Thursday, November 4, 2010

Sacrifice Overseas: LEOs Killed Protecting Americans Across the Globe

Most citizens probably don't realize that there are thousands of American law enforcement officers protecting our streets who aren't even in America. The growing American influence of the 20th century demanded that American LEOs be deployed overseas to protect our embassies and other interests. The vast majority, but not all, of these men and women who are serving in foreign lands are federal agents. Believe it or not, the NYPD has permanent duty stations in Canada, Australia, Israel, Jordan, Singapore, Dominican Republic, England, and France.

Lt. Joseph Petrosino
In fact, the NYPD was the first and only city-level police department to have an officer killed in the line of duty while deployed overseas. On March 12, 1909, Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino was assassinated in Sicily, Italy, by the Italian mafia. Lt. Petrosino was in Italy with orders to infiltrate the mafia in order to reduce their influence on crime in New York City. Lt. Petrosino's work fighting the mafia stateside drew national news and his murder created outrage across the country. An astounding quarter-million citizens attended his funeral.

In total, 64 American law enforcement officers have been killed in 24 different countries. In addition to Lt. Petrosino of the NYPD, 58 federal law enforcement officers and five Texas Rangers have been killed in the following countries:

  • Afghanistan
  • Argentina
  • Aruba
  • Bosnia
  • Canada
  • Colombia
  • Germany
  • India
  • Iraq
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Japan

  • Kosovo
  • Kuwait
  • Mexico
  • Peru
  • Phillipines
  • Scotland
  • South Korea
  • Surinam
  • Thailand
  • The Bahamas
  • Turkey
  • Vietnam

S/A Enrique Camarena
One of the most horrific losses was that of DEA Special Agent Enrique Camarena. Special Agent Camarena was in Mexico conducting an undercover assignment in 1985 when he was exposed as an agent and abducted. He was tortured by members of a drug cartel for two days before finally being murdered. His body was recovered one month later.

The sacrifices of brave LEOs who are killed overseas, like Lt. Petrosino and Special Agent, all too often go unnoticed by the American public. However, their law enforcement brothers and sisters will never let their sacrifices be forgotten.

Click on any LEOs name below to learn about their sacrifice, made thousands of miles from home while protecting America:

Private Augustus Smith Texas Rangers, TX 1855-10-03
Private William H. Clopton Texas Rangers, TX 1855-10-03
Private Willis E. Jones Texas Rangers, TX 1855-10-03
Private H. K. Holland Texas Rangers, TX 1855-10-03
Captain Frank Jones Texas Rangers, TX 1893-06-30
Lieutenant Giuseppe (Joseph) Petrosino New York City Police Department, NY 1909-03-12
Operative Robert K. Webster United States Department of the Treasury - Secret Service, US 1927-08-07
Coast Guardsman Sidney C. Sanderlin United States Coast Guard Office of Law Enforcement, US 1927-08-07
Coast Guardsman Victor A. Lamby United States Coast Guard Office of Law Enforcement, US 1927-08-11
Immigration Inspector Laurence E. Doten United States Department of Justice - Immigration and Naturalization Service, US 1930-08-24
Immigration Inspector Lawrence C. Jones United States Department of Justice - Immigration and Naturalization Service, US 1930-08-24
Operative August Adolph (Gus) Gennerich United States Department of the Treasury - Secret Service, US 1936-12-01
Special Agent Percy E. Foxworth United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation, US 1943-01-15
Special Agent Harold Dennis Haberfield United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation, US 1943-01-15
Special Agent Walter Edward Snyder United States Army Criminal Investigation Division, US 1948-05-09
Special Agent Lee Charles Hitchcock United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US 1967-09-10
Investigator John Albert Hanson United States Army Criminal Investigation Division, US 1970-05-09
Special Agent Raymond R. Round United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US 1970-09-12
Special Agent Harry J. Schanz United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service, US 1972-10-29
Special Agent Richard Heath Jr. United States Department of Justice - Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, US 1973-04-01
Special Agent J. Clifford Dietrich United States Department of the Treasury - Secret Service, US 1973-05-26
Special Agent Norman Emmett Larson United States Army Criminal Investigation Division, US 1973-09-24
Special Agent James T. Lunn United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US 1976-05-14
Special Agent Ralph N. Shaw United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US 1976-05-14
Special Agent Octavio Gonzales United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US 1976-12-13
Special Agent Robert C. Lightfoot United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US 1977-11-23
Security Policeman Robert Scott Gray United States Air Force Security Forces, US 1978-01-06
Security Policeman William C. Herrington United States Air Force Security Forces, US 1980-11-15
Special Agent Larry N. Carwell United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US 1984-01-11
Special Agent Enrique Salazar Camarena United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US 1985-02-09
Special Agent Dirk A. Miller United States Army Criminal Investigation Division, US 1985-12-12
Special Agent Jerry William Kramer United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service, US 1988-03-17
Special Agent Douglas Brian Kocina United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service, US 1988-03-17
Assistant Deputy Director Michael S. Bernstein United States Department of Justice - Office of Special Investigations, US 1988-12-21
Special Agent Ronald Albert Lariviere United States Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service, US 1988-12-21
Special Agent Daniel Emmett O'Connor United States Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service, US 1988-12-21
Special Agent Rickie C. Finley United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US 1989-05-20
Immigration Inspector Reynaldo G. De La Garza United States Department of Justice - Immigration and Naturalization Service, US 1990-01-07
Investigator Joseph Emanuele United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service, US 1993-10-16
Special Agent Frank S. Wallace Jr. United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US 1994-08-27
Special Agent Juan C. Vars United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US 1994-08-27
Special Agent Frank Fernandez Jr. United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US 1994-08-27
Special Agent Jay W. Seale United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US 1994-08-27
Special Agent Meredith Thompson United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US 1994-08-27
Special Agent Duane R. Christian United States Department of Commerce - Office of Security, US 1996-04-03
Special Agent Harrison Dean Pulliam United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US 1997-03-02
Security Policeman Charles V. Campbell Jr. United States Air Force Security Forces, US 1998-10-14
Security Policeman David R. Schroeder Jr. United States Air Force Security Forces, US 1998-10-14
Sergeant First Class Jeanne M. Balcombe United States Army Military Police Corps, US 1999-08-21
Military Police Officer James Thomas Sakofsky United States Army Military Police Corps, US 2001-06-01
Special Agent in Charge William Thomas Parr United States Environmental Protection Agency - Criminal Investigations Division, US 2002-01-17
Special Agent Rick Alan Ulbright United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US 2004-08-08
Special Agent Edward J. Seitz United States Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service, US 2004-10-24
Special Agent Stephen Eric Sullivan United States Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service, US 2005-09-19
Special Agent Daniel Joseph Kuhlmeier United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US 2006-02-20
Special Agent Ryan A. Balmer United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US 2007-06-05
Special Agent Matthew Joseph Kuglics United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US 2007-06-05
Special Agent Michael Walter Thyssen United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US 2007-06-09
Special Agent David A. Wieger United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US 2007-11-01
Special Agent Thomas A. Crowell United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US 2007-11-01
Special Agent Nathan J. Schuldheiss United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US 2007-11-01
Special Agent Chad L. Michael United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US 2009-10-26
Special Agent Forrest Nelson Leamon United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US 2009-10-26
Special Agent Michael E. Weston United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US 2009-10-26

Posted by Chris Cosgriff at 10:33 AM
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5 comments:

  1. I notice you don't list the hundreds of US Police Officers who have died while working as contractors to the US Department of State, either seconded to the United Nations or serving in other police training missions around the globe. I am not talking about hired guns for Blackwater & other private companies, but local, state and federal police officers working under US DoS programs. IACP has blackballed these dead officers, keeping them off the Memorial Wall, just because they chose to take a different career path, one with a decent salary. I hope you won't do the same. Keith Carr

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  2. I second that Keith. As the wife of an officer who went overseas with the US DoS and the UN to Kosovo, he was no less of an officer there than he has been here. Luckily for us, he came home safe. The work he and others like him have done over seas is no less valid than the municipal streets back over here nor is the danger any less valid. As a final note, the pain in the hearts and the loss felt by those left behind for those who did not come home safely is just as real.

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  3. Nathan Bruckenthal, United States Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team South, KIA 24-Apr-2004 Iraq

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  4. Please list Petty Officer Nathan Bruckenthal of the US Coast Guard, killed on April 24th, 2004 off the coast of Iraq. Nathan was a Boarding Officer in the Coast Guard, assigned to Tactical Law Enforcement Team South (TACLET South) at the time of his death.

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  5. Yes there are several missing. Not only the Department of State Federal LEO's serving as Diplomatic Security but also the LEO's serving to train foreign services, etc. They are definitely the forgotten ones in Iraq and Afghanistan. They serve everyday.

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