BP Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner Troy A. Miller delivered the following remarks at the Valor Memorial and Wreath Laying Ceremony May 16 in Washington, D.C.
“Good morning and welcome.
Thank you for joining us for this year's U.S. Customs Border Protection Valor Memorial and Wreath Laying Ceremony. We are honored to have our department's leaders here who support the men and women of CBP every day: Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Deputy Secretary Kristie Canegallo. Thank you.
I would also like to welcome many of our agency's former leaders. Thank you for coming home to CBP on this important occasion. We are also joined by many of our law enforcement and foreign partners, members of the trade community, and other special guests from all over the country and the world. We are grateful that you are with us for this somber and special occasion.
Today, we gather during National Police Week to add 11 names to our Valor Memorial. These 11 individuals served with bravery, honor, and strength. And while serving our agency, our communities, and our country, they tragically gave their lives. Their names are joining too many others already etched in glass. This is more than a memorial. This is a monument to the heroes whose names it bears—the names of our fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters, and friends and colleagues who left us all too soon.
So, this morning I would like to share more about each of our heroes and their loved ones that are here with us today. CBP Officer Edgard Garcia was the glue that held his family together. To those who knew him, he was a great friend and someone who simply loved life. He enjoyed riding motorcycles, traveling, and watching football—especially the Washington commanders. With us today are Edgard’s mother, Maria Martinez, stepfather Alberto Martinez, sister Gabriela Garcia-Meza, and his nephew, Michael Gabriel Archer.
CBP Officer Mario Di Chiara was a loving family man. There is nothing he loved more than his sons, Anthony and Brendan, and his wife Rita, who is here today. Mario also enjoyed hosting huge barbecues with friends and teammates, ice-cold Coronas, and being tan year-round. And he really loved to make people laugh—something the boys and Rita miss every day. Mario's brother Anthony carries on the family's legacy as a Deputy Chief CBP officer at JFK International Airport.
Deputy Director of Air Operations Scott Ritchey was a force of nature. His family meant more to him than anything else in this world—something he talked about any chance he had. He was a devoted father and grandfather. His last act on the earth was to jump into turbulent water to save one of his daughters from drowning. Scott's daughters, Samantha and Krystina Ritchey, are here with us today, along with his son-in-law Alejandro Rodriguez, and grandson Andrew Ritchey.
Supervisor CBP Officer Jacqueline Montanaro enjoyed sharing good wine and good food with family and friends. She was a ballroom dancer who especially enjoyed salsa and merengue, and she enjoyed traveling the world. She was also a devoted wife and mother. Her last act was running back into a burning house to save her six-year-old daughter, Madeline. With us today are Jackie's husband Will, daughter Elena, parents Joe and Debra Autera, her sister Marisa and brother-in-law Timothy Kinsey, and her brother Anthony.
Aviation Enforcement Agent Esteban “Steve” Peña loved his family and being in the air. Before joining CBP, Steve honorably served 20 years in the Navy as a P3 Flight Engineer. In addition to his wife, Gloria, of 41 years, Steve adored his nieces and nephews, especially his great nephew Tiago, who was his pride and joy. Steve's wife Gloria, his sister Maria Guerra; his cousin Beatrice Rodriguez; and his niece Daniz Montoya are all here with us today.
Agricultural Specialist Anna Burakowski’s greatest joy in life came from building a family with her husband, Joe. She loved her children deeply and did all that she could to provide them with the opportunities to thrive. She was an avid baker, a scouting parent, and supported the marching band. She rounded out her family by always having at least one dog, whom she lavished with love and affection. Anna's husband, Joe, is with us here today, along with their daughter Sarah, who is a Supervisory CBP Officer at our Los Angeles International Airport. Sarah was recently awarded the Blue Eagle, one of the most distinguished honors a CBP officer can receive.
Border Patrol Agent Freddy Ortiz held a strong love for his country from a young age. He was a member of the Junior ROTC in high school. After graduating, he joined the Navy, where he served on active duty as a member of the Navy Reserves. Within the Border Patrol, Freddy was known for his strong work ethic and reliability in the field. He loved motorcycles and to tinker and fix things. Freddy's mother and stepfather, Irma and Qwina West; sister Christine Ortiz; and his partner Krystal Sichler are here today.
Never forget is more than a mantra for us. It's a sacred promise. This is why we are always working to collect new information about line of duty deaths. Research uncovers details we thought were lost to history. Sometimes this leads to individual cases being recategorized as line of duty deaths. With that in mind, we proudly honor four individuals whose deaths were recently recognized as “in the line of duty”. Many years have passed, but we mourn their loss just the same. Their courage and selflessness could never be forgotten to time.
They are:
- U.S. Customs Inspector Peleg Palmer
- U.S. Customs Officer Kuntz Stahlberger
- U.S. Customs Officer Patrick Black, and
- U.S. Border Patrol Inspector Orin Hush, who joined the Border Patrol in 1925 as one of the earliest members of the “Patrol”
Also, he honorably served his country during World War I. Patrol Inspector Hush was assigned to the 11th District Patrol Division in Marine City, Michigan, when he was shot and killed while conducting a burglary stakeout. Joining us today are members of the Hush family: Carol Geurink; Nancy Blesch and her husband Andy; and Adam and Nathan Blesch. Thank you for being here.
While we honor these heroes, we also recognize those they left behind—their families and loved ones. Here's my message to all of you: We honor you. We grieve with you. We stand with you. And while we know your families were forever changed by loss, please know this: you will always remain a part of our CBP family.
This is why I'm especially honored to welcome our returning families to this year's ceremony. We are forever indebted to you for sharing your loved ones with us.
I have to say what's really remarkable is that despite your pain, you're still here. You're bringing support and comfort to other surviving families. You understand all too well what they're going through and are helping others in wake of their devastating loss. Your continued presence—here in D.C. this week and at events back home—also helps your loved ones, colleagues, and our CBP family heal a little bit, too.
Many of you are also carrying on your loved one’s legacy of service with CBP. We are proud to serve alongside you. Each day, our officers and agents wake up and go out to work, not knowing what they'll face that day. There's nothing ordinary about these jobs, and there was certainly nothing ordinary about your loved ones. Because they stared danger and evil in the eyes, and they walked towards it to protect our country, to keep their brothers and sisters out of harm's way, to save lives, others are safer because of their service, and we're all better for knowing them.
Today's ceremony is an important moment to acknowledge their sacrifice. But know this: The best way we honor them is by getting back into the fight. Every shift, every day: their legacies live with us.
On behalf of CBP, thank you."