FOREWORD

"Just as a house needs a door, a nation needs a border." - Former Colorado Governor Richard Lamm.

Another month has gone by since our son's/brother's murder. Your continued support and prayers have helped sustain us through the many hurdles we have faced in dealing with the murder of Kris. Our crusade/mission/campaign is growing everyday. Improvements in working conditions of Law Enforcement Officers in the National Parks and border security are primary targets. We also are working with Immigration Reform groups to help inform the public to the woeful situations in our country because of the oceans of illegal aliens. Immigration policies must be better enforced and our country needs to face the problems that millions of these people are inflicting on our lands and people.

INTERVIEWS & ARTICLES

        The O'Reilly Factor (FOX News Channel) - January 22nd
Tom Clynes (National Geographic) and Bonnie were invited to do a segment with Bill O'Reilly on his show. Caryn Davidson, one of the NGAM editors, arranged for this opportunity. We know many of our email family and friends had also contacted the show's producers to have them talk about Kris' murder, the illegal aliens and border crises, and the impact this has made on NPS and other Federal agencies. For those letters, emails, and faxes we express many thanks. We both felt points were made about the negligence of Congress, the Executive Branch, the Department of Interior and National Park Service in not addressing these serious border problems and the illegal invasion. Because of years of neglect, it seems like an insurmountable task. However, Bill and many others have called for the military to be placed on our borders, at least temporarily, until the buildup and training of more Federal Officers takes place. What is more important…protecting and defending America or protecting and defending Korea, Bosnia, Kosovo, Germany, Afghanistan and Pakistan? We very much appreciated the opportunity we were given on the O'Reilly Show and would like you to let the producers know that as well. The address is oreilly@foxnews.com.

To contact Bill O'Reilly you can also send opinions to www.billoreilly.com about different issues he has discussed on his program. If there is something you want to have revisited, this is the place to send those comments.

         National Geographic Adventure Magazine - February 2003 Issue
Tom Clynes wrote about one of America's scariest National Parks, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. "National Park War Zone" features the fatal ambush and murder of Kris. Tom states, "Organ Pipe is a spectacular stretch of Sonoran Desert and it has also become one of the newest and growing fronts in the war on drugs and illegal immigration. Welcome to Organ Pipe, where the backpackers carry bales of marijuana and Park Rangers carry assault weapons-and where Ranger Kris Eggle paid the ultimate price." The pictures by John Annerino are truly breathtaking and make the desert come alive. National Geographic Adventure website is www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure and there you can weigh in on National Park safety. Again, if you have not seen this article, please do not miss it. It tells you the story of Kris and his friends doing this very dangerous job with one hand tied behind their backs. Our thanks go to the staff of National Geographic Adventure and especially to Tom Clynes. They have helped to bring the plight of these parks into the public scrutiny. Tom's email is tclynes@mindspring.com.

         Outside Magazine - February 2003 Issue
Bruce Barcott wrote about Park Rangers in the crossfire. In "Border Showdown", Bruce talks about how America's Law Enforcement Rangers are outnumbered and outgunned. "To get an idea of how risky life can be for these Rangers, consider Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, a 330, 690 acre swath of beautiful, heat-blasted Sonoran Desert 100 miles south of Tucson, AZ. There every morning, a few L.E. Rangers are assigned to safeguard an area twice the size of greater New York, in a hopeless attempt to secure 30 + miles of the Mexican border. They face a yearly onslaught of 300,000 illegal visitors and drug smugglers equipped with automatic weapons, night-vision goggles, and 4x4 SUV's." Bruce questions, "Why won't Congress pay more to keep them safe?" We are all asking the same question. Our gratitude goes to Bruce for this hard-hitting dialogue. The website is www.outsideonline.com and Bruce's email is westisbest@worldnet.att.net. Please let him know your feelings about his article.

         Wall Street Journal - January 22nd
The front page of the WSJ featured an article by John Fialka, entitled "As Crime Spreads in National Parks, Rangers Face Risk---A Gunfight at the Border." John discussed how Law Enforcement duties have increased through the years, even though there is still much resistance in facing this by the Agency's other divisions, Resource Management and Interpretation and by some of the Regional Directors, Superintendents, and Committee Bureaucrats. Rangers come to the parks because they have a love for the outdoors and natural resources, but Law Enforcement Rangers have also assumed roles of policing more violent crimes throughout their duty stations. Border areas have taken on a different aspect altogether. Chief Ranger Dale Thompson said, "What we have here is a war." The 'line of duty assaults' on Federal Officers has increased dramatically over the past few years. National Park Service topped the list in 2001 over U.S. Customs, F.B.I., U.S. Marshalls, D.E.A. Agents, and U.S. Secret Service Agents. We thank John for being willing to do this piece about the troubled Agency and to focus on why Kristopher was murdered. If you would like to send comments to him, his email address is john.fialka@wsj.com.

         Los Angeles Times - January 23rd
"The Law Loses Out at U.S. Parks" is a great article written by Ralph Vartabedian. We had a good interview one evening and then he traveled to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument to see what was happening firsthand. Ralph contacted Special Agent Dan Wirth to accompany him and talk about the difficulties this park and many others are encountering in "beefing up the Law Enforcement" before more tragedies take place. The crimes of human smuggling, drug and weapons smuggling, and the possibility of terrorists just walking or driving through these porous areas should send shock waves up and down the Washington Beltway, but it doesn't seem to be making much of an impact. Again, our appreciation goes to Ralph for this insightful and honest look at our National Park Law Enforcement Rangers. His email is ralph.vartabedian@latimes.com.

         Traverse City Record Eagle - January 26th
Editor Bill Thomas decided to do a follow-up on Kris' murder and he used the Wall Street Journal article as part of the Sunday piece. Tom Carr, Record Eagle Staff writer, followed up with interviewing us again as to what happened the day of the murder and the actions we have taken since August 9th. His article was entitled, "Tragic Death Spurs a Family to Action." John Russell, photographer for the paper, visited us on Saturday for more conversation about Kristopher and about our mission.(He remembered taking pictures of Kris when he was competing at Cadillac High School event. We all feel gratified that the Record Eagle has continued to follow this case, and hopefully there will be more articles in the future. To contact them, please email b.thomas@record-eagle.com.

         Cadillac News - January 28th
Shannon McVay spoke to Bob about how our family has refocused our lives on a mission of campaigning for more stringent border controls. We have tried to move from our paralyzing grief into a way of making Kris' death as meaningful as possible. Kris had talked to us about the frustrations he had of being such a small part of the overall big picture, even though he was still very proud of what he and his Ranger friends had been accomplishing while he was still alive. Bob commented on how Representative Pete Hoekstra has helped push forward our agenda and that he and a few other members of Congress (along with Bob) will be making a trip to view the AZ border firsthand. This will be in mid-February. We are also trying to keep awareness focused in communities near and far by distributing packets of information about Kris, the border, and about the lax immigration policies that have contributed to the serious crisis that is in our country now. This worsens day by day, and still there is no action taken by Congress and our President. Shannon can be reached at news@cadillacnews.com.

         The Smithsonian Magazine - January 2003
Mark Wheeler wrote a fantastic article about the all-Indian Customs unit-possibly the world's best trackers and how they use time-honored techniques to pursue smugglers along a remote stretch of the U.S./Mexico border. The article "Shadow Wolves" is gripping and it leaves the reader with a renewed appreciation for these men and women who put their lives on the line everyday to keep the drugs and weapons out of America. (Bryan Nez, one of these elite members, had bonded with Kris while teaching him tracking techniques. They became close friends and a hole has been left in Bryan's heart with the loss of his friend, a brother Wolf). The pictures tell you a story by themselves. This should not be missed! If you have not had a chance to read this article, please contact us. We will make a copy and send it to you.

         International Game Warden - Fall 2002
This magazine is a leader in conservation enforcement and is published quarterly by the North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association. This issue covers the ten most dangerous National Parks in the United States and Randall Kendrick, executive director of the National Park Rangers Lodge, states the reasons each was picked. The magazine's cover title is "Protecting Our National Parks-We're Dying to Get the Job Done!" There is a page in memoriam to Kris Eggle. Editor Doug Lucyshyn, Conservation Officer in Saskatchewan, sent us the magazine and we want to publically thank him for his support and continuing concern for our family. This organization sent us a donation to be used for some of our funeral expenses and for that thoughtfulness and caring support, we again want to express our gratitude. Doug's email is biggar@serm.gov.sk.ca.

         Soldier of Fortune Magazine - March 2003
Chief Foreign Correspondent Robb Krott has written a feature article "War on the U.S. Southern Border-America's Border War." Robb gives statistic after statistic on how the Mexican Army has made incursions onto U.S. soil. Within this documented piece, Robb discussed how the quadruple murders in Sonoyta, Mexico were committed by some Mexican army veterans and deserters. This spillover caused the ambush and murder of Kris. We want to know why our government does nothing about a foreign government entering our country and shooting at our people when this has been known for years. How many other foreign nations would be allowed to do this at will? The D.E.A. estimates that 80% of the cocaine and 50% of the heroin used in our country comes across the Mexican border. Those statistics need to be frightening people enough to move them to action. We want to thank Rob Krott for this good expose of the dangers that face our Law Enforcement Officers on this side of the barbed-wire fence. Rob is a former U.S. Army infantry officer and an honor graduate of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC). The website is www.sofmag.com and their email is editorsof@aol.com.

         D.N.A. Live Radio (Internet) - January 15th
Dennis and Ann Bossack did a live phone interview with us, talking about the tragedy of Kris' murder, the lack of government support to "beef up the borders," and the failure of leaders to stop the illegal invasion of the southern border states. They personally live with these problems everyday because their home is in New Mexico, 30 miles north of the border. Since the interview, Dennis and Ann have done a tribute to Kris on their website where they are encouraging people to contact talk shows with Kris' story. Please visit www.ufolab.info/talk-show-email.htm. We thank them for sharing Kris with their visitors and appreciate the time they put into doing this wonderful project on our behalf.

WEBSITES OF INTEREST

REMINDERS & UPDATES

OTHER INFORMATION

THE DASH OF LIFE

For it matters not, how much we own;
The cars… the house… the cash,
What matters is how we live and love,
And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard…
Are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what's true and real,
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
And more often wear a smile…
Remembering that his special dash
Might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy's being read
With you life's actions to rehash…
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?

-- Author Unknown

How are each of you spending your dash?

As we voice our concerns to elected officials, we must hold their "feet to the fire." Their oath of office specifically states that they will protect and defend the United States and its citizens. Article IV section 4 of the Constitution states, "The United States shall guarantee to every state in the union, a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion." We must remind them to preserve the principles established by our Constitution.

Our son, Kristopher William Eggle, lived and died by those principles. He knew what his oath to the United States stood for and he took those words humbly and passionately to heart. He was murdered because the Constitution was not upheld by our elected leaders. We ask them, "Would you sacrifice your life or your child's life in the service of our country?"

Recent months have dramatized for us the importance of standing on principles and believing we can make a difference. Our faith, our belief in God, and our solid family and friendships have helped give us the strength to carry on-to continue living. Additionally, with the memory of Kris' strong ideals, his principles of morality and faith, and his positive attitude toward life, we each have vocalized more of a level of commitment to living a quality life at work, at play, with family and friends.

Once again we express our gratitude to all of you for your consistency of purpose, for the help in our crusade in memory of Kris, for voicing your concerns to those who are in powerful position about the immigration chaos, the almost non-existent border, and lax policies.

God bless you all!
The Eggle Family