This Week in USBP History, Vol. 66

December 4 - December 10

Good morning!
 
Welcome to another This Week in USBP History!

Just this week I shared with fellow Border Patrol Historian, Joe Banco, the feeling of melancholy I sometimes experience as I spend so much time with so many that have been gone for so long.  Every week, I reread every document that I reference in the Documents/Events section of the newsletter.  Every time that I mention a name of a person who has died, I research and attempt to find their gravestone and give a link in their years of life.  Sometimes, it's quite an investment of time to find and confirm their gravesites.  I commonly find myself thinking that I'm the only person on the planet that is thinking of that person.

Relatedly, I was recently having a conversation with my wife about the recent loss of her mother and the death of my great-grandmother many years ago.  We agreed that I was the last generation in my family that would remember my great-grandmother and my wife's children would be the last generation that would remember her mother.  After those generations are gone, they'll only be remembered as an image in photographs, or names written in documents or on grave markers. Our conversation led to who might be the last to remember us.  Quite a sobering thought of our mortality.

Back to USBP history, I tend to concentrate on official documents.  That's what is found in National Archives.  They comprise the official history of the Patrol.  But since I've been authoring these emails, I've received incredible stories from Ron Colburn, Joe Banco, John Burgmeier and others.  Stories of big personalities, heroism, tragedies, and humanity.  Some have been funny or sad, but all are the building blocks that create the foundation of Patrol's culture.

Embarrassingly, I have missed the organizational importance of the stories of the individual as I have presented USBP history.

All of us have so many incredible experiences that may never see the light of day.  Many of them may involve acts of heroism or the terror of being shot at.  Some may be stories of humanity, or the lack thereof.  Maybe great law enforcement actions, big personalities or whatever...  We've heard of people wanting to collect PA stories to write a book, but it never seems to happen...

Well, it turns out that Ray and I have a website.  Now, I've tried to highlight the good works of the workforce with the pages of Upholding Honor First.  And now I have built another section of the site devoted true PA stories, Border Patrol Stories.  There are a few stories there and I hope that you'll email me some more so that they and the individuals that lived them aren't lost in time. 

Link to U.S. Border Patrol Stories

General Order 42

​I know that we have to protect the identities of the innocent, so the author can be anonymous and names changed, but I'd like to keep the sectors and years accurate. I see this as a way to preserve soul of the Patrol.

​If you have something to share, please email me the story at cliff@honorfirst.com.  I can even put photos in them.

This week starts BIG!  The first document is General Order 42 from 1924, the Patrol's first uniform policy!  We have three gunfights from the late 1920's from El Paso (they seemed to be the only sub-district reporting shootings).  We end in 1998 with the approval of the USBP flag.
 
There are no Newton-Azrak Award action anniversaries for the week, so I'll present you a mystery.  Border Patrol Agent Carlos Martinez is listed as having been a recipient from 1993 while he was assigned to San Diego Sector.  That is the extent of the information that I have on his action and I have exhausted my sources.  I have records that show "Carlos Martinez" being a member of Class 231 in 1988-1989.  If any of you have additional information, I'd love to receive it!
 
We also remember two of our fallen on the anniversaries of their deaths.
 
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.

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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.

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Documents/Events

1924

• On December 11, 1924, General Order 42, Uniforms – Border Patrol was implemented, laying the foundation of the uniform that exists today.  
  
  • Some of the interesting items in that 4-page order:
    
    • All Patrol Inspectors wore silver hat insignia, collar discs, shoulder ornaments and buttons. Patrol Inspectors in Charge (now called CPAs) wore the aforementioned in gold.
      
    • All items were controlled by HQ.
      
    • The color of the uniform was forest green.
      
    • Two hats authorized, the Pershing hat and the campaign hat. Campaign hats were considered a summer variant.
      
    • Pants were riding crops with leather wraps called puttees (not boots)
      
  • 1926-1936 General Order 42 would be amended many times:
    
    • 1926 – 
      
      • Boots first authorized
        
    • 1928 – 
      
      • First official rank insignia (fabric) for Senior Patrol Inspectors, Chief Patrol Inspectors and Assistant Superintendents
        
      • Fabric controlled by HQ
        
      • All metal on the uniform must match based on rank.  Oxidized for BPIs and SPIs and gilt for CPIs and above.
        
      • First time-in-service insignia (fabric). Fabric controlled by HQ
        
      • Cross strap worn over left shoulder
        
      • White shirt authorized under jackets for dress occasions
        
      • Insignia discontinued on the campaign hat.
        
    • 1929 – 
      
      • Long overcoat authorized
        
    • 1930 – 
      
      • Pith helmet authorized

1927

• This document contains two separate gunfights that occurred on December 9, 1927, in El Paso between Border Patrol Inspectors and smugglers.  No injuries were reported in either gunfight. 
  
  • One gunfight #1 lasted seconds and involved:
    
    • Patrol Inspector Roland A. Fisher (1891-?)
      
    • Patrol Inspector Sam G. Lucy (1904-1986)
      
  • Gunfight #2 lasted between 30-40 minutes and involved the Border Patrol Inspectors and at least one member of the Mexican Fiscal Guards (inferring that the local Mexican authorities were involved in alcohol smuggling):​
    
    • Patrol Inspector James S. Hale (1900-?)
      
    • Patrol Inspector Max S. Gleason (1899-1952)

1929

• This document contains a cover memo and three sworn statements concerning a gunfight that occurred on December 6, 1929.  The cover memo is from El Paso Sub-district Chief Patrol Inspector Herbert Horsley (1878-1962) to his boss, El Paso District Director Grover Wilmoth (1884-1951).  The three sworn statements were taken from the following Border Patrol Inspectors that had engaged in the gunfight:
  
  • Patrol Inspector Pedro A. Torres (1880-1958)
    
  • Patrol Inspector Charles S. Williams (1902-1953)
    
  • Patrol Inspector William T. Feland (1898-1951)

1931

• On December 7 , 1931, Assistant Superintendent L. Antonio Bonazzi (1890-1950) wrote a memo to his boss, the Commission of Immigration for the Montreal District of the competitive shooting score of the Border Patrol Inspectors assigned to the district.  The Commission of Immigration for the Montreal District forwarded the memo to his boss, the Commissioner-General of the Bureau of Immigration. The memo is interesting for several reasons:
  
  • It shows that the USBP as long valued marksmanship, and
    
  • Shows three levels of Immigration Service hierarchy in a single memo,
    
    • Assistant Superintendent - highest ranking USBP uniformed position and USBP leader over the Chief Patrol Inspectors in a district
      
    • Commissioner of Immigration – The head of a district.  Also, known as a District Director in some districts.
      
    • Commissioner-General – The head of the agency, the Bureau of Immigration.

1933

• This incredibly informative collection of documents from December 1933, shows the locations and manpower of the nine-year old USBP

1937

• On December 7, 1937, El Paso District Director Grover Wilmoth (1884-1951) wrote a memo to three of his subordinates, the Chief Patrol Inspectors of the Tucson, El Paso and Alpine Sub-districts.  Evidently, Border Patrol Inspectors in the district had doubts concerning their authority to stop vehicles.  Wilmoth provided a quote from a federal case from the Southern District of Texas that shows the support from the judiciary for the USBP to stop vehicles.  It’s a long quote, below is the last sentence:
  
  • The law has a practical purpose, and it must have a practical application, and if you limit the right of search to the point of entry, it would be a foolish construction.

1940

• On December 5, 1940, a memo was written describing the urgent need for space for the Rouses Point Sub-district headquarters.  Evidently, the proposed improvements in this memo from April 1, 1935 were not implemented.

1998

• The official U.S. Border Patrol flag, pennant, and streamers were designed with the assistance of the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry under the direction of Assistant Chief Beaumet. Chief Gustavo De La Vina made the following request of the INS Commissioner:
  
  • “The flag, the pennant, and the flag streamers are important symbols of honor, service, and sacrifice that build pride and enhance morale and esprit de corps within the organization. I request that you authorize them as official INS items so that my staff may proceed with procurements. I would like to have them available nationwide for 75th Anniversary ceremonies on May 28.”  The flag was approved on December 5, 1998.
    
  • From - HONOR FIRST:  The Story of the United States Border Patrol - Volume I by Joseph Banco

U.S. Border Patrol Flag

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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

USBP Newton-Azrak Award

There are no Newton-Azrak Award action anniversaries for the week.

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U.S. Border Patrol Badge with Mourning Band

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. The Border Patrol Foundation and the Border Patrol Museum also fail to recognize him. He is remembered by all except organizations containing "Border Patrol" in their title. He is remembered by 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).​

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​1933

Doyne C. Melton
Date of Birth:                      January 17, 1902
Entered on Duty:                October 29, 1927
Title:                                    Patrol Inspector
End of Watch:                     December 7, 1933

Details:
Patrol Inspector Doyne C. Melton was shot and killed in a battle with Mexican smugglers at El Paso, on December 7, 1933. Six Patrol Inspectors were moving up in the darkness on seventeen Mexican smugglers who were wading across the river with packs of liquor. One of three smugglers acting as spotters who had preceded the main body of the smugglers over the river, concealed beneath a platform on the American side, opened hostilities by shooting Inspector Melton. The opening shot was fired without warning and before any challenge had been given. Inspector Melton was shot through the heart, dying instantly. The bitterness of the fight was evidenced by the fact that in addition to the slaying of Inspector Melton, four smugglers were killed and another was wounded.

Survivor benefits - As per this document, his wife received $54.25 per month.

​Gravesite
 
 
1968
 
James G. Burns
Date of Birth:                July 31, 1924
Entered on Duty:          June 8, 1955
Title:                             Senior Patrol Inspector
End of Watch:               December 8, 1968
 
Details:
Official reports covering the death of Senior Patrol Inspector James G. Burns indicated he was performing line watch operations, looking for evidence of illegal aliens in a river bottom near Calexico, California, on Sunday, December 8, 1968. He was searching places of concealment in heavy undergrowth, which was exceptionally strenuous activity and required considerable physical exertion. At 6:30 a.m., he began to suffer pains in the chest area, which prompted him to immediately return to the office. He was taken home by another officer and was then conveyed to the El Centro Community Hospital by his wife. He passed away at 8:25 a.m., less than two hours after being stricken. Death was caused by an occlusion of the left coronary artery due to arteriosclerosis.

​Gravesite