John M. Plunkett
Incident
Customs Inspector John Plunkett was killed when a steamer ran into the scow schooner he was aboard.
The schooner was at anchor in San Francisco harbor and Inspector Plunkett was in the pilot house speaking with the captain. When the ships collided, the steamer's bowsprit struck Inspector Pluckett, forcing him through the wall into the engine room. The schooner's captain was injured in the collision.
Inspector Plunkett had served with the United States Customs Service for one year.
Survivors
He was survived by his father.
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
129 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Customs Inspector Plunkett gave the United States Department of the Treasury 1 year.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
The Sacrifice · Accident
United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service has lost 94 officers; 44 of them lost to accidents.
John is one of 453 officers lost to accidents in DC, 31.9% of the 1,419 remembered there.
John is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.
John is one of 10,100 officers lost to accidents worldwide, 29.6% of the 34,117 remembered here.
34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.
Time
In 1897, 1 officer at United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service was lost to accidents, the 9th heaviest of 32 years on record. The heaviest was 1908, with 4.
In 1897, 3 officers in DC were lost to accidents, the 57th heaviest of 125 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 14.
In 1897, 14 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 131st heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.
In 1897, 23 officers worldwide were lost to accidents, the 126th heaviest of 200 years on record. The heaviest was 1930, with 131.
Who
John was 27. Of the 44 lost to accidents at United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service whose age is recorded, half were between 32.8 and 49; the middle age was 40. John had served 1 year; the middle length of service was 7 years.
John was 27. Of the 425 lost to accidents in DC whose age is recorded, half were between 30 and 46; the middle age was 38. John had served 1 year; the middle length of service was 7 years.
John was 27. 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. John had served 1 year; the middle length of service was 6 years.
John was 27. Of the 9,451 lost to accidents worldwide whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 45; the middle age was 36. John had served 1 year; the middle length of service was 6 years.
When
July holds 15.9% of these deaths at United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service, more than any other month. Fridays: 13.6%.
July holds 10.6% of these deaths in DC, more than any other month. Fridays: 15.7%.
July holds 9.3% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Fridays: 15.1%.
July holds 8.9% of these deaths worldwide; August holds the most, 9.3%. Fridays: 15%.
How
Accident deaths account for 46.8% of all 94 deaths at United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 31.9% of all 1,419 deaths in DC, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 29.6% of all 34,117 deaths worldwide, the 2nd most common cause.
His people
United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service has 94 officers remembered here, John among them.
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Ellis Drake Aug 3, 1808
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Asa Marsh Aug 3, 1808
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Daniel Miller Jan 1, 1810
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Peleg Palmer Feb 17, 1811
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John Stout Jan 21, 1814
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James M. Anderson Dec 16, 1863
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William Bird Goodell
Dec 16, 1863
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William H. Phelps Dec 18, 1868
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George T. Hammonds Dec 18, 1868
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Frank Dupont May 26, 1869
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Alden McLaughlin Aug 31, 1871
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Kuntz Stahlberger Jan 2, 1880
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John A. Fallon Nov 5, 1890
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Frank B. Robson Aug 12, 1896
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John M. Plunkett Jul 2, 1897
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John Spaldt Nov 6, 1898
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Richard W. Wallace Nov 29, 1899
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Alphonse Levy Dec 13, 1901
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Frank Chapman
Sep 23, 1906
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Charles E. Jones Mar 19, 1908
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Charles R. Logan
Mar 19, 1908
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Ziba H. Nickerson Jul 16, 1908
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Charles F. Atwood Jul 16, 1908
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Thomas S. O'Connor Jan 30, 1911
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John S. H. Howard Feb 12, 1913
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Joseph Russell Sitter
May 24, 1915
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Robert L. Wood
Jul 31, 1916
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Fred Tate Aug 31, 1918
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John Fraser Pugh
Oct 26, 1918
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Robert Stuart Rumsey, Jr.
Aug 19, 1922
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Jot Gunter Jones
Oct 1, 1922
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James A. Wallen
Mar 6, 1923
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Lloyd Parks Criss Jan 13, 1924
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Orville A. Preuster
Mar 1, 1925
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Edward Billings Webb
Oct 9, 1926
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John W. Parrott Jan 7, 1927
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Gerardo Pescara Jan 19, 1927
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Stephen S. Dawson Feb 28, 1928
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Thomas Sampson Morriss Dec 23, 1928
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Clarence Neal Titcomb Jan 15, 1929
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Arthur M. Beaman Jul 27, 1929
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Charles Wilbur Rogers Sep 24, 1929
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Egbert Ellison Aug 9, 1930
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John Lawrence Kelly Feb 9, 1931
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Louis E. Babcock
Aug 17, 1931
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Arnold W. Gilbert
Nov 2, 1931
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Clyde Merrill Bristow Jan 12, 1932
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Ralph E. Bowden Mar 19, 1932
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Daniel A. Romberger Apr 25, 1932
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John Henry Heard
May 2, 1932
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Joseph Baker Sep 27, 1932
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Herff Alexander Carnes
Dec 4, 1932
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Rollin Culberson Nichols Nov 28, 1933
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Loy Cash Henry Jun 20, 1934
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Lewis Allison Highsmith Jan 7, 1937
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Matthew Kononen
Mar 5, 1939
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Joseph Turner Brown
Apr 9, 1940
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Patrick Joseph Black
Aug 31, 1943
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John Earl Fassett
Feb 21, 1945
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Anthony Cozza
Feb 24, 1945
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George E. Spencer Feb 24, 1945
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Clarence Jewell Trask, Sr.
Apr 8, 1947
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Pier Harry Bima
Apr 16, 1947
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Hugh Eugene Donnelly May 1, 1947
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George Marion Bacon
Feb 4, 1955
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Benjamin Bert Stone
Oct 7, 1957
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John Henry Sellenthin Sep 2, 1961
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Timothy Martin O'Riordan
Sep 29, 1964
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Charles J. Bokinskie
Apr 24, 1974
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Louis David Dixon
Apr 24, 1974
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Renault Rene Bayhi
Apr 29, 1975
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George William Singleton
Dec 22, 1975
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William Halley Jul 2, 1976
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John M. Lacey
May 21, 1977
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Vincent D. Kaskeski
Jan 12, 1978
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Michael Joseph Reimers
Apr 19, 1979
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Kenneth G. Ward
May 24, 1979
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Roger L. Von Amelunxen
Jul 30, 1980
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Denis Lee Van Patten
Dec 22, 1980
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George J. Spencer
Nov 30, 1981
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Richard Mack Latham
Jan 28, 1984
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John Edwin Hollingsworth Oct 20, 1984
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Morley Lester Miller
Oct 20, 1984
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Glenn Raye Miles, Sr.
Feb 21, 1986
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David Louie Crater
Nov 15, 1987
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James Darryl Taylor
Nov 15, 1987
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James A. Buczel
Oct 9, 1988
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George Reyes Saenz
Nov 2, 1989
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Timothy Cal McCaghren
Feb 19, 1990
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Carl Richard Talafous
Jul 14, 1993
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Alan John Klumpp
Jul 14, 1993
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Pedro Jose Rodriguez-Franco
Sep 18, 1998
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Richard Anthony Forde
Sep 12, 2000
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Thomas Murray
Oct 30, 2001
Where
Where the Name Is Cut
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 50-E
Others Who Wore This Badge
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