Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents gathered with members of the community Monday to honor agents who lost their lives while serving their country.
The sector has lost 13 agents since its establishment in 1954. Chief Patrol Agent Chris Clem recognized all.
Agent Clem went on to highlight the difference each made in the world, and that all of us can make.
“In an increasingly Dark World we can choose to be the light. Where darkness dominates - even the tiniest pinhole of light stands out. Each point of light multiplies, darkness subsides, until the light overwhelms the dark,” he said.
And he recalled the amazing deeds accomplished by seemingly average people.
“In the American Revolutionary War a ragtag group of volunteers cherished freedom above all else, and defeated the greatest military force the world had known at the time. None of our Patriots were professional soldiers, just men with a common goal who made themselves available.”
Clem also invoked the Border Patrol motto and encouraged agents to embrace its legacy.
“Honor first is really a summary of how we live a life of character. Like all law enforcement agencies, the Border Patrol values character. And people of character value relationships more than material goods, more than accomplishments, and more than recognition,” he said.
“When our lives come to an end, no one will care about our worldly possessions, our personal achievements, or the titles . We hope they will remember only our relationships and character. Like a carving etched in granite, our character makes a mark that is difficult to erase.”
Yuma Sector lost two colleagues in 2021.
All Agents Alfredo Ibara and Luis Domingez both died after battles with COVID-19.
Their names will join 11 comrades in the sector’s Garden of Honor.
The garden is a series of marble obelisks bearing the name of the agents who’ve died while protecting the nation’s border.
