio.
  • Marking the birth of the USBP National Pistol Team, the Border Patrol participated in a 1934 match at Camp Perry.  See this page for more information.
  • The letterhead of the NRA's response identifies it headquarters as the Barr Building which is located about a block away from CBP's H Street Building.

1934

• On May 10, 1934, El Paso District Director Grover Wilmoth (1884-1951) sent a memo to the Commissioner-General concerning the two Border Patrol Inspectors placing in a shooting competition. Senior Patrol Inspector George W. Parker, Jr. (1908-1984) was "declared state champion at the rifle and pistol matches held a Fort Huachuca under the auspices of the Arizona State rifle Association".  Famed Patrol Inspector Charles Askins (1907-1999) won the police pistol match and it was suspected that his perfect score may have been a new record.  In closing, Wilmoth boasted:
  • Considerable interest is being displayed by officers in this district in competitive shooting and it will be noted that we have in our ranks at least two of the foremost shots in this section - if not in the United States.

1939

• On May 8, 1939, the Buffalo District sent a memo to the Commissioner-General concerning lost badges.  
  • The memo was in response to a January 18, 1939,  Central Office issued memo mandating that all badges and cap insignia be inventoried. 

Newton-Azrak Award Action Anniversaries​
 
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​

​2007
Dan M. Harris Jr. - ​photo
Assistant Chief Patrol Agent
Marfa Sector
Assistant Chief Patrol Agent Dan M. Harris Jr. was recognized for demonstrating unusual courage during an extremely dangerous and stressful situation on May 17, 2007. Agent Harris was invited to Athens, Texas to be the guest speaker at the Henderson County Peace Officer Memorial Service. During the service, Henderson County Deputy David Harris received a call for emergency backup due to shots being fired at a domestic disturbance. Upon arrival, the deputies began receiving gunfire and tragically, two deputies were shot and killed and another deputy was wounded. Agent Harris exposed himself to extreme risk or loss of life in order to render aid to the wounded deputy. Also being a certified Emergency Medical Technician, he was able to stabilize the wound with the assistance of other deputies.

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 - He is not recognized as officially fallen by Customs and Border Protection or the U.S. Border Patrol. He is remembered many except his own agency with his name being included on the:
  • National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial (see this link),
  • Officer Down memorial Page (see this link), and
  • Texas Peace Officer's Memorial (see this link).
    

2009
Cruz C. McGuire
Date of Birth:                January 19, 1962
Entered on Duty:          September 30, 1984
Title:                             Border Patrol Agent
End of Watch:               May 21, 2009
 
Details:
Border Patrol Agent Cruz McGuire, of the Del Rio Texas Station, collapsed the morning of May 21, 2009.  Attempts by his fellow agents and medical professionals to revive him were unsuccessful. At the time of his collapse, Agent McGuire was working a trail with other agents.
 
Agent McGuire began his career in law enforcement with the Del Rio Police Department and later joined the Kinney County Sheriff’s Office. Agent McGuire graduated with the 166th Session of the Border Patrol Academy and was assigned to the Kingsville Station. Agent McGuire transferred to the Del Rio Station on April 12, 1998.

Welcome to another This Week in USBP History!  
 
There are no Newton-Azrak Award action anniversaries this week.  But, I am highlighting five recipients from 1984 whose dates of action are unknown or whose actions spanned a timeframe. I should also mention that a Newton-Azrak Award recipient, George E. Evancheck (award statuette, notification letter), had somehow been omitted from any lists and was at risk of being forgotten.  I have added him to the the HonorFirst Newton-Azrak Award page and will add more information once its found.
 
Also, among the anniversaries of the fallen are Hector R. Clark and Eduardo Rojas, Jr. who fell due to the same incident in 2011.  A sad fact is that the USBP has lost two Agents/Inspectors due to the same event nine times (18 fallen).  Their names are listed below:

1. Donald Kee and William F. Buckelew in 1954
   
2. Douglas C. Shute and James M. Carter in 1956
   
3. Theodore L. Newton, Jr. and George F. Azrak in 1967
   
4. Friedrich Karl and John S. Blue in 1973
   
5. Susan L. Rodriguez and Ricardo G. Salinas in 1998
   
6. Jesus de la Ossa and Thomas J. Williams in 1998​
   
7. Travis W. Attaway and Jeremy M. Wilson in 2004
   
8. Ramon Nevarez, Jr. and David J. Tourscher in 2007
   
9. Hector R. Clark and Eduardo Rojas,  Jr. in 2011

Daniel P. Cox and Edgardo Acosta-Feliciano both fell on July 31, 2021.  However, their causes of death were not related.
 
Have a great week!
 
Cliff
 
PS - 

• As an open and continuous invitation to current and former USBP employees, I am always accepting photos to post in the USBP Photo Galleries and in the Upholding Honor First pages.  I sure would appreciate you visiting those pages and sending me anything that you think I could post (just attach them to a reply to this email).
• As always, make sure to explore all of the hyperlinks to documents and pages.
  
• Finally, please forward this blog to whomever you think may enjoy it.
• I also send out a weekly This Week in USBP History ​email.  If you'd like to be added to the list, email me at Cliff@honorfirst.com.

Housekeeping
​
This is the section where I correct the mistakes from my last email.  I will also use this section to provide other perspectives of USBP history.
 
I didn't find any errors of significance from last week.

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 employee 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.

Documents/Events
 
1914

• On May 14, 1914, future Chief and Father of the Border Patrol Frank Berkshire (1870-1934) wrote a memo to the Commissioner-General recommending against expanding the duties of Junior Inspectors, a position that had been announced in 1913​.
  
  • In 1924, Border Patrol Inspectors had no immigration authority.  By law, authority rested with employees who had the title "Immigrant Inspector" who were paid more than Border Patrol Inspectors.  In order that Border Patrol Inspectors might receive legal authority without being paid more, the Commissioner-General wrote a proposal to the Second Assistant Secretary of the Department a Labor requesting to resurrect a plan that was used in 1913 for Mounted Watchmen, and to rename Border Patrol Inspectors, Junior Immigrant Inspectors. See this document.

1924

• On May 13, 1924, the San Antonio District sent a detailed memo to the Central Office in response to an April 30, 1924 request.  The San Antonio District memo described, in detail, the locations to which the "additional guards" would be assigned.  The San Antonio District included modern-day Del Rio, Laredo and Rio grande Valley Sectors.
  
  • On April 30, 1924, the Action Commissioner-General sent a memo to the 11 immigration districts that were adjacent to the borders of the United States.  The memo indicated that funding was expected to be approved in the amount "...to effectively put a stop to all smuggling operations along the land boundaries..."  The memo instructed to the district heads to respond by telegram with the number of "guards or patrolmen" each district wished to receive.  They were instructed to follow the telegram with a written, more detailed response.  The memo also contains the telegram responses.
    
    • Interestingly, once created and until 1941, the Border Patrol had more inspectors assigned to the northern border than to the southern border.  This occurred even though the southern border had requested staffing levels three times greater than that of the northern border. some my say that a greater number of inspectors were placed on the northern border in response to the ratification of the 18th Amendment and the passage of the Volstead Act, Prohibition. Further, many sources cite that the Border Patrol was created in response to Prohibition.  However, no official Immigration Service documents have been discovered in the National Archives that support that popular claim.
      
    • When I was conducting research at the National Archives, I assumed that there must have been a plan in existence to implement once funding was received to create the USBP.  The memo above and the corresponding telegrams clearly demonstrate that no such plan existed a mere three weeks before funding would be received.

1925

• On May 14, 1925, the "Chief, Accounts and Personnel Division" wrote a high-level memo concerning the operating costs and strength of the Border Patrol by position.

1928

• On May 8, 1928, George Harris (1976-1941), wrote a letter concerning H.R. 11755​ which was introduced on March 5, 1928 and would have had the USBP be a separate agency under the Department of Labor. 
  
  • George Harris would be one of the first two Chiefs of the Border Patrol (called Supervisor, Border Patrol) in 1926 with the implementation of General Order 61​.  In 1927, he would be reassigned to other positions leaving Ruel Davenport to be the sole Chief of the Border Patrol.  In 1932, Harris would return as the Chief of the Border Patrol (called Director at that time) and be the only person to serve nonconsecutive terms in the position.

1931

• On May 14, 1931, Commissioner-General received a letter​ from the Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association.  The  letter concerned Chief of the Border Patrol Ruel Davenport's interest in having personal participate in a shooting match that occurred annual at Camp Perry in Ohio.
  
  • Marking the birth of the USBP National Pistol Team, the Border Patrol participated in a 1934 match at Camp Perry.  See this page for more information.
    
  • The letterhead of the NRA's response identifies it headquarters as the Barr Building which is located about a block away from CBP's H Street Building.

1934

• On May 10, 1934, El Paso District Director Grover Wilmoth (1884-1951) sent a memo to the Commissioner-General concerning the two Border Patrol Inspectors placing in a shooting competition. Senior Patrol Inspector George W. Parker, Jr. (1908-1984) was "declared state champion at the rifle and pistol matches held a Fort Huachuca under the auspices of the Arizona State rifle Association".  Famed Patrol Inspector Charles Askins (1907-1999) won the police pistol match and it was suspected that his perfect score may have been a new record.  In closing, Wilmoth boasted:
  
  • Considerable interest is being displayed by officers in this district in competitive shooting and it will be noted that we have in our ranks at least two of the foremost shots in this section - if not in the United States.

1939

• On May 8, 1939, the Buffalo District sent a memo to the Commissioner-General concerning lost badges.  
  
  • The memo was in response to a January 18, 1939,  Central Office issued memo mandating that all badges and cap insignia be inventoried. 

Newton-Azrak Award Action Anniversaries​
 
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​

There are no Newton-Azrak Award action anniversaries for the week.  However, there are many actions for which the date is unknown.  I will highlight some of those below.  In 1984, five people were presented Newton-Azrak Awards and their dates of action are not known. 
 

1984
​
Mark Cangemi
Investigator 
Chicago, Illinois
Investigator Mark Cangemi was recognized for a successful undercover operation resulting in the break-up of two major smuggling rings operating in the U.S., which moved more than 175 aliens per month, and grossed over $700 thousand monthly.  Cangemi, at risk to himself, worked undercover as a transporter for a major smuggling organization operating out of Chicago from July 1983 to May 1984.  He transported illegal aliens, had numerous contacts with organization members, including the Mexican connection, and met other members who were involved in the sale of narcotics, firearms, and counterfeit documents.   As a result of this extremely dangerous assignment, the Service was able to uncover the widespread movement of hundreds of Yugoslavian aliens into the U.S. through Mexico from Europe.
 
Oscar H. Garza Jr.
Investigator
Laredo, Texas
Stephan A. Peregoy
Investigator
Laredo, Texas
Investigator Oscar H. Garza Jr. and Investigator Stephan A. Peregoy were recognized for their unusual courage in a life-threatening situation involving investigation of a violence-oriented alien smuggling organization named “Las Tejas.”  The investigation resulted in the arrests of over 100 organizational principals, apprehension of 2,000 aliens, and the seizure of 85 vehicles.  Additionally, the Government of Mexico agreed to prosecute the organization head, who was continuing to direct the operation from the sanctuary of Mexico.
 
John A. Kalabus
Border Patrol Agent
Yuma Sector
Border Patrol Agent John A. Kalabus was recognized for saving a potential drowning victim from the Colorado River. While patrolling along the Mexican Border, Kalabus encountered two illegal aliens, one of whom jumped into the river attempting to return to Mexico.   He was caught in a whirlpool and unable to get free.  Without thought to his own safety, Kalabus swam to the alien and after several efforts, was successful in breaking the alien and himself free from the strong undertow and returning safely to shore.
 
Michael A. Lewis
Border Patrol Agent
Livermore Sector
Border Patrol Agent Michael A. Lewis was recognized for his courageous actions in saving three aliens from possible drowning.  During a farm and ranch check, a number of illegal alien workers began fleeing when Lewis spotted three who had jumped in a nearby 16-foot deep canal.  Two of the aliens were able to reach the other side but the third was floundering helplessly in the middle of the canal.  Lewis, at risk to his own life, jumped into the water and upon reaching the panic-stricken alien, was able to gain control and pull him to safety.  He then proceeded to assist the other two individuals, who were still in the canal, by swimming to them with a lifeline and pulling them to safety.

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.

 
 
1919
 
Charles L. Hopkins
Date of Birth:                    February 23, 1881
Entered on Duty:               December 24, 1912
Title:                                  Mounted Watchman
End of Watch:                   May 8, 1919
Details:
On May 8, 1919, at 10:15 p.m., Mounted Watchman Charles Lloyd Hopkins was shot by smugglers on the banks of the Rio Grande River, near Laredo, Texas. He died three hours later in Mercy Hospital, Laredo. Reportedly, the shot that killed Mounted Watchman Hopkins was the first one fired in a general gun battle between smugglers and federal officers in which a United States Public Health Service Guard, Ira Hill, and several of the Mexican smugglers were also killed.
 
 
1967
 
Richard A. Lugo
Date of Birth:                August 14, 1935
Entered on Duty:          July 18, 1966
Title:                              Patrol Inspector (Trainee)
End of Watch:               May 14, 1967
Details:
On May 14, 1967, Patrol Inspectors (Trainee) Richard A. Lugo and Bruce A. Plaskett were assigned to maintain sign cutting drag strips and to deliver tire drags to selected sites. They were enroute from their official station, Yuma, Arizona, to Andrade, California, traveling north on Levee Road at approximately 40 miles per hour. Without advance indication that anything was wrong, the right rear tire of the 1966 International Scout suddenly deflated, causing the rear end of the vehicle to swerve radically. Trainee Lugo lost control of the vehicle, which skidded and overturned. The vehicle came to rest on its left side with the top crushed in almost to the level of the body. Trainee Lugo was killed instantly, his head having been crushed when the vehicle overturned.
 
 
1995
 
Xavier G. Magdaleno
Date of Birth:                September 9, 1950
Entered on Duty:          September 15, 1980
Title:                              Border Patrol Agent
End of Watch:               May 10, 1995
 
Details:
On May 10, 1989, Border Patrol Agent Xavier G. Magdaleno and his partner were driving their vehicle alongside the railroad tracks in an area of the El Paso Sector known as the “slag pits.” 
 
The agents were driving east between the slag piles and outbound tracks. A train was coming toward them on these tracks. Once clear of the slag piles, Agent Magdaleno tried to execute a 180-degree turn. The wheels of the vehicle began to slide in the soft slag. The vehicle would not respond to the steering wheel; instead, it plowed forward, alongside the incoming tracks. The agents did not see the incoming train because of the slag piles and the curve of the track until it was about 75 yards from the vehicle. Agent Magdaleno put the vehicle into reverse in an attempt to get out of the train’s way. However, the train struck the vehicle on the passenger side and threw the rear of the vehicle toward the track, striking it again.  On the initial impact, Agent Magdaleno’s partner was thrown out of the vehicle away from the train. The second impact threw Agent Magdaleno out of the vehicle, and it came to rest on top of him. He was pinned under the wreckage for 45 minutes. When freed, he was taken to R.E. Thomason General Hospital, where surgery was performed. He was paralyzed from the neck down, requiring ventilator assistance. He died from his injuries on May 10, 1995.  Agent Magdaleno was a graduate of the 139th session of the Border Patrol Academy and was assigned to the El Paso Station at the time of his death.
 
 
2007
 
Richard M. Goldstein
Date of Birth:                September 10, 1969
Entered on Duty:          March 25, 2002
Title:                              Border Patrol Agent
End of Watch:               May 11, 2007
 
Details:
On May 11, 2007, Agent Richard M. Goldstein drowned in the Coachella Canal near Niland, California, east of the Salton Sea.  After he went missing, Agent Goldstein’s canine partner was found sitting alongside his vehicle, which was parked and idling near the canal. The Customs and Border Protection and California Highway Patrol Air divisions assisted several Border Patrol Agents in the search for the missing agent. A short time later, he was found drowned a few miles from his vehicle.
 
Agent Goldstein’s K-9 partner, Carlo, was wet, and markings in the area indicated the dog had been in the water and struggled to get out of the canal. Early reports indicated that Agent Goldstein entered the canal in order to rescue his K-9 partner.
 
Agent Goldstein was a five-year veteran of the Border Patrol and was assigned to the El Centro Sector’s Indio Station.
 
 
2011
 
Hector R. Clark
Date of Birth                 November 16, 1971
Entered on Duty:          August 20, 2001
Title:                             Border Patrol Agent
End of Watch:              May 12, 2011
 
Details:
On the morning of May 12, 2011, Border Patrol Agent Hector R. Clark, and his partner Lead Border Patrol Agent Eduardo Rojas, Jr., were killed when a freight train struck their government vehicle. The accident occurred near the intersection of Interstate 8 and Paloma Road, approximately nine miles west of Gila Bend, Arizona. Agents Clark and Rojas were assisting other agents in pursuit of a group of suspected illegal aliens at the time of the accident.
 
Agent Clark, a native of the Yuma, Arizona community, began his career with the U.S. Border Patrol on August 20, 2001, as a member of the 481st Session of the Border Patrol Academy. Following his graduation, he was assigned to the El Centro Station in the El Centro Sector.  At the time of his death, he was assigned to the Yuma Station in the Yuma Sector.  Agent Clark was 39 years old and is survived by his wife and two children.
 
Eduardo Rojas, Jr.
Date of Birth                 October 14, 1976
Entered on Duty:          April 9, 2000
Title:                             Lead Border Patrol Agent
End of Watch:              May 12, 2011
 
Details:
On the morning of May 12, 2011, Lead Border Patrol Agent Eduardo Rojas, Jr., and his partner Border Patrol Agent Hector R. Clark, were killed when a freight train struck their government vehicle. The accident occurred near the intersection of Interstate 8 and Paloma Road, approximately nine miles west of Gila Bend, Arizona. Agents Rojas and Clark were assisting other agents in pursuit of a group of suspected illegal aliens at the time of the accident.
 
Agent Rojas entered on duty with the U.S. Border Patrol on April 9, 2000, as a member of the 432nd Session of the Border Patrol Academy. Upon graduating from the academy, he was assigned to the Yuma Station in the Yuma Sector. Agent Rojas was serving as a Lead Border Patrol Agent in the Yuma Sector at the time of his death. He was a native of El Paso, Texas, and a graduate of Irvin High School. Agent Rojas was 34 years old, and is survived by his wife and two children.
 
 
2021
 
Freddie Vasquez
Date of Birth:                June 28, 1977                              
Entered on Duty:          June 16, 2002
Title:                             Border Patrol Agent 
End of Watch:               May 8, 2021
 
Details: 
Agent Vasquez entered on duty on June 16, 2002, as part of the 515th Session of the Border Patrol Academy. The circumstances of his passing were reviewed by an executive panel and the CBP Commissioner who determined that this death occurred in the line of duty.  At the time of his passing, he was assigned to the El Paso Station, El Paso Sector, Texas.  His line-of-duty death occurred on May 8, 2021.
  
He is survived by his wife: Inez; sons: Alexander, Christopher, and Abram; daughter: Samantha; parents: Jose and Maria Vasquez; and brothers: Jose and Frank Vasquez.

Welcome to another This Week in USBP History!
 
Have a great week!

Cliff
 
PS - 

• As an open and continuous invitation to current and former USBP employees, I am always accepting photos to post in the USBP Photo Galleries and in the Upholding Honor First pages.  I sure would appreciate you visiting those pages and sending me anything that you think I could post.
  
• As always, make sure to explore all of the hyperlinks to documents and pages.

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 employee 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.

Documents​/Events
​
1926

• On May 1, 1926, Chief of the Border Patrol George Harris (1876-1941) wrote a memo concerning the importance of the "oral examination".  the most telling part of the memo is the following sentence:
  • The writer is sure the Bureau will thoroughly agree with him that the oral examination should be uniformly accorded to all patrol inspector candidates who have successfully passed the written test. In no other way is it possible so effectively to weed out obvious misfits and save the Service later trouble and expense.
• ​On May 3, 1926, a memo providing very general guidance for the position of Senior Patrol Inspector was issued by the Assistant Commissioner-General.  The position was newly created with the signing of General Order 61 on March 18, 1926.

​​1929

• On May 3, 1929, General Order 132 was enacted.  This General Order was anchored to a March 4, 1929, "Act Making it a felony with penalty for certain aliens to enter the United States of America under certain conditions in violation of law."  That Act would be superseded in 1952, becoming 8 U.S.C. 1326, Reentry of removed aliens.

1931

• On May 1, 1931, Assistant Commissioner-General George Harris wrote one of the earliest memos found concerning Border Patrol Inspectors participating in shooting competitions.
  • An interesting aspect about this memo is that Harris had been one of the Chiefs of the Border 1926-1927 before he had promoted out of the position.  He would return to the Border Patrol as Chief 1932-1933 coming the first and only person to have served as Chief of the Border Patrol in non-consecutive terms.  Finally, it should be noted that when he first became "Chief", the position was called "Supervisor, Border Patrol".  His second time as "Chief" the position was called "Director of Border Patrol".
• On May 2, 1931, this collection of documents describes a gunfight occurred between Border Patrol Inspectors and alcohol smugglers in which suspect, Guillermo Rodriguez was killed.  The documents include a diagram and photographs of the international boundary between Cordova Island and the United States.

1939

• On May 6, 1939, the Buffalo Sub-district responded to the Central Office's January 18, 1939, memo to the field to inventory all badges and cap insignia for all positions.  Most notable Buffalo's response is the name, "Paul L.D. Calloway​" (1901-1960) who was the first African American Border Patrol Inspector.
  • Research indicates that Paul L.D. Calloway became a Border Patrol Inspector in the summer of 1924.  He retired from the Border Patrol in 1955.  He worked his entire career in the area of Buffalo, NY. See this 1929 roster (pg. 5).  See these photographs from 1932 and 1942.  Also, see this page from the 1930 Census. 

1956

• On May 3, 1956, a multipage document was drafted to compare costs to build a border fence or to increase manpower (and associated costs) to address illegal entries. The proposed location for the fences were, Chula Vista, El Centro, Yuma, El Paso and Brownsville.  Spoil alert, it was project to be less expensive to build fences.

2003

• On May 1, 2003, Chief of the Border Patrol Gus De La Viña (1939-2009) signed a memo changing the criteria of the Newton-Azrak Award. This would be the award's second criteria.
  • In 2003, the INS was dissolved and the U.S. Border Patrol was transferred to the newly created U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The Newton-Azrak Award was carried over into CBP.  However, instead of providing the award criteria that had been in place since 1973 as implemented in the INS Administrative Manual the U.S. Border Patrol drafted a new criteria in the form of a memorandum from the Chief of the Border Patrol. Had the original INS criteria been implemented in CBP, all CBP law enforcement employees would have been eligible to receive the award.  However, with the change in criteria, only Border Patrol Agents could be recipients and only for acts of bravery or heroism.  Under the new criteria, CBP carried the Newton-Azrak Award as a Commissioner's award that could only be presented to Border Patrol Agents.

​Newton-Azrak Award Action Anniversaries​
 
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​

 
There are no Newton-Azrak Award anniversaries for the week.  However, there are several actions for which the date is unknown.  I will highlight some of those below.  In 1982, three of the 26 non-USBP Newton-Azrak Award recipients received their recognitions..
1982

Hipolito Acosta
Investigator
El Paso, Texas
Investigator Hipolito Acosta was recognized for his participation in several highly complex and dangerous undercover investigations resulting in the seizure of thousands of altered and counterfeit documents, and the arrest and convictions of the most notorious vendors of counterfeit documents ever encountered in the Chicago area.
 
Gary Renick
Investigator
San Antonio, Texas
Investigator Gary Renick was recognized for his efforts in gathering crucial evidence which aided the Drug Enforcement Administration in the seizure of five kilos of heroin, and which resulted in the arrest of a three-time convicted alien smuggler.  He was also credited with uncovering widespread corruption at the State of Illinois driver’s license facilities.
 
Richard Shuler
Investigator
Dallas, Texas
Investigator Richard Shuler was recognized for his courageous act in rescuing an individual from a burning building at risk to his own life.

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.

2002
Roberto J. Duran
Date of Birth:                March 29, 1968
Entered on Duty:          January 4, 1998
Title:                              Border Patrol Agent
End of Watch:               May 6, 2002
 
Details:
Border Patrol Agent Roberto Javier Duran was on detail from the Chula Vista Station to the Casa Grande Station when he was ejected from his vehicle in a vehicle rollover accident on Monday, May 6, 2002. He had worked the midnight shift and was returning to the station. Agents from the Casa Grande Station rendered emergency medical assistance and provided comfort to Agent Duran, but he died at the scene.
 
Agent Duran was born in Anthony, New Mexico. He served in the United States Navy from 1986 to 1997. He was a graduate of the 361st session of the U.S. Border Patrol Academy in Charleston, South Carolina.


2009
Nathaniel A. Afolayan
Date of Birth:                 March 26, 1980
Entered on Duty:           February 16, 2009
Title:                              Border Patrol Agent (Trainee)
End of Watch:               May 1, 2009
 
Details:
On April 30, 2009, newly hired Agent Nathaniel A. Afolayan collapsed during a physical training exam. Agent Afolayan had just completed the 1.5-mile run portion of his physical techniques final exam. After his collapse, he was transported via ambulance to Artesia General Hospital. Later that day, his condition worsened and he was taken via life-flight to Covenant Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas. Agent Afolayan died May 1, 2009. An autopsy concluded his death was accidental due to heat illness.
 
Agent Afolayan was a native of Nigeria. He was a member of the 856th Session of the Border Patrol Academy and was to be assigned to the Newton-Azrak Station in the San Diego Sector.