End of Watch August 29, 1950
Age 49
Tour of Duty 27 yrs
The Vigil Panel 86 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Pilot Tommy Box was killed in a plane crash while conducting aerial patrols near Anthony, New Mexico, at about 6:30 am. He had taken off from El Paso International Airport in a Cessna 170 to assist ground units search for illegal aliens in the area. He was flying at an altitude of approximately 100 feet when the engine stopped. He attempted to make an emergency landing in an irrigation canal approximately one mile northwest of Gadsden High School. The aircraft struck a submerged object on the canal bottom upon impact. Pilot Box’s seat strap was broken and he was thrown into the instrument panel, killing him instantly. The plane burst into flames, however, border patrol inspectors he had been helping on the ground were able to remove him from the aircraft within minutes after the crash. They performed CPR however he was pronounced dead by a doctor who lived nearby. The investigation into the crash revealed that the motor of the aircraft ceased apparently due to difficulty in the fuel system. Pilot Box was survived by his wife and son. He was buried in the Nevada Cemetery, Collin County, Texas.

Survivors

Pilot Box was survived by his wife and son.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

27 years. You could have gone home.
Pilot Box gave the United States Department of Justice 27 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Pilot Box.

— 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 August 29, 1950
Tour of Duty 27 yrs
Age 49
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Michael is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1950, 58 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 77th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Michael was 49. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. Michael had served 27 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

August holds 9.5% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Tuesdays: 14.1%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd 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, Michael among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Pilot Michael T. Box

United States Department of Justice - Immigration and Naturalization Service - United States Border Patrol · End of Watch August 29, 1950

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 47-E

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