September 29 - October 5Welcome to another This Week in USBP History! Several key moments and anniversaries come to the forefront during this week. In 1962, Border Patrol agents bravely assisted during the University of Mississippi riots, working alongside U.S. Marshals and the National Guard to restore order. These efforts resulted in several agents being wounded, but their courage in the face of hostility exemplified their commitment to upholding the law. We also acknowledge the founding of the Special Operations Group (SOG) on September 30, 2007, in El Paso, Texas. This significant milestone consolidated BORSTAR and BORTAC under one command, ensuring that tactical and emergency response operations were streamlined for national security. Among the honors and sacrifices remembered this week are several line-of-duty deaths, including Senior Patrol Agent Josiah B. Mahar in 1988, Airplane Pilot Friedrich Karl and Senior Patrol Agent John S. Blue, who tragically died in an airplane crash in 1973, and Border Patrol Agent Nicholas J. Ivie, who was mortally wounded in 2012. This week also marks the anniversary of Border Patrol Pilot Howard H. Gay’s heroic actions on October 3, 1990, which posthumously earned him the Newton-Azrak Award. Although his death, caused while attempting to assist a stranded motorist during heavy fog, warranted the Newton-Azrak Award, it remains unrecognized as a line-of-duty death (LODD). Finally, on October 1, 2023, Border Patrol Agent Miguel A. Garcia received the Newton-Azrak Award for conspicuous heroism when he saved a young woman trapped in a vehicle moments before it was engulfed in flames. His quick thinking and bravery brought great credit to the United States Border Patrol. Each of these stories, whether of heroism, sacrifice, or milestones in Border Patrol history, reminds us of the unwavering dedication of those who serve. We invite you to read this week’s blog for the full stories and insights into these significant events in U.S. Border Patrol history. Enjoy and have a great week! Cliff P.S. - 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 [email protected]). As always, make sure to explore all of the hyperlinks to the documents and pages. Finally, please forward this blog to whomever you think may enjoy it. THIS WEEK'S USBP ANNIVERSARIES AND MILESTONESSeptember 29
September 30
"To all who shall see the presents, greeting: This is to certify that the Chief of the United States Border Patrol has awarded the Purple Cross Medal to William N. Purdy for wounds sustained during the performance of his official duties as a Border Patrol Inspector on September 30, 1962, in Oxford, Mississippi. Inspector Purdy was shot and wounded by a sniper during a riot at the University of Mississippi. Throughout this harrowing ordeal, Inspector Purdy exhibited exemplary inner strength and courage, which are in keeping with the finest traditions of, and reflect, highly upon, the United States Border Patrol."
September 30, 2007, “The Special Operations Group (SOG) is established in El Paso, Texas. With the standup of SOG, USBP consolidated the commands of the Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue (BORSTAR) and the Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) under one centralized command designated as the USBP Special Operations Group (SOG). This placed all tactical and emergency response assets under one command to facilitate the rapid response required for national security issues.”
October 1 On October 1, 1924, the acting head of the Montreal District, Irving F. Wixon (1884-1962), wrote a scathing memo to the Commissioner-General. The Montreal District included modern day Houlton, Swanton and part of Buffalo Sectors. The first sentence is, "I find that the border patrol service in this District is a long ways from being up to standard, due principally to the fact that it has not been properly supervised." The memo contains recommendations that include having the workforce move from location to location to prevent smugglers from adapting to regular schedules. October 1, 1964, “The Rouses Point Border Patrol Sector is renamed the Swanton Border Patrol Sector.”
During Fiscal Year 1984, the sector name was changed from the Chula Vista Sector to the San Diego Sector... The name change occurred on October 1, 1984
The original site of the U.S. Border Patrol Museum was in the basement of the Old Hotel Cortez Building at 310 North Mesa in downtown El Paso, Texas, and it opened on October 1, 1985.
The FLETC Artesia Center opened up on October 1, 1989. Advance training was held not only for the U.S. Border Patrol, but also for the Bureau of Indian Affairs Indian Police, and several other agencies.
On October 1, 1994, INS Commissioner Doris Meissner, U.S. Attorney for Southern California Alan Bersin, and San Diego Chief Patrol Agent Gustavo De La Vina (soon to be Western Regional Commissioner) officially kicked off Operation Gatekeeper.
October 1, 2005, “CBP Air takes over Border Patrol Air Operations, assuming all assets, and converts all Border Patrol Pilots to CBP Air Interdiction Agents (GS-1881). At the time, the U.S. Border Patrol had 75 helicopters, 32 fixed wing aircraft, 101 Border Patrol Pilots, and 42 aircraft mechanics. CBP Air had been moved from Immigration and Customs Enforcement the year before.”
October 1, 2011, “The Marfa Border Patrol Sector was renamed the Big Bend Border Patrol Sector.”
Newton-Azrak Award action anniversary Miguel A. Garcia Border Patrol Agent San Diego Sector On October 1, 2023, Border Patrol Agent (BPA) Miguel A. Garcia exhibited conspicuous heroism while off duty, traveling with his wife in Murrieta, California. Agent Garcia noticed a dark-colored Honda Civic on the roadside with smoke billowing from the engine compartment. Recognizing the signs of an imminent fire, he slowed his vehicle to assess the situation and saw a young woman trapped inside the car, frantically signaling for help. Agent Garcia immediately pulled over and activated his truck’s hazard lights. They approached the vehicle and confirmed that the woman was stuck inside and panicking. Agent Garcia heard her desperate cries for help and saw her attempting to break the driver’s side window. Despite the smoke filling the passenger compartment, Agent Garcia was unable to open the door manually. Quickly retrieving a lug wrench from his truck, Agent Garcia smashed the passenger side window, clearing the broken glass, and pulled the woman to safety with the help of his wife. The rescued driver was in a state of hysteria, and Agent Garcia’s wife comforted her while he called 911. Emergency services arrived shortly after, and the vehicle was engulfed in flames within minutes of the rescue. Agent Garcia identified himself as an off-duty Border Patrol Agent and provided a detailed account to the responding officers. His quick thinking and brave actions undoubtedly saved the woman’s life, as she would have perished in the fire had he not intervened. Agent Garcia’s actions went beyond the call of duty, facing grave danger from the fire, smoke, and passing traffic to save a life. His heroism and courage brought great credit to himself and the United States Border Patrol. October 2 ...On October 2, 1973, when Campo Agents encountered ten individuals smuggling sacks of marijuana. The Patrol Agents cut sign to the pick-up vehicle loaded with an additional 422 pounds of marijuana and arrested the drivers. During the attempt to cut off the remaining smugglers, Patrol Agent Norman Barry was shot and a gunfight ensued, leaving three smugglers dead. Two additional smugglers were arrested by Mexican authorities as they crossed back into Mexico.
Operation Hold the Line officially kicked off on October 2, 1993, when the original funds for overtime for Operation Blockade had been expended.
Line of Duty Death anniversary Nicholas J. Ivie Date of Birth October 13, 1981 Entered on Duty: January 3, 2008 Title: Border Patrol Agent End of Watch: October 2, 2012 Details: On October 2, 2012, Border Patrol Agent Nicholas J. Ivie, of the Brian A. Terry Border Patrol Station was mortally wounded in the line of duty. Agent Ivie and separate group of two Border Patrol Agents were responding to a sensor activation in a remote area near Bisbee, Arizona. Agent Ivie and one of the other Border Patrol Agents mistook the other in the darkness as an armed threat. They engaged each other, unknowingly in a friendly versus friendly gunfight. Both agents were injured by gunfire, with Agent Ivie suffering a fatal wound. Agent Ivie entered on duty as a member of the 733rd academy session on January 3, 2008. Agent Ivie was 30 years old at the time of his death and leaves behind a wife, two daughters, his parents and four siblings. Gravesite October 3 Border Patrol Inspectors assigned to the El Paso sub-district were commonly in gunfights in the late 1920's and early 1930's. Joe Banco writes of one:
Working with the U.S. Army, the U.S. Border Patrol and FLETC opened a temporary training facility at the Ft. McClellan Army post in Alabama with a target of two Border Patrol Academy classes to train 800 new agents. Session 226 of the U.S. Border Patrol Academy, consisting of 500 trainees, began on Monday, October 3, 1988 and became known as “The Alabama 500" and “The Miracle 500.”
Line of Duty Death anniversary Friedrich Karl Date of Birth: July 15, 1923 Entered on Duty: May 2, 1955 Title: Airplane Pilot End of Watch: October 4, 1973 Details: Both Airplane Pilot Friedrich Karl and his observer, Senior Patrol Agent John S. Blue, were stationed at Yuma, Arizona, when they were killed in an airplane crash. The officers were on a sign cutting and aircraft patrol assignment, having departed from the Yuma County Airport at approximately 6:00 a.m., on October 4, 1973. The flight also served to acquaint Senior Patrol Agent Blue with portions of the Yuma Sector since he had transferred there a short time before. After some five hours of flight, the officers landed at the Stoker Company Airport at Tacna, Arizona, for a rest stop and to communicate with units from the Tacna Station relative to patrol plans and operations. At approximately 12:00 noon, shortly after take-off from Tacna, the airplane struck a static line near the top of 52-foot poles of the Wellton Irrigation District power line. Contact of the landing gear with the static line caused the plane to flip, invert, and fall to the ground in an upside-down position. Both of the officers were killed instantly upon impact. Cremated Line of Duty Death anniversary John S. Blue Date of Birth: April 6, 1935 Entered on Duty: November 23, 1960 Title: Senior Patrol Agent End of Watch: October 4, 1973 Details: Senior Patrol Agent John S. Blue was stationed at Yuma, Arizona, where, while serving as an observer, he was killed in the crash of a Border Patrol airplane being flown by Airplane Pilot Friedrich Karl, also of Yuma. The officers were on a sign cutting and aircraft patrol assignment, having departed from the Yuma County Airport at approximately 6:00 a.m., on October 4, 1973. The flight also served to acquaint Senior Patrol Agent Blue with portions of the Yuma Sector since he had transferred there a short time before. After some five hours of flight, the officers landed at the Stoker Company Airport at Tacna, Arizona, for a rest stop and to communicate with units from the Tacna Station relative to patrol plans and operations. At approximately 12:00 noon, shortly after take-off from Tacna, the airplane struck a static line near the top of 52-foot poles of the Wellton Irrigation District power line. Contact of the landing gear with the static line caused the plane to flip, invert, and fall to the ground in an upside-down position. Both of the officers were killed instantly upon impact. Burial Details Unknown Line of Duty Death anniversary/ Newton-Azrak Award action anniversary Howard H. Gay - Unrecognized but Unforgotten Date of Birth: April 17, 1945 Entered on Duty: February 8, 1980 Title: Border Patrol Pilot End of Watch: October 3, 1990 Posthumously Awarded Details: On October 3, 1990, Border Patrol Pilot Howard H. Gay was driving to work amidst heavy fog when he noticed a stranded motorist on the highway. Attempting to turn around to offer assistance, he was tragically struck and killed by an oncoming vehicle. Born on April 17, 1945, Howard attended Willingham High in Macon during the early 1960s and later pursued higher education at the University of Georgia. He joined the U.S. Border Patrol on February 8, 1980, and served as a pilot stationed in Alpine, Arizona. In honor of his selfless act, the Immigration and Naturalization Service posthumously awarded the Newton-Azrak Award to his widow, Linda. This award, named for two Border Patrol officers who lost their lives in the line of duty in 1967, reflects Howard’s willingness to help others in distress, even at the cost of his own safety. Gravesite
October 4 In 1918, the future Chief and Father of the Border Patrol Frank Berkshire (1870-1934), submitted no less than three proposals to create the Border Patrol. These proposals led to the creation of an Inter-Departmental Committee comprised of representatives from the Departments of Agriculture, Justice, Labor, and Treasury. After months of meetings and discussions, on October 4, 1922, the Inter-Departmental Committee recommended the creation of the Border Patrol. October 5 The position that would become Chief of the Border Patrol was created in 1926 with Ruel E. Davenport (1878-1961) being the Chief for the Northern Border and George Harris (1876-1941) Chief of the Southern Border. By 1927, Harris was transferred leaving Davenport the sole Chief of the Border Patrol until 1932. In 1927, Davenport surveyed the entire Border Patrol and on October 5, 1927, submitted this report to the Commissioner-General of the Bureau of Immigration on his findings. A few quotes stand out in the report:
On October 5, 1953, the Army Corps of Engineers submitted estimates to the Commissioner to build fencing between Texas and Mexico, and California and Mexico. The design of the fence is described:
Another incident that occurred during Operation Intercept was the defection of a Cuban pilot in a fully-armed MIG-17 at Homestead Air Force Base in South Florida on October 5, 1969. Retired Patrol Inspector James Montgomery recalls his participation in the incident;
October 5, 1987, Ramey Sector was dedicated.
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Clifford GillBlog author, retired U.S. Border Patrol Assistant Chief and, current U.S. Border Patrol employee advocate. Ray HarrisSite founder and owner, former Supervisory Border Patrol Agent and retired Immigration Special Agent. Joseph BancoU.S. Border Patrol historian and retired Deputy Chief Patrol Agent. Archives
October 2024
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