End of Watch April 24, 1944
Age 36
Tour of Duty 1 mo
Gender Male

Incident

Border Patrol Inspector Garvis Harrell suffered a fatal heart attack while pursuing an illegal alien along the Rio Grande River near Harlingen, Texas.

He was taken to a hospital in Harlingen where he passed away several hours later.

The man he was chasing was arrested.

Border Patrol Inspector Harrell was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of WWII and had only served with the United States Border Patrol for one month.

Survivors

He was survived by his parents.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
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Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Marine Corps. One record, 2 gates. Garvis is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Border Patrol Inspector Harrell served with the United States Department of Justice.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Federal Agency
Location Washington, DC
Platform Identity usdjinsusbpfed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 24, 1944
Tour of Duty 1 mo
Age 36
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Military Service

Garvis Feild Harrell served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Cardiac

Garvis is one of 1,307 officers lost to cardiac events in the United States, 4.7% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1944, 11 officers in the United States were lost to cardiac events, the 54th heaviest of 139 years on record. The heaviest was 2014, with 24.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Garvis was 36. Of the 1,249 lost to cardiac events in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 43 and 55; the middle age was 48. Garvis had served 0.1 years; the middle length of service was 15 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

April holds 8.9% of these deaths in the United States; January holds the most, 9.6%. Mondays: 12.9%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Cardiac deaths account for 4.7% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the 4th most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

United States Department of Justice - Immigration and Naturalization Service - United States Border Patrol has 68 officers remembered here, Garvis among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Border Patrol Inspector Garvis Feild Harrell

United States Department of Justice - Immigration and Naturalization Service - United States Border Patrol · End of Watch April 24, 1944

Military Service

Garvis Feild Harrell served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.

Visit Garvis Feild Harrell’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 14-ET

Also Remembered

salute.nw →

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