MY BORDER PATROL DIARY

Laredo, TexasBy Dale Squint

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2010 Dale Squint
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4520-2286-4

Chapter One

THE KEY:

1. UOT = "UNCONTROLLABLE OVER-TIME"

2. AUO = "AUTHORIZED UNCONTROLLABLE OVERTIME"

3. TR/CK = TRAFFIC CHECK

4. L/W = LINE WATCH

5. S/C = SIGNCUTTING

6. OBS. TR. = OBSERVE TRAFFIC

7. B/U = BACK-UP (TO A CHECK POINT)

8. LOC. = LOCAL

9. OA / OP.A. = OPERATION ALLIANCE (A DETAIL)

10. MOPAC / UPAC = MISSOURI-PACIFIC RAILROAD / UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD

11. RSF = RIVER STRIKE FORCE (A DETAIL)

12. * = DECEASED 13. + = ACADEMY CLASSMATE

12. S/M = SENSOR MAINTENANCE (A DETAIL-INSTALLING AND TAKING OUT SENSORS)

13. CPA = CHIEF PATROL AGENT (OF A BORDER PATROL SECTOR)

14. DCPA = DEPUTY CHIEF PATROL AGENT (OF A BORDER PATROL SECTOR)

15. ACPA = ASSISTANT CHIEF PATROL AGENT (OF A BORDER PATROL SECTOR)

16. SPA = SUPERVISOR PATROL AGENT (UNTIL NOVEMBER 1987)

17. SPA = SENIOR PATROL AGENT (AFTER NOVEMBER17. 1987)

18. SBPA = SUPERVISOR BORDER PATROL AGENT (AFTER NOVEMBER 1987)

19. PAIC = PATROL AGENT-IN-CHARGE (OF A BORDER PATROL STATION)

20. APAIC = ASSISTANT PATROL AGENT-IN-CHARGE (OF A BORDER PATROL STATION)

21. FOS = FIELD OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR (A SUPERVISOR OF SUPERVISORS)

22. SOS = SPECIAL OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR (SECTOR OPERATIONS PLANNER)

23. B.P.A. = BORDER PATROL AGENT

24. B.P. = BORDER PATROL

25. TOT = TURNED OVER TO 26. I = IMMIGRTATION INSPECTOR

29. "TICK" RIDERS = WORK FOR U.S.D.A. ALONG THE RIVER AND RANCHES / FARMS TO CHECK FOR CATTLE INFESTED WITH "FEVER TICKS" ETC.

FEBRUARY 26, 1971 - SEPTEMBER 27, 1994

FIRST..ME..I WAS BORN IN MISHAWAKA, INDIANA, SEPTEMBER 24, 1937 (I WAS MY SISTERS' FOURTH BIRTHDAY PRESENT) AND RAISED NORTH OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA. ATTENDED WEBSTER ELEMENTRY SCHOOL, GRADES 1 THROUGH 5, THEN ON TO MEADOWBROOK SCHOOL FOR THE 6TH GRADE....ATTENDED WASHINGTON-CLAY HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL (THEY WERE COMBINED) FOR GRADES 7 THROUGH 9, BEFORE WE GOT A NEW HIGH SCHOOL DOWN THE STREET ... GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL IN 1955, WORKED FOR A YEAR PLUS BEFORE GOING INTO THE U.S.

ARMY (3 YEARS ENLISTMENT), OCTOBER 23, 1956 AND RECEIVED MY DISCHARGE OCTOBER 14, 1959. CAME TO TEXAS IN JANUARY 1957 AND THEN OVERSEAS TO OKINAWA, JAPAN, AND KOREA IN JULY 1958. CAME BACK TO THE U.S. AND RE-CEIVED MY DISCHARGE FROM THE ARMY IN FORT SHERIDAN, ILLINOIS. I HAD GONE TO RADAR MECHANIC'S SCHOOL AT FORT BLISS BEFORE GOING OVERSEAS. RECEIVED MY DISCHARGE 8 DAYS EARLY, ON OCTOBER 14, 1959. WENT TO EL PASO IN NOV-EMBER OF 1959 TO SEEK EMPLOYMENT AS MY WIFE AT THE TIME, WAS FROM EL PASO.

I AM PRESENTLY MARRIED FOR THE LAST TIME. MY WIFE, BELINDA AND I HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR OVER 19 YEARS AT THIS WRITING ... MY REALLY BIG PASSION IN LIFE, GROWING UP, WAS TO BE A PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL PLAYER. DID NOT MAKE THAT BUT DID DO SOMETHING IN MY JUNIOR YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL THAT MOST EVERYONE ELSE HAS NEVER DONE IN BASEBALL, AND THAT WAS TO PULL OFF AN

"UNASSISTED TRIPLE PLAY" WHILE I WAS PLAYING "CENTER FIELD". THIS WAS AGAINST "GREEN TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL" ... LOOK IN THE WASHINGTON-CLAY HIGH SCHOOL YEAR BOOK FOR 1954 AND YOU'LL SEE I AM NOT PULLING YOUR LEG ON THAT ONE ... AND THEN ...

MY LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER STARTED ON JANUARY 16, 1960, WHICH WAS MY FIRST DAY ON DUTY WITH THE EL PASO, TEXAS POLICE DEPARTMENT. MYSELF AND 3 OTHERS WORKED TWO WEEKS ON THE LINE AS POLICE OFFICERS BEFORE GO-ING TO THE EL PASO POLICE DEPARTMENT ACADEMY. I WORKED AS A UNIFORMED POLICE OFFICER UNTIL JUNE 04, 1964, WHEN I WAS PROMOTED TO DETECTIVE AND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE "BURGLARY-THEFT-NARCOTICS DIVISION". I WAS AT THAT TIME, THE SECOND YOUNGEST DETECTIVE ON THE EL PASO POLICE DEPARTMENT, 26 YEARS, 3 MONTHS, AND 21 DAYS OLD AT THAT TIME. BACK IN THOSE DAYS THERE REALLY WAS NOT MUCH IN THE LINE OF NARCOTICS ... MOST OF OUR DRUG ARRESTS WERE HEROIN USERS. VERY LITTLE MARIJUANA AND / OR COCAINE. LOTS OF STORIES ABOUT SOME OF OUR "RAIDS" ETC ... I LEFT THE EL PASO POLICE DEPT.

FOR THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY "HIGHWAY PATROL" IN AUGUST OF 1967 ... ATTENDED THE TEXAS DPS ACADEMY TILL THE END OF NOVEMBER, AND WAS STATIONED IN SIERRA BLANCA FROM NOVEMBER 1967 TO THE END OF DECEMBER 1968.

WENT TO FORT HANCOCK AND OPENED IT UP AS A "ONE-MAN" HIGHWAY PATROL STATION.

I REALLY HAVE TO ADMIT THAT THE THREE PLUS YEARS THAT I PUT IN THE HIGHWAY PATROL WER EVERY GRATIFYING. WHEN STATIONED IN SIERRA BLANCA AND ON PRO-BATION, WORKED WITH WITH HIGHWAY PATROLMEN, ROBERT "BOB" NEWMAN FOR THREE MONTHS, AND THEN WITH CHARLIE FLEMING FOR 3 MONTHS BEFORE GETTING OFF MY PROBATION. BOB RETIRED FROM DPS AS AN EDUCATION OFFICER IN EL PASO AND STILL LIVES IN THAT PART OF THE COUNTRY. CHARLIE, AT THIS WRITING IS A RETIRED TEXAS RANGER AND CURRENTLY THE CHIEF DEPUTY FOR THE DENTON CO.

SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. WE COMMUNICATE EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. I HAD TAKEN THE BORDER PATROL EXAM ON JANUARY 25, 1970, IN VAN HORN, TX. AND MY ORAL BOARD IN MAY OR JUNE OF 1970 IN EL PASO ... THERE WERE 7 OF US THAT CAME IN-TO THE BP OFFICE ON MONTANA STREET IN EL PASO THAT DAY, AND I WAS NUMBER 6 IN LINE. ONLY TWO OF US WERE HIRED. I KNOW I WAS HIRED BECAUSE OF MY LAW ENFORCEMENT BACKGROUND ... WENT TO FORT BLISS TO TAKE MY PHYSICAL AND THE REST IS HISTORY ...

ODDS AND ENDS ... AND OF COURSE, "MY OPINIONS" ...

I WANT TO CLARIFY SOMETHING RIGHT AWAY...IN 1960 WHEN I BECAME A POLICE OFFICER WITH THE EL PASO POLICE DEPARTMENT ... ILLEGALS WERE CALL-ED "WETS", "WET-BACKS", OR "TONKS" ... WHEN I WENT INTO THE TEXAS HIGHWAY PATROL IN AUGUST OF 1967, THE "ILLEGALS" WERE CALLED "WETS", "WET-BACKS"

OR "TONKS", WHEN I WENT INTO THE BORDER PATROL IN NOVEMBER 1970, THEY WERE CALLED "WETS", WET-BACKS" OR "ILLEGALS" ... I PERSONALLY NEVER LOOKED DOWN ON THESE INDIVIDUALS AS BEING SOMETHING OTHER THAN PEOPLE. YOU HAD TO RESPECT THEM, AS A LOT OF THEM ACTUALLY WALKED OVER 150 MILES TO GET TO SAN ANTONIO. THIS WOULD TAKE 10-15 DAYS OR MORE. THEY WERE CALLED "WETS"

BECAUSE THEY ENTERED THE UNITED STATES ILLEGALLY. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY UNDERSTANDING THAT A "WET" WAS AN ILLEGAL ALIEN AND IT DID NOT MATTER WHAT HIS COLOR, RACE, CULTURAL BACK GROUND, OR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN WAS, IF HE WAS IN THE UNITED STATES ILLEGALLY HE WAS A "WET" AND / OR A "ILLEGAL ALIEN" PERIOD. LATER ON THEY WERE CALLED "ILLEGAL ALIENS" AND FROM THERE TO "UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS" WHICH IS A "BULL-SHIT" TERM ... THEY ARE ALSO CALLED "ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS" AND THAT IS PROBABLY THE NEAREST "TRUE NAME" YOU COULD CALL THEM, BUT THEY ARE STILL "ILLEGAL ALIENS". NOW I UNDERSTAND THEY ARE CALLED OR REFERED TO AS "UA's", WHICH MEANS "UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS" ... POLI-TICALLY CORRECT ... THEY ARE WHAT THEY ARE ... "LAW VIOLATORS" AND THEY SHOULD BE ARRESTED AND DEPORTED, PERIOD ... ALL OF THEM ... NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE OR WHERE THEY ARE FROM ... GET THEM OUT OF OUR COUNTRY AND MAKE ROOM FOR THE "LEGAL" IMMIGRANTS ...

BEING THAT MEXICO IS OUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR AND OF COURSE MOST OF THE "UA's" COME FROM THERE, HOWEVER IN MY CAREER, WE CAUGHT ILLEGALS FROM CHINA, KOREA, INDIA, PAKISTAN, IRAN, EGYPT, SEVERAL COUNTRIES IN AFRICA, FROM FRANCE, GERMANY, POLAND, SPAIN, NORWAY, SWEDEN, ISRAEL, THEN, OF COURSE, CENTRAL AMERICA AND SOUTH AMERICA ... THEY CAME FROM AND STILL COME FROM EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD ... I ALSO REMEMBER A GROUP OF MEXICAN DEAF MUTES THAT WE CAUGHT AND I REMEMBER THAT THERE WAS A PRIEST INVOLVED IN MEXICO WITH THEIR ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES ILLEGALLY...