09/10/07-Henderson


Widow Of Border Patrol Aviator To Receive Governor's Award

A special honor for a Border Patrol agent, and Henderson native, who died in the line of duty. Clint Thrasher was pursuing illegal aliens in south Texas in April when the plane he was piloting crashed.



Tomorrow Clint's widow, Rachelle, will accept the star of Texas award from Governor Perry for exceptional service to his fellow Texans.

"He was such an amazing person, and a hard worker. And, above anything he was a wonderful husband and father," Rachelle said.

Clint Thrasher died doing what he loved: flying for the Border Patrol.

Those he loved most, Rachelle and their two daughters aged eight and two, have seen the greatest of grief and the comfort of others.



"When I get up in the morning, the first thing I do is spend time with the Lord. And that's how I get through this. He loved me, and I loved him and he loved our girls. He was just an amazing person," she said.

Clint did have another love: flying. He was working to protect the border when he died. His dedication was complete.



"In our bedroom, [we had] a computer monitor. He had a camera hooked up watching a hangar [for illegal activity]. Everybody knew if they called Clint, something would be done. "

Governor Perry will honor him with a ceremony at the Capitol Monday.

The preliminary report from Clint Thrasher's plane crash indicated he was turning his aircraft at around 5-to-800 hundred feet elevation before it went down. One possible cause is a sudden change in wind speed or direction, called wind shear.

The official government report may not be released for several more months.

http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7053721&nav=1TjD