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This Week in USBP History, Vol. 59

10/16/2022

0 Comments

 

October 16 - October 22

PictureFrank McMahan
Good morning!
 
Welcome to another This Week in USBP History!  
 
Let's start this week discussing the Patrol's rank insignia.  Before diving in, you may want to visit and read The U.S. Border Patrol’s Early Rank and Time-in-Service Insignia.  It has a GIF (12 images that cycle every 5 seconds) of the examples of the rank insignia and time-in-service insignia that was in place from 1928-1942 of which I'll write about below.
 
Let me backtrack to the beginning...  From its creation in 1924 until General Order 61 (GO-61) in 1926, the Patrol had only two positions, and neither had an official rank insignia;
  1. Patrol Inspectors, and
  2. Immigrant Inspectors that were designated as Patrol Inspectors in Charge
  • Patrol Inspectors in Charge led sub-districts.  Patrol Inspectors in Charge would be renamed Chief Patrol Inspectors with the implementation of GO-61 and Chief Patrol Inspectors renamed Chief Patrol Agents in 1970.  Also, sub-districts would be renamed "sectors" in the 1940s.  So, Patrol Inspectors in Charge were the first Chief Patrol Inspector
 
From 1924-1928, the Patrol did not have an official rank insignia.  We know that to be true based on this memo from Chief of the Border Patrol Ruel E. Davenport (1878-1961), "The lack of any insignia of rank for ranking officers of the Patrol Service is also noticeable."  However, there exists photographic evidence of some rank insignia being used outside of any policy such as the case of the insignia worn by Frank McMahan at the bottom of his left sleeve.

On March 18, 1926, GO-61 was signed and came into effect on April 1, 1926.  GO-61 restructured the Border Patrol, creating three additional positions and renaming one:
  • Created the position Senior Patrol Inspector,
  • Created the position of Assistant Superintendent.  This position would supervise all Border Patrol employees within a district and report to the district head,
  • Created the position of Supervisor, Border Patrol.  It is this position that we consider to be the Chief of the Border Patrol today.  It was not a uniformed position and had no rank insignia.
  • Immigrant Inspectors who had been designated as Patrol Inspectors In Charge were renamed Chief Patrol Inspectors.
 
The sixth supplement to General Order 42, dated April 4, 1928, contains the earliest Border Patrol rank and time-in-service insignia that have been located.  
  • Patrol Inspector - No insignia
  • Senior Patrol Inspector - One strip of silver bullion or silver braid 3-inches long by 3/8-inch wide, worn on the blue facing of each sleeve of the uniform blouse.  The insignia was placed so that the ends extended to the edges of the blue facing to form an approximation of an equilateral triangle with the point of the facing as the apex and the silver braid as the base.
  • Chief Patrol Inspector - One strip of gold bullion or gold braid on the blue facing of each sleeve.  This insignia was the same size and placement as the Senior Patrol Inspectors' insignias.
  • Assistant Superintendent - Two strips of gold bullion or gold braid on the blue facing of each sleeve and the same size as the Chief Patrol Inspector insignia.  The first strip was placed as indicated above and the second was placed 3/8-inch below and parallel with it.

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The rank insignia above weren't the only rank insignia in place at the time, there were also unique insignia for the long coat.
  • Senior Patrol Inspector - One strip of 3/16-inch black tubular mohair braid, placed ½-inch above and following the contour of the blue cuff facing on the outer sleeve and forming a. single loop above the point of facing, outside dimensions of the loop to be 3-inches tall and 1-7/8 inches at the widest point.
  • Chief Patrol Inspector - Two strips of the above-described braid, the second was placed ¼ inch above and following the first so as to form a second loop inside of the first.
  • Assistant Superintendent - Three strips of the above-described braid, the third to be placed ¼ inch above and following the second so as to form a third loop inside of second.  The edges of braid to be let into sleeve seams.

These insignia were in place until approximately 1942 when the Patrol's third uniform policy was implemented.  Sadly, no examples of that policy is known to exist.  However, it is known that the aforementioned rank insignia were discontinued.  With the new uniform policy, the shoulder ornaments that had been worn as part of the uniform for all Patrol Inspectors since 1924 were used to identify ranking inspectors.  It is thought that the 1942 uniform policy concerning rank was significantly similar to the 1956 uniform policy, see below:
  • Shoulder Ornaments: These are reserved to indicate the rank of Senior Patrol Inspector or above; gold for Chief Patrol Inspectors, the Assistant Chief, air operations, and Assistant Chief, air safety officer, or above; polished silver with blue letters for Assistant Chief Patrol Inspectors and oxidized silver with raised uncolored lettering for Senior Patrol Inspectors and GS-12 Pilots.

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PictureRoger "Buck" Brandemuehl, Chief of the Border Patrol, 1980-1986
The shoulder ornaments and titles on badges were the sole insignia of rank until September 4, 1980, when the acting commissioner issued this memo that began:
  • To enhance the recognition of our supervisory and staff Border Patrol agents, among the general public, I am authorizing the wearing of military collar insignia for these positions.
​Two significant and true concepts were made in that single sentence.  First, rank insignia is a recognition item.  Employees do not need devices to lead or to do work. The devices are an acknowledgment of the employee reaching a significant status.  Second, a rank insignia does not denote supervisory status in that "staff" officers were also assigned devices. This acknowledges the significant organizational impact that staff officers had within the Patrol.
 
A bit of a back story for that 1980 memo.  In a conversation with Roger "Buck" Brandemuehl, Chief of the Border Patrol 1980-1986, he told me that the Patrol was commonly working with the military, as it does today.  The military members didn't quite grasp the shoulder ornament rank insignia, so Buck pushed to have the military rank insignia implemented so that the military would have a better understanding of to whom they were talking within the Patrol.

The 1980 rank insignia began with captain’s bars for first-line supervisors and ended with 2 stars for the Chief of the Border Patrol (Assistant Commissioner).  Chief Patrol Agents wore 1 star. 
 
Within the implementation of the military rank insignia, the traditional shoulder ornaments were still used, roughly following the aforementioned 1956 guidance.
 
The next large change in the Patrol's rank insignia came in 2003.  The most significant of the changes were that the Chief of the Border Patrol wore four stars (making Chief Gustavo De La Vina the first 4-star Chief) and Chief Patrol Agents wore two stars.
 
Later, sometime around 2010, the shoulder ornaments no longer were symbols of rank but became location identifiers agents in supervisory and managerial positions.  Gold should ornaments denoted supervisory and managerial agents assigned to USBP HQ, silver ornaments denoted sector HQ supervisory and managerial agents, and oxidized ornament denoted station level supervisory and managerial agents.  However, for reasons never adequately explained to me, the Academy uses a combination of silver and oxidized shoulder ornaments.  I would think that all Academy supervisory and managerial should wear silver ornaments like the sector HQs.
 
However, as the years have passed the Border Patrol has strayed from official documents that continue to provide excellent equivalency in applying military rank insignia to Senior Executives and GS employees. See the following;
  • Department of Defense
    • See page 14, Civilian Geneva Categories and Equivalent Grades for POW Identification
    • Department of Defense Working Capital Funds Civilian/Military Equivalency Rate
  • Department of the Army
    • See Appendix D staring on page 39, Pamphlet 600-60, A Guide to Protocol and Etiquette for Official Entertainment
  • Department of the Navy
    • Comparison of Military and Civilian Equivalent Grades
There are many other references, but I'm sure you get the point...  They are the standards for equating military and civilian pay grades and rank insignia.
 
However, the Border Patrol’s rank insignia is not related to the scope and complexity of the position as is reflected in a position's pay grade.  The Patrol's rank insignia is title-centric and is related more to the perceived level of prestige of a given position.  That's why a GS-13 supervising less than 10 people wears the identical insignia as a GS-15 who is responsible for over 600 people (Patrol Agents in Charge all wear eagles as rank insignia regardless of pay grade).  As another example, the GS-15 CPA of Ramey Sector with less than 100 employees wears 2-stars when SES DCPAs and SES HQ Deputy Directorate Chiefs wear 1-star.
 
So, wrapping it up... In today's Patrol, there are far more titles than pay grades and insignia.  The fickle concept of prestige trumps the carefully considered pay grade of positions in the application of insignia assignment.  Restating the 1980 memo, rank insignia were implemented ...to enhance the recognition of our supervisory and staff Border Patrol agents.  I argue that the recognition is diminished when the system allows GS-13s and GS-14s to wear the same insignia as a GS-15, when SESs wear a lessor insignia than a GS-15, and prestige provides the foundation of rank assignment instead of pay grade.  But, I could be wrong...
 
This week brings us tons of USBP history!  We start with a 1910 memo concerning compensation for "mounted inspectors.  There are shootings, seizures, and the earliest known mentioning of two modern positions.
 
We celebrate the Newton-Azrak Award action anniversary for two recipients.
 
We also remember the loss of six of our fallen, including two that fell in the same event.  Jesus de la Ossa and Thomas J. Williams fell due in the same incident in 1998.  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.
 
Enjoy the blog and 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 send them to cliff@honorfirst.com).
  • 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.


​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

1910
  • On October 20, 1910, the future Chief and Father of the Border Patrol, Supervising Inspector of the Southwest Border Frank Berkshire (1870-1934), wrote a memo to the Commissioner-General concerning the selection and compensation of "mounted inspectors" (which were also know as mounted watchmen and mounted guards).  Berkshire would become the 3rd person to have been "Chief of the Border Patrol".
1927
  • On October 19, 1927, two separate shootings occurred in the El Paso Sub-district. This document contains the reports of both shootings. 
    • There are transmitted herewith copies of reports concerning two shooting affrays on the 19th instant, Patrol Inspectors William A. Holt and John H. Lewis being involved in one occurrence, and Patrol Inspectors Douglas D. Pyeatt and Max S.. Gleason in another. Apparently on both occasions the smugglers attempted to ambush the officers, who shot their way out of the difficulty, the smugglers escaping but leaving behind a large quantity of liquor which was seized by the patrol inspectors.​
      • Patrol Inspector William A. Holt (1881-1950)
      • Patrol Inspector John H. Lewis
      • Patrol Inspector Douglas D. Pyeatt (1902-1944)
      • Patrol Inspector Max S. Gleason (1899-1952)
1929
  • On October 17, 1929, the Commissioner-General responded to the Commissioner of Immigration for the Montreal District's request to appoint 4 Senior Patrol Inspectors to act as assistants to their respective sub-district Chief Patrol Inspectors.
    • In 1929, the Montreal District included 4 sub-districts which would be called "sectors" in the 1940's (Houlton, Newport, Rouses Point and Massena).
    • This memo contains the earliest reference of which I am aware of the "Assistant Chief Patrol Inspector" position. It should be further noted that all "Assistant Chief Patrol Inspectors" were Senior Patrol Inspectors using a different title.
1930
  • This October 18, 1930 report details an alcohol seizure by which the Marfa Sub-district Border Patrol Inspectors and local Customs Border Patrol Inspectors combined forces to catch over 400 gallons of alcohol valued at approximately $680,000 in today's dollars.
  • This PDF contains two memos and a sworn statement detailing a brief exchange of gunfire that occurred on October 16, 1930, between Border Patrol Inspectors and alcohol smugglers in El Paso, TX.
    • Patrol Inspector Paul N. Ross (1898-1950)
    • Patrol Inspector Walter L. Muehlhause (1905-2005)
      • His name is spelled incorrectly in the report.  His last name begins with an "M", not an "N".
1940
  • This collection of costs to build Border Patrol facilities is signed by "H.J. Walls", Assistant Supervisor of Border Patrol".  This is the earliest known evidence of the position that would evolve to become "Deputy Chief of the Border Patrol".
1941
  • On October 17, 1941, Willard Kelly (1903-1969), the 4th Chief of the Border Patrol, wrote a memo to the DOJ concerning (Immigration) Guard badges.  This memo highlights a few things:
    • Internment camps were being staffed before the U.S. entered WWII
    • Although the USBP did augment the internment camps, there was an (Immigration) Guard position that was most likely the primary position to fill that roll
    • Nicholas Donald “Nick” Collaer (1896-1977​), who is mentioned in the memo, was a Chief Patrol Inspector for the El Paso Sub-district, then the Assistant Superintendent of the El Paso District and he finished his federal career as the 7th Chief of the Border Patrol (1948-1950)
    • Finally, although not mentioned in the memo, the (Immigration) Guard uniforms are believed to have been very similar to the USBP uniforms, as the DEO uniforms were similar to the USBP uniforms in the 1990's and early 2000's.  Therefore, when looking at old internment camp photos, it is difficult to ascertain if a person in a "USBP" uniform was a (Immigration) Guard or a Border Patrol Inspector.
1953
  • The Patrol Inspectors assigned to McAllen Sector were responsible for providing assistance to the Texas Department of Public Safety in protecting President Dwight Eisenhower and Mexican President Adolfo Ruiz Cortines during the dedication ceremony for the Falcón Dam on October 19, 1953. Patrol Inspectors also helped secure the motorcade route from Harlingen Air Force Base, where President Eisenhower’s plane, the Columbine (first to be designated as and use the call sign Air Force One) landed, to Zapata, Texas, and the Falcon Dam.
    • From - HONOR FIRST:  The Story of the United States Border Patrol - Volume II by Joseph Banco
1954
  • Fences are not a new concept on the southwestern border.  See this October 20, 1954 photograph of a 2-mile fence in Nogales.
1967
  • In late October 1967, 120 Patrol Inspectors were deployed to Washington, DC/Arlington, Virginia, to support the U.S. Marshals in protecting the Pentagon during what became known as the Pentagon Riot of October 21, 1967.The Patrol Inspectors were deputized as U.S. Marshals and helped the other federal agents secure the exterior of the Pentagon from what was supposed to be a peaceful protest of the Vietnam War. All were in plain-clothes and issued white helmets and batons. Batons were the only less-than-lethal tools used to control the violent rioters. No tear gas was used and the Marshals had orders to conceal and not use their firearms.
    • From - HONOR FIRST:  The Story of the United States Border Patrol - Volume II by Joseph Banco
1971
  • On October 20, 1971, the U.S. Border Patrol Academy graduated the 100th Session. With the graduation of the 127 Border Patrol Agent (trainees) of 100th Session, more than 7,000 Border Patrol Inspectors/Agents had completed the Academy since its formal inception in July 1940 with the 1st Session. 
    • From - HONOR FIRST:  The Story of the United States Border Patrol - Volume II by Joseph Banco
2004
  • On October 20, 2004 the Border Patrol Basic Academy returned to Artesia, New Mexico where it remains today.  The first class to report to Artesia was session 583. The Border Patrol Academy continued to teach Spanish to all trainee agents until session 715, when trainees were able to test out of Spanish, shortening the academy to 55 days for those able to pass the Spanish Proficiency Test.  Traditionally agents begin their careers on the southern Border.  In August of 2008, session 803 was the first class with trainees reporting to the Northern U.S. Border since 1950.

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
2016
​

Juan Cruz Jr. - ​photo
Border Patrol Agent
Weslaco, Texas

Marcus K. Johnson - photo
Border Patrol Agent
Weslaco, Texas

The incident occurred on October 19, 2015, at approximately 2:00 a.m. Border Patrol Agents Juan Cruz, Jr. and Marcus K. Johnson responded to a call for assistance by agents working border enforcement duties near the Hidalgo, Texas, Settling Basin. A subject had jumped into the water basin and was struggling to stay afloat. The potential victim was frantically screaming for help and periodically dipping below the surface of the water. The agents quickly improvised a safety line from tow straps and courageously entered the dark, cold water in an attempt to rescue the subject. 

Unfortunately, the improvised safety line was not long enough to reach the subject and the dangerous conditions forced the agents to return to land. Cruz swam out for a second time in an attempt to throw the subject a floatation device, but that attempt also failed due to the subject’s panicked state of mind. Upon the arrival of the City of Hidalgo’s Fire Department, the agents were informed that the fire department would not attempt a rescue due to policy constraints dealing with the dangers involved in a night time water rescue.

Both Cruz and Johnson ignored the injuries they had suffered to their bare feet on their previous rescue attempts and for a third time volunteered to try to rescue the subject. They borrowed life vests from the fire department and re-entered the dangerous water. On the third attempt, the agents managed to reach the subject and provide him with a life vest and were able to successfully extract him from the water without further incident.

The subject was examined by emergency medical technicians at the scene and found to be in good health and not in need of further medical attention. Both Cruz and Johnson were treated for their injuries at a local hospital and released the same night.

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.

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 by all except his own agency with 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).
1922
 
Charles Gardiner
Date of Birth:                     February 5, 1882
Entered on Duty:               August 15, 1918
Title:                                  Mounted Watchman
End of Watch:                   October 21, 1922
​Details
Mounted Guard Charles Gardiner was shot and killed without warning by the driver of a wagon loaded with smuggled liquor. Gardiner was approaching the vehicle to inspect it when the unprovoked attack occurred. The report indicated that he approached a one-horse wagon containing two Mexicans for the purpose of questioning them as to their immigration status and that they jumped from the wagon, immediately firing upon him from close range.
 
Death Certificate
​
Survivor benefits - As per this document, his wife received $66.67 per month for her and their four children.  Then $49.50 for her and one child.
 
​Gravesite
 

1956
 
John A. Rector
Date of Birth:                August 23, 1898
Entered on Duty:          March 13, 1928
Title:                              Patrol Inspector
End of Watch:               October 16, 1956
 
Details:
At approximately 11:30 a.m., October 16, 1956, Patrol Inspector John A. Rector was accidently shot by the firing of a .357 Magnum revolver by fellow officer, Bill Jordan. The mishap occurred at the Chula Vista Sector Headquarters as two officers were discussing various guns and their limitations and advantages. During the course of the conversation, the .357 Magnum was unloaded, examined, then reloaded, and placed in a desk drawer. The two officers then examined a .22 revolver and soon the discussion returned to the .357 Magnum. At this point, Patrol Inspector Jordan reached into the desk drawer, picked up the pistol, and without realizing that it had been reloaded, pulled the trigger.
 
The bullet passed through a partition wall into Patrol Inspector Rector's office where it struck him in the left jaw and ranged up through his head. Upon arrival of an ambulance and a doctor, Patrol Inspector Rector was removed to the Paradise Valley Hospital in National City. Two neurosurgeons from San Diego were called; however, nothing could be done for Inspector Rector. He died at approximately 2:00 p.m. the same day.
 
Gravesite​


1967

Elgar B. Holliday
Date of Birth:                October 6, 1911
Entered on Duty:          June 19, 1944
Title:                             Senior Patrol Inspector
End of Watch:              October 18, 1967
 
Details:
In September 1967, Hurricane Beulah struck the lower Rio Grande Valley and adjacent areas causing extensive wind and flood damage. During the emergency, Patrol Inspectors rendered assistance in the protection of life and property, performing exhaustive and arduous tasks and working long periods of time without rest or relief. Senior Patrol Inspector Elgar B. Holliday was engaged in continuous emergency work assignments for three days. During the third day, September 24, 1967, he was stricken, suffering from extreme shortness of breath and pains in the chest. Showing signs of complete exhaustion, he was taken to a doctor, who gave him an injection and diagnosed the difficulty as heart failure due to over-exertion. Mr. Holliday was subsequently placed in the St. Joseph's Hospital, Houston, Texas, where he died on October 18, 1967.

​Gravesite
  • ...Patrol Inspector “Doc” Holliday was considered “The Father of the Border Patrol Canine Program” for his pioneer work in McAllen, El Centro and other Southwest Sectors training handlers and working with a variety of dogs. “Doc” Holliday would later become the “Senior” of the Falfurrias Station, TX, and would die in the line of duty succumbing to over-exertion resulting in a heart attack on October 18, 1967 as he was engaged in rescue and emergency relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Beulah. “Doc” Holliday had been working for three long days rendering assistance and performing arduous tasks with little rest.
    • From - HONOR FIRST:  The Story of the United States Border Patrol - Volume II by Joseph Banco
 
1979

Weldon Smith
Date of Birth:                July 18, 1939
Entered on Duty:          November 2, 1970
Title:                             Aircraft Pilot
End of Watch:              October 19, 1979
 
Details:
During the afternoon of October 19, 1979, Pilot Weldon Smith had been working with ground agents Roxy D. Kieffe and Frank Ureta, Jr., of Rio Grande City Border Patrol Station. They were trailing aliens on the Gallagor Ranch, about 10 miles north of Guerra, Jim Hogg County, Texas. Pilot Smith returned to McAllen to refuel. As he was returning to the location of the aliens, he passed about 100 feet over Kieffe, relocated the trail, and started relaying the location to Kieffe. He said, "I found the tr-" and quit transmitting in mid-sentence. Officer Kieffe did not see the crash, but saw the smoke and ran toward it. The plane was completely engulfed in flames, destroyed by the impact and fire. Pilot Smith died on initial impact. A Justice of the Peace from Hebbronville, Texas, held an inquest upon arrival at the scene of the accident and pronounced Pilot Smith dead. Subsequent investigation determined that the aircraft had stalled and the pilot was unable to recover from the stall.
 
​Gravesite


1998

Jesus de la Ossa
Date of Birth:                June 21, 1965
Entered on Duty:          November 28, 1993
Title:                              Senior Patrol Agent
End of Watch:               October 20, 1998
 
Details:
On Tuesday, October 20, 1998, at 7:00 p.m., Agents Jesus De La Ossa and Thomas J. Williams were traveling to San Diego after successfully completing the Border Patrol Academy Instructor’s Course. They were involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle and lost their lives in the accident, which happened about 15 miles west of Artesia, New Mexico.
 
Agent De La Ossa was born in Nogales, Arizona. Before entering the Border Patrol, Agent De La Ossa served as a military policeman in the U.S. Air Force. He joined the INS as a Border Patrol Agent and was later promoted to Senior Patrol Agent. At the time of his death, his official station was Brown Field, California. He was a graduate of the 264th session of the U.S. Border Patrol Academy in Glynco, Georgia.
 
​Gravesite
 
Thomas J. Williams
Date of Birth:                July 21, 1966
Entered on Duty:          May 5, 1994
Title:                              Senior Patrol Agent
End of Watch:               October 20, 1998
 
Details:
On Tuesday, October 20, 1998, at 7:00 p.m., Agents Thomas J. Williams and Jesus De La Ossa were traveling to San Diego after successfully completing the Border Patrol Academy Instructor’s Course. They were involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle and lost their lives in the accident, which happened about 15 miles west of Artesia, New Mexico.
 
Agent Williams was born in Hazel Green, Wisconsin. He graduated from Western Illinois University Magna Cum Laude with a degree in criminal justice. He served in the Navy for four years, two of which were served on the submarine USS Henry Clay. He joined the INS as a Border Patrol Agent and was later promoted to Senior Patrol Agent. At the time of his death, his official station was Brown Field, California. He was a graduate of the 266th session of the U.S. Border Patrol Academy in Glynco, Georgia.
 
​Gravesite
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    Blog author, retired U.S. Border Patrol Assistant Chief and, current U.S. Border Patrol employee advocate.

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