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 ... THIS UPSET ME GREATLY AS I AM CATHOLIC ALSO ... WE HAD TO GET A WOMAN THAT UNDERSTOOD SIGN LANGUAGE TO DO THE "QUESTIONING" FOR US AND THEY (THE DEAF MUTES) "ANSWERED" ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS ... ACCORDING TO THE TRANSLATOR ...

MY OPINION REGARDING THE "COUNTRY" OF "MEXICO" ... MEXICO IS A THIRD RATE COUNTRY OPERATING WITH A THIRD RATE GOVERNMENT THAT OPERATES ON A THIRD RATE CONSTITUTION. IT IS NOT A COUNTRY "OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, AND FOR THE PEOPLE" ... IT IS A COUNTRY "OF THE RICH, BY THE RICH, AND FOR THE RICH". MEXICO REALLY DOES NEED SOME "MASSIVE THINKING CHANGES" DOWN THERE, BUT IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEIR PRESIDENTS THAT THEY HAVE HAD SINCE I HIT THE STATE OF TEXAS IN JANUARY 1957 WITH THE ARMY AT FORT BLISS (EL PASO), COMES OUT OF OFFICE, VERY VERY WEALTHY INDIVIDUALS ... SOME, MORE THAT OTHERS. SOME OF THE MEXICAN PEOPLE THAT COME OVER TO THE UNITED STATES ILLEGALLY, HAVE A VERY LARGE "CHIP" ON THEIR SHOULDER BECAUSE THEY ARE "MEXICAN" ... THERE IS NOTHING WRONG BEING PROUD OF YOUR COUNTRY OR YOUR HERITAGE, BUT IF MEXICO IS SO GREAT...WHY ARE THEY HERE IN THE UNITED STATES AND WHY ARE THEY HERE ILLEGALLY? WHY DON'T THEY STAY HOME AND TRY TO CHANGE THINGS FOR THE BETTER? I RESPECT ANYONE AND EVERYONE FROM OTHER COUNTRIES, AND IN RETURN, IT IS EXPECTED OF THEM TO RESPECT MY COUNTRY, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ... ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE HERE ILLEGALLY ... GOOD GRIEF, IF THEY DON'T LIKE AMERICANS, THEN GO BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM ... END OF MY OPINION ON THIS MATTER ... (HOWEVER ... I STILL DO NOT BLAME THEM FOR COMING HERE THOUGH ... WOULDN'T YOU?)

"PATROL INSPECTOR (P.I.) TO PATROL AGENT (P.A.)"

WHEN I CAME INTO THE BORDER PATROL, NOVEMBER 02, 1970, THE TERM "P. A." HAD REPLACED THE TERM "P.I." IN THE SPRING OF 1970. BUT EVERYONE WAS CALLED A "P.I.". THE "P.A." STOOD FOR "PATROL AGENT" AND THIS RE-PLACED THE TERM "PATROL INSPECTOR". SINCE THE BORDER PATROL BECAME

"PATROL AGENTS", THE TYPE OF RETIREMENT. AMONG OTHER THINGS, PUT THE BORDER PATOL IN THE SAME CATAGORY AS F.B.I., C.I.A., ETC ETC ETC.

THE BORDER PATROL WAS NOW ABOVE THE "CUSTOMS INSPECTORS" AND THE "IMMIGRATION INSPECTORS" WHEN IT CAME TO RETIREMENT. ITS LIKE THIS, IF YOU HAD PUT IN 20 YEARS SERVICE IN THE BORDER PATROL, YOU GOT 50% OF YOUR SALARY FOR RETIREMENT....AS AN INSPECTOR, YOU ONLY GOT 40%.....NOW YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.....BUT THE TERM HAD NOT YET BEEN REPLACED.....I WAS STILL CALLED A "P.I." BY THE TIME I RETIR-ED IN SEPTEMBER 1993, EVERYONE WAS CALLED A "P.A."..CLEAR AS MUD?

LOCATE SOMEONE THAT CAME INTO THE BORDER PATROL OR AS AN INSPECTOR PRIOR TO 1970, THEY CAN EXPLAIN IT TO YOU.....

THEN THERE WAS A RANCHER, WHOSE RANCH WAS WELL INSIDE THE 25 MILE AREA COVERED BY THE LAW. HE "HIRED" ILLEGALS TO WORK ON HIS RANCH, AS DID OTHERS IN THOSE DAYS ... BUT HE WAS, TO SAY THE LEAST ... VERY CHEAP. HE PAID ILLEGAL ALIENS $5.00 A DAY TO WORK SUN-UP TO SUN-DOWN AND THEN HE WOULD LOCK THEM UP IN HIS BARN AT NIGHT SO THEY COULD NOT GET AWAY ... SPECIALLY AFTER HE HAD PAID THEM ... I KNOW THERE ARE STILL SOME AGENTS (RETIRED) THAT CAN REMEMBER THAT PARTICULAR RANCHER AND HIM DOING THAT. WE FOUND OUT A-BOUT THIS FROM SOME OF THE ALIENS WE CAUGHT, WHO HAD BEEN WORKING ON THAT RANCH AND THEY LEFT (WHEN THEY WERE OUTSIDE WORKING) WITHOUT GETTING PAID, JUST TO GET AWAY. I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS RANCHER IS ALIVE NOW OR THAT HIS FAMILY STILL OWNS THE PROPERTY, WHICH WAS NEAR THE HWY 83N AND HWY 44 AREA ... ALL THIS TOOK PLACE BEFORE THE "I-9's" CAME INTO EXISTENCE.....AN "I-9" IS A FORM EACH AND EVERY EMPLOYEE HAS TO FILL OUT AND SIGN, BEFORE GOING TO WORK FOR ANYONE IN THE UNITED STATES. THE "I-9" ALSO ASKS IF YOU ARE A UNITED STATES CITIZEN OR IF YOU ARE LAWFUL IMMIGRANT (THEY NEED YOUR "A" NUMBER) AND REQUIRES YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER SO YOU CAN WORK LEGALLY IN THE UNITED STATES, ALSO, THIS WAY YOUR EMPLOYER CAN (HAS TO) TAKE OUT TAXES AND SOCIAL SECURITY ETC ...

THERE WAS A PROGRAM IN OPERATION, AT LEAST IN OUR SECTOR, WHERE A RANCHER/FARMER WAS ABLE TO "KEEP" AN ILLEGAL OR ILLEGALS ON HIS RANCH OR FARM LEGALLY ... IT WAS CALLED THE "D-5" PROGRAM ... A "D-5" WAS AN ILLEGAL ALIEN. HE WAS PROBABLY A VERY GOOD WORKER AND WAS LIKED BY THE INDIVID-UAL RANCHER/FARMER. THE BORDER PATROL WOULD ALLOW THIS RANCHER/FARMER TO

"KEEP" THIS ILLEGAL ON HIS RANCH, AND IN TURN WE EXPECTED INFORMATION IN RETURN ... IF ALIENS WERE SEEN PASSING THROUGH ... TIME ... HOW MANY ... DIRECT-ION OF TRAVEL ETC. THIS PROGRAM WORKED PRETTY GOOD AND ACCESS TO ALL THE RANCHES THAT HAD D-5's WAS NO PROBLEM. MOST OF THE RANCHES / FARMS ONLY HAD 1 OR 2 "D-5's", BUT I DO REMEMBER ONE RANCH THAT HAD 5 "D'5's" THERE.

REALLY DO NOT REMEMBER IF THIS PROGRAM WAS INITIATED BY THE CHIEF OF THE SECTOR OR CAME DOWN FROM REGION ETC ... DO NOT BELIEVE THE PROGRAM EXISTS NOW. SOME OF THE "D-5's" WERE "BEING HELD" AS MATERIAL WITNESSES IN SOME ALIEN SMUGGLING CASES. IT WORKED OUT PRETTY WELL, THE RANCHER OR FARMER GOT THE HELP HE / THEY NEEDED, THE ILLEGAL ALIEN (S) GOT TO WORK AND MAKE SOME MONEY TO SEND OR TAKE BACK HOME UNTIL THEIR CASE WAS DISPOSED OF BY THE U.S. ATTORNEY ...

THE BEGINNING ...

MY BORDER PATROL CAREER STARTED ON NOVEMBER 02, 1970 ... THAT WAS ON MONDAY MORNING WHEN I REPORTED TO "WORK" AT THE U. S. BORDER PATROL SECTOR OFFICE 207 W. DEL MAR BLVD. IN LAREDO, TEXAS. ON THE FOLLOWING THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 05, I WAS IN A RED CHEVROLET PICK-UP TRUCK DRIVEN BY A FELLOW CLASSMATE, DENNIS COGBURN, HEADING FOR LOS FRESNOS, TEXAS, TO ATTEND THE 98th SESSION OF THE UNITED STATES BORDER PATROL ACADEMY ... THERE WERE ABOUT 7 OR 8 OF US THAT STARTED OUT TOGETHER ... ALSO BELIEVE WE INITIALLY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE 12 BUT ONLY THE 7 OR 8 OF US SHOWED UP. THERE WERE SEVEN OF US THAT GRADUATED FROM THE ACADEMY (WE LOST ONE ON OUR 5 1/2 MOS. SPANISH EXAM). I THINK I WAS 19TH IN MY CLASS, BUT ALSO BELIEVE THAT ONE OR TWO OF MY FELLOW LAREDO CLASSMATES WERE HIGHER (CLOSER TO NUMBER 1) THAN I WAS.

THE ACADEMY WAS DIFFICULT FOR THE "GRINGOS" BECAUSE OF THE SPANISH AND IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR EVERYONE BECAUSE OF THE IMMIGRATION LAWS. THE BP ACADEMY WAS NOT HARD PHYSICALLY, AS IT IS NOW. THIS WAS MY THIRD "POLICE" ACADEMY SO I WAS NOT REALLY OVERWHELMED BY IT. IT WAS AN EXPERIENCE AND MET SOME GOOD PEOPLE-CLASSMATES AND INSTRUCTORS. MY LAW INSTRUCTOR WAS MR. LEW UNDERDOWN, WHO WAS IN FACT A SUPERVISOR FROM LAREDO. HE WAS MOST CERTAINLY A VERY GOOD AND CARING PERSON AT THE ACADEMY AND AT THE LAREDO STATION. IT WAS A PLEASURE WORKING FOR HIM. MR. UNDERDOWN BECAME OUR STATION SENIOR, THEN ENDED UP RETIRING AS AN ACPA. HE WAS JUST ONE AMONG A BUNCH I WAS VERY FORUTNATE TO WORK FOR AND WITH DURING MY CAREER.

APRIL 21, 1971 ...

I TOOK MY 5 1/2 MONTH LAW EXAM AND RECEIVED A GRADE OF 84%. TOOK MY 5 1/2 MONTH SPANISH EXAM ON APRIL 29, 1971 AND RECEIVED AN 74.71% GRADE AND I REALLY HAVE TO THANK THEM FOR THAT ... I WAS NOT REALLY PREPARED. I USED UP EVERY BIT OF MY HOUR ON THAT ONE ... THEN ON SEPTEMBER 16, 1971, I TOOK MY 10 MONTH LAW EXAM AND GOT A 83.5% ON IT AND ON SEPTEMBER 23RD, I TOOK MY 10 MONTH SPANISH ... GOT A BIG 73% ON IT AND I REALLY WAS VERY DIS-APPOINTED BECAUSE I ONLY USED UP 50 MINUTES OF MY HOUR ON IT AND REALLY THOUGHT I HAD DONE MUCH MUCH BETTER ... GUESS YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT ANYTHING OVER AND ABOVE A 70% IS WASTED ... GOT OFF MY PROBATION ON THE FIRST OF NOVEMBER, 1971. THE BORDER PATROL ACADEMY WAS NOT NEARLY AS ROUGH PHYSICALLY AS THE HIGHWAY PATROL ACADEMY. MUCH MORE RELAXED ATMOSPHERE TOO.

IN THE HIGHWAY PATROL ACADEMY YOU FACED THE FRONT OF THE CLASSROOM AND DID NOT TURN AROUND IN YOUR DESK AT ALL DURING CLASS ... YOU WOULD BE IN CLASS, HEAR THE BACK DOOR OPEN, HEAR SOMEONE WALKING DOWN THE AISLE AND STOP. THERE WOULD BE SOME WHISPERING, THEN YOU WOULD HEAR TWO PEOPLE LEAVING THE CLASS ROOM. AFTER CLASS EVERYONE WOULD WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED, BECAUSE USUALLY, THE INDIVIDUAL THAT LEFT THE DESK DID NOT COME BACK. THERE WERE 119 OF US AT THE START OF MY HIGHWAY PATROL ACADEMY AND 84 OF US GRADUATED. IN THE BORDER PATROL ACADEMY, (98TH SESSION) WE STARTED OFF WITH 118 AND WE GRADUATED 100. THE BORDER PATROL ACADEMY WAS MUCH MORE RELAXED THEN. NOW HOWEVER, IT IS PRETTY RIGOROUS PHYSICALLY. IT IS PROBABLY BETTER NOW THAN IT WAS BACK THEN BUT ... WHO KNOWS ... WE HAD TO MEMORIZE SOME CHARTS THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE TO DO NOW ... DIFFERENT TIMES ... ALSO, THEY HAVE 6 1/2 MONTH SPANISH AND LAW EXAMS NOW (THE ACADEMY IS LONGER) INSTEAD OF THE 5 1/2 MONTH EXAMS

... AND THEY HAVE A 10 1/2 MONTH EXAMS INSTEAD OF 10 MONTH EXAMS ... IN MY DAY YOU HAD TO HAVE AN "OVER-ALL" 70% TO GRADUATE FROM THE BORDER PATROL ACADEMY ... NOW, YOU HAVE TO PASS "EVERYTHING" (MINIMUM OF 70%) ... THE ACADEMY IS PROBABLY HARDER NOW.

MY FIRST "MINES DETAIL" WAS WITH AGENT JIMMY PAPPAS FROM APRIL 02, 1972 THROUGH APRIL 15TH. IT WAS CALLED THE "MINES DETAIL" BECAUSE THE AREA WHERE YOU LIVED AND WORKED USED TO BE A LARGE COAL MINING COMPANY OPERATING IN THE AREA BACK IN THE 1930's-40's. CANNOT REMEMBER HOW MANY "WETS" JIM MY CAUGHT, BUT I CAUGHT A TOTAL OF 21 ... NOT REALLY BAD, CONSIDERING THE TIMES ETC. WE BOTH WERE LEARNING THE AREA (AND FISHING ON THE BRISCOE RANCH-WITH THEIR PERMISSION ON OUR "OFF" TIME). SINCE WE WERE STATIONED AT THE "TORDILLO"

(Continues...)

Excerpted from MY BORDER PATROL DIARYby Dale Squint Copyright © 2010 by Dale Squint. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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