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.

1918

• On October 6, 1918, the Commissioner-General sent telegrams to Seattle and El Paso immigration officials requesting their insight of placing a "regular patrol" in their areas to enforce the "Passport-Permit Regulations" and to "aid in the enforcement of other distinctly wartime measures."

1922

• 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.

1924

• The earliest know Border Patrol announcement is from October 7, 1924.  Points of interest:
  • No requirements for the applicant to provide their own horse or firearm.
  • Women could apply
  • Required experience (condensed and paraphrased)
    • 2 years as a federal, state or local law enforcement officer, or
    • 6 months in the military, or
    • 6 months experience in a prestigious law enforcement organization such as the Texas Rangers, Pennsylvania State Constabulary, New York State Constabulary, or the Royal Northwest Mounted Police
  • ​Must be able to speak and read Spanish is assigned to the Mexican border
  • Must be 5'7" tall
  • Must be between 23-45 years old

1927

• 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:
  • From a somewhat doubtful and hesitant force it has developed into one now sure of its ground, convinced of its necessity and positive in its action.
  • This weeding out process has had the effect of educating the public, generally speaking, to the fact that this Service does not tolerate triflers or grafters within its ranks.
  • Perhaps the most important of these changes is the discontinuance of openly wearing side-arms or handcuffs on the belt during the day, particularly in cities, villages, or thickly settled rural communities.  It is found that this practice has caused considerable adverse criticism and seems entirely unnecessary.
• ​On October 8, 1927, Chief Patrol Inspector of the El Paso Sub-district and future Chief of the Border Patrol (1948-1950) Nicolas Donald Collaer (1896-1977) (photo), wrote memo to the El Paso District Director concerning confusion pertaining to Border Patrol uniforms being manufactured by several companies.

1928

• 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:
  • One of the most notorious gun battles occurred on October 3, 1928, in the outskirts of San Elizario, southeast of El Paso, which resulted in the death of one liquor smuggler, wounding of six others and seizure of 44 1⁄2 gallons of liquor. The El Paso Herald headline read “Border Patrol and Rum Runner Turn Old River Bed Into Battle Field.” It was reported that the firefight began in the early pitch-dark morning when Border Patrol Inspectors attempted to intercept twelve smugglers as they were crossing the border with an illicit liquor load on horses. The seven Patrol Inspectors were concealed in the brush and “laying in” in three separate groups about thirty feet apart. Upon being challenged by the Patrol Inspectors, the smugglers immediately started shooting into the brush with rifles, shotguns, and pistols. The Herald reported that, “A hat of one of the officers was shot from his head. Dirt was thrown over them. Lead literally rained around them. Then they swung into action with their rifles at close range.” The outgunned Patrol Inspectors returned fire and two of the smugglers fell.
    • ​From - HONOR FIRST:  The Story of the United States Border Patrol - Volume I by Joseph Banco

1934

• On October 8, 1934, Deputy Commissioner Irving F. Wixon (1884-1962), wrote a congratulatory note to Jacksonville District Border Patrol Inspectors that had participated in the Florida Police Pistol League competition that occurred in Tampa. Border Patrol participants were
  • Chief Patrol Inspector Chester C. Courtney (1890-1969)
  • Senior Patrol Inspector John Q. Gillis (1899-1967)
  • Patrol Inspector Carl H. Ray (1892-1973)
  • Patrol Inspector Joseph B. Cunningham (1904-1976)
  • Patrol Inspector James Edward Drake (1902-1969)
  • Patrol Inspector Edwin M. Redmond (1901-1968)

1942

• On October 6, 1942, Chief of the Border Patrol Willard F. Kelly (1903-1969) wrote a memo on behalf of the Commissioner to the Warden of the United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas.  The memo contained, "...the names and addresses of the district and subdistrict offices of the United States Immigration Border Patrol."  The memo also contains a disclaimer - "Each subdistrict has a number of stations infer its jurisdiction but, as these are changing constantly, all communications should be addressed to the District Directors or Chief Patrol Inspectors."

1953

• 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:
  • ​The fence was to consist of two 8-foot high barbed wire fences spaced 8 feet apart, utilizing steel poles space 10 feet apart and having barbed wire spaced 8 inches apart. In addition, a roll of concertina wire was to be placed on the more southerly fence and three roll place between the two fences.

1963

• During the early 1960s, one of the Beaver aircraft was also assigned to the Northeast and mainly flew out of Swanton and Houlton Sectors. The De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver was based out of Burlington, Vermont, and was equipped with floats. Retired Patrol Inspector Gordon Dilmore shared a story of an <October 8, 1963> incident where the Beaver was almost involved in a mid-air collision with a U.S. Air Force fighter that was in trouble. The assistance provided to the pilot after the aircraft crashed was credited with saving the pilot’s life.
  • ​​From - HONOR FIRST:  The Story of the United States Border Patrol - Volume II by Joseph Banco

1969

• 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;
  • During that operation my wife was late in her pregnancy, so I was the only PI left in Miami. Congress had cut funding to the airborne radar around Southern Florida. President Nixon was at Key Biscayne. Late one night as he prepared to return to Washington, Air Force One was at Homestead Air Force base waiting to take him to Washington. A Cuban MIG came in at treetop level and landed next to Air Force One. The station senior Bill Purdy told me over the radio to go interview the pilot. After some discussion, we decided the chance I would be allowed to interview the pilot was slim or none. As it turned out the pilot had worked with the CIA to defect in the fully-armed MIG. Congress soon restored the funding for the airborne radar.
    • ​​From - HONOR FIRST:  The Story of the United States Border Patrol - Volume II by Joseph Banco

1973

• ...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.
  • ​From - HONOR FIRST:  The Story of the United States Border Patrol - Volume II by Joseph Banco

1987

• October 5, 1987, Ramey Sector was dedicated.

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​

1991

Howard H. Gay
(1945-1990)
Border Patrol Pilot
Marfa Sector
Posthumously Awarded 
On October 3, 1990, while driving to work in the morning thick fog, Border Patrol Pilot Howard H. Gay noticed a stranded motorist on the highway.  Realizing the danger, Mr. Gay attempted to turn around to render assistance when he was struck and killed by an on-coming vehicle.  He will be remembered as a person always willing to help others in distress.

Author's note - Why isn't this Newton-Azrak Award recipient not included among the honored fallen on the CBP Valor Memorial and the National Law Enforcement Officer's memorial?

1994
 
Jose (Joe) L. Perez
Supervisory Border Patrol Agent 
San Diego Sector
On the night of October 3, 1994, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Jose (Joe) L. Perez was performing his patrol duties in the Dulzura, CA area on Highway 94.  Highway 94 runs east and west adjacent to the International Border between the United States and Mexico.  While performing his patrol duties, Agent Perez came upon a one-car vehicle accident.  Being the first law enforcement officer on the scene, Agent Perez took those steps necessary to notify the proper agencies through the Border Patrol Dispatch, and then took additional steps well above the call of duty.
 
Agent Perez observed that there were three occupants trapped inside a vehicle that was overturned and resting on its roof.  As Agent Perez approached the vehicle, he observed that the doors were jammed shut.  Agent Perez used what leverage he could and managed to open one front door.  Through this door, Agent Perez was able to remove the driver and the front seat passenger.  He placed both of them out of the flow of traffic and returned to the car.  Agent Perez then observed that the vehicle was on fire and that there was still one occupant trapped inside the vehicle.  Agent Perez reentered the vehicle and doubled his efforts to free the remaining passenger.  The last passenger was trapped between the collapsed roof of the vehicle and the rear seat with her legs hanging through the shattered rear window.  Using brute strength, Agent Perez was able to force the seat to move sufficiently to allow him to extricate the passenger.  Although the vehicle was on fire, Agent Perez took the time to ensure that any possible spinal or neck injuries were cared for before moving the passenger to a safe location.  Agent Perez continued performing immediate first aid until the arrival of the paramedics and fire units.

2021

Robert S. Holmes - ​photo
Border Patrol Agent
Grand Forks, ND
On October 3, 2020 at 9:00 PM, Bottineau Station Border Patrol Agent Robert Holmes assisted local law enforcement with a call regarding a suicidal man who was on top of a 144-foot structure. Beyond the call of duty while facing grave danger, Agent Holmes went to the top of the structure to search for the man. Upon reaching the top, Agent Holmes began searching the massive area which was riddled with shafts, pipes and other industrial hazards. Under the cover of night, Agent Holmes was able to locate the man, who was armed with a knife, near the edge of a grain elevator. Agent Holmes began a tactful conversation with the man and ultimately talked him into storing the knife in his pocket and moving away from the edge to safety. Agent Holmes’ actions brought great credit upon himself and the United States Border Patrol.

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 being 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).

1973

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

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

2012

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​

2019

Robert M. Hotten
Date of Birth:                September 24, 1975 
Entered on Duty:          September 10, 2009 
Title:                              Border Patrol Agent 
End of Watch:               October 6, 2019 
 
Details: 
On October 6, 2019, BPA Robert M. Hotten was investigating potential illegal cross-border activity in extremely rugged terrain near Patagonia, Arizona.  After he failed to respond to radio calls, fellow agents responded to his last known location and found him unresponsive.  Agent Hotten was airlifted to a hospital in Nogales, Arizona where he was later pronounced deceased. 
 
Agent Hotten entered on duty with the United States Border Patrol on September 10, 2009, as a member of the 910th session of the Border Patrol Academy.  He was assigned to the Sonoita Border Patrol Station in the Tucson Sector following his graduation.  Agent Hotten served with the United States Border Patrol for over 10 years.
 
Burial Details Unknown

2021

David H. Gray
Entered on Duty:           March 21, 2016
Title:                              Enforcement Analysis Specialist
End of Watch:               October 8, 2021

Details:
EAS Gray entered on duty on March 21, 2016. At the time of his passing, he was assigned to the Sector Intelligence Unit in Houlton Sector, Maine.  Before joining the U.S. Border Patrol, EAS Grey honorably served his country for 20 years in the U.S. Navy. 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. He is survived by his son, Harris; daughter, Marsilla; mother: Velva; and sister, Sandra.

Gravesite

The green bubbles below are links.

Click to explore!

The Creation of the HonorFirst Website and Delphi Forums

​

The internet saw its popularity begin to grow in the mid-1990.  About that time, Ray Harris realized that there were no sites that contained information on the U.S. Border Patrol and its hiring process.  To address that shortfall, sometime around 1998, Ray created a one-page website that consisted of a simple announcement that the Border Patrol was hiring.  The site had a green background with a green font and included his email address.  Here is a capture of the website from 1999​.

After launching the site, Ray was soon was overwhelmed with applicants requesting additional information. In his attempt to answer the flood of applicants, Ray spent approximately four hours on the telephone per day speaking to applicants.  Realizing the unsustainable pace was problematic, Ray found a solution with Delphi Forums.  In March of 1998, Ray created an open forum that evolved to be the Agent's Forum.   The idea behind the forum was for people who were in the hiring process, and agents, to offer assistance to new applicants in navigating the convoluted hiring process.  At the time, the Agent's Forum was the only LEO forum on Delphi.  In the following year, Ray created the Applicant's Forum.

Ray realized that the government seemed to have no intention of creating a website to inform and assist applicants. Therefore, he expanded the information contained on HonorFirst.com and switched website providers.  HonorFirst.com  was dedicated exclusively to assisting Border Patrol recruiting and helping applicants.  Since its inception, the Applicant's Forum has accumulated over 48,000 members, with over 3.7 million additional people visiting. 

​The significant impact of the site became apparent when Ray received a call from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) stating that HonorFirst.com was skewing their statistics.  To correct the anomalies, OPM assigned a code to collect statistics of applicants who applied from HonorFirst.com.

​Years later, Ray received a call from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) requesting to use content from HonorFirst.com to help establish what would evolve into today's CBP Border Patrol hiring page.  Since then, CBP's hiring websites have improved and are great sources of information for applicants. 

In March 2021, Ray invited recently retired Assistant Chief Clifford Gill to assist in moderating the Delphi forums and to be a webmaster for HonorFirst.com.  Cliff has built on the solid foundation created by Ray and has expanded HonorFirst.com to include pages to attract current and former Border Patrol agents as well as those interested in the USBP.

USBP - W.I.N. E30: Ret. Assistant Chief Clifford Gill​

Chief Patrol Agent Jason Owens, interviews Retired Assistant Chief Clifford Gill. Clifford Gill is considered the first Border Patrol Historian. Gill discusses several myths regarding Border Patrol history. Topics include the actual founder of the Border Patrol, and the first established Border Patrol Station.

The photograph above was taken of Cliff in December 2018 at the National Archives in Washington DC.  At the time, he was the USBP's historian was discovering many of the documents that were used to create this newsletter.  

Joe Banco and Cliff have spent 100s of hours in that room constructing lost USBP history.