US Border Patrol El Paso Sector unveils memorial to agents lost in line of duty

Adam Powell, El Paso Times
Updated ·4 min read

In a somber ceremony, the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol unveiled its El Paso Sector Fallen Agent Memorial in honor of the 27 agents and one support staff member who have died in the line of duty.

The memorial, a series of plaques adorned with the names of the fallen across the El Paso Sector, was inaugurated Wednesday, Jan. 24, at the El Paso Sector headquarters on Montana Avenue.

Among the sea of green uniforms, Inez Vasquez was there to remember her husband, Freddie Vasquez, who died in the line of duty in May 2021.

Family members of fallen Border Patrol Agents look for the name of the fallen agent's names after a ceremony where the El Paso Sector unveiled a memorial honoring fallen agents on Wednesday, Jan. 24, at the El Paso Sector Headquarters.
Family members of fallen Border Patrol Agents look for the name of the fallen agent's names after a ceremony where the El Paso Sector unveiled a memorial honoring fallen agents on Wednesday, Jan. 24, at the El Paso Sector Headquarters.

"It still feels surreal that he's gone," Inez Vasquez said, noting the milestones she's seen their two children, who were 8 and 10 years old at the time of Freddie Vasquez's death, clear in their father's absence.

She remembered her husband as an amazing agent, but even more so as an amazing husband, father and a "very selfless human being."

"He was very proud of being an agent," she said. "He's greatly, greatly missed."

U.S. Border Patrol Agents of the El Paso Sector salute during the presentation of colors as the El Paso Sector unveils a memorial honoring fallen agents on Wednesday, Jan. 24, at the El Paso Sector Headquarters.
U.S. Border Patrol Agents of the El Paso Sector salute during the presentation of colors as the El Paso Sector unveils a memorial honoring fallen agents on Wednesday, Jan. 24, at the El Paso Sector Headquarters.

Whose names are on the memorial?

The names on the plaques at the new Fallen Agent Memorial date back as early as 1919 and stretch well beyond El Paso, as the Border Patrol's El Paso Sector covers all of El Paso and Hudspeth counties, as well as the entire state of New Mexico.

Plaques included the names of agents from stations in Deming, Lordsburg, Fort Hancock and Ysleta.

U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector unveiled the El Paso Sector Agent Memorial honoring 27 Border Patrol Agents and one support staff employee who have died in the line of duty on Wednesday, Jan. 24, at the El Paso Sector Headquarters.
U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector unveiled the El Paso Sector Agent Memorial honoring 27 Border Patrol Agents and one support staff employee who have died in the line of duty on Wednesday, Jan. 24, at the El Paso Sector Headquarters.

"This monument stands as a testament to the unwavering commitment of each of those courageous Border Patrol agents who gave their lives in service to our nation," said Border Patrol Acting Chief Operating Officer James McCament during Wednesday's ceremony. "The men and women of the Border Patrol confront daily challenges that demand the utmost dedication and bravery. As we unveil this memorial, we honor the 28 members of the El Paso Sector who made the ultimate sacrifice and pay tribute to the names etched on it."

Following are the 28 names on the U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector Agent Memorial, in chronological order:

  • Clarence Childress, El Paso Sector, died April 16, 1919

  • Charles Gardiner, El Paso Sector, died Oct. 22, 1922

  • Frank Clark, El Paso Sector, died Dec. 13, 1924

  • Thad Pippen, El Paso Sector, died April 21, 1927

  • Benjamin T. Hill, El Paso Station, died May 30, 1929

  • Ivan Scotten, El Paso Sector, died July 20, 1929

  • Doyne C. Melton, El Paso Station, died Dec. 7, 1933

  • Bert Walthall, El Paso Station, died Dec. 27, 1933

  • Ralph Ramsey, El Paso Sector, died Feb. 26, 1942

  • Michael T. Box, El Paso Sector (Air), died Aug. 29, 1950

  • Richard Clarke, El Paso Station, died Dec. 18, 1950

  • James Kirchner, El Paso Station, died Nov. 15, 1954

  • Edwin Curtis Dennis, Ysleta, died Feb. 4, 1974

  • Lee Bounds, Lordsburg, died March 29, 1974

  • Oscar Torres, El Paso Station, died Nov. 30, 1974

  • Louis D. Stahl, El Paso Sector (Air), died Jan. 6, 1992

  • Xavier Magdaleno, El Paso Station, died May 10, 1995

  • Rene B. Garza, Lordsburg, died Jan. 20, 1999

  • Ramon Navarez, Lordsburg, died March 15, 2007

  • David J. Tourscher, Lordsburg, died March 16, 2007

  • Leopoldo Cavazos Jr., Fort Hancock, died July 6, 2012

  • David Gomez, El Paso Station, died Nov. 16, 2016

  • Isaac Morales, Ysleta, died May 24, 2017

  • Johan Mordan, Lordsburg, died June 12, 2020

  • Freddie Vasquez, El Paso Station, died May 8, 2021

  • Edgardo Acosta-Feliciano, Deming, died July 31, 2021

  • Salvador Martinez Jr., El Paso Station, died Nov. 30, 2021

El Paso Chief Patrol Agent Anthony "Scott" Good speaks at a ceremony where the El Paso Sector unveiled a memorial honoring fallen agents on Wednesday, Jan. 24, at the El Paso Sector Headquarters.
El Paso Chief Patrol Agent Anthony "Scott" Good speaks at a ceremony where the El Paso Sector unveiled a memorial honoring fallen agents on Wednesday, Jan. 24, at the El Paso Sector Headquarters.

A memorial for 'future generations'

The memorial presented Wednesday is only a piece of what's in store to remember the El Paso Sector agents who have died in the line of duty. In the El Paso Sector headquarters lobby, an interactive display is planned where visitors can learn more about each agent.

McCament noted that each of the names on the memorial "represents a story and a unique life" — the interactive memorial will allow visitors to learn those stories.

For El Paso Chief Patrol Agent Scott Good, the new memorials recognize in perpetuity the sacrifice El Paso Sector agents have made over the years.

"Every agent takes an oath that involves swearing allegiance to uphold the United States Constitution and (protect) the United States of America from all enemies foreign and domestic," Good said. "Tragically, to uphold this oath, agents have paid the ultimate price by selflessly giving their lives for their country."

"Their sacrifice will ... be remembered and passed along to future generations."

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso Border Patrol unveils fallen agent memorial