“Dr. Evans’s death would not be reflected on CIA’s Memorial Wall until May 23, 2023, when during CIA’s annual Memorial Day function, CIA Director Burns made public the names of five previous inductees to the Hall of Honor and introduced one new one, Dr. Jon Evans.”

Tracy E. Rich
(September 2023)

February 4 2024 — I was reading a very interesting piece about the last CIA officer honored by a star on the Memorial Wall, when I came across a surprising footnote. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY

RELATED POST : Four Years Ago — CIA Molly Hale Goes Digital (February 4 2019) [The story of the 11th Female Star]

RELATED POST : CIA Honors its Fallen in Annual Memorial Ceremony (May 23 2023)

On May 23 2023, the CIA added one star to the Memorial Wall, honoring Jon Evans, a medical doctor who was killed in a plane crash in Southwest Asia in 1969. This addition brought the total number of stars to 140.

The CIA has released the names of 106 employees on the Wall. According to the Agency, the names of the remaining 34 officers must remain secret, even in death.

Tracy E. Rich was a member of CIA’s History Staff. In September 2023, she added a short note to a text she had written about Dr. Jon Evans.

According to her, CIA Director Burns made public the names of five previous inductees to the Hall of Honor during CIA’s annual Memorial Ceremony.

The CIA Press Release does not mention the names of five officers newly disclosed by Director Burns.

During the 2010 CIA Memorial Ceremony, 12 stars were added to the wall. Seven of the 12 new stars honor those killed on December 30, 2009 in Khost, Eastern Afghanistan.

The five new stars honor officers who had died in ‘recent years’ while engaged in clandestine assignments.

The names of these five officers were kept secret.

“Continuing operational sensitivities require that the details of their work remain classified.”

However, I believe that these five stars can be identified through logical reasoning.

Perhaps, Director Burns came to the conclusion that it is rather absurd to classify information that can be inferred by logic?

In any case, it would be helpful if the CIA could tell the public about the names they have declassified!

In November 2001, Steven Aftergood — Federation of American Scientists – argued that the CIA disclosure policy could be improved.

“There is a stubborn, irrational resistance to disclosure of such information. This practice is not only an injustice to the memory of those who died, it is also bad policy because it erodes the already shaky credibility of CIA classification actions. It is possible to do better.”

Steven Aftergood quoted ‘The Book of Honor’ written by Ted Gup, who had reached the same conclusion. [Note]

“Douglas S. Mackiernan was killed on the Tibetan border in 1950. His star remains nameless. So, too, does that of Hugh Francis Redmond, who died in 1970 after nineteen years in a Chinese prison. In both instances the Chinese knew they were CIA spies. Only the American public did not.”

What do you think?

REFERENCES

A special page  “CIA Book of Honor” has been created. This will allow you to find easily the references to the stars we have already written about. I will try to keep this page up to date.

One Night in Udorn — Dr. Jon Evans, 22 Charlie, and CIA Operations in Laos — Tracy E. Rich — Studies in Intelligence Vol. 67, No. 3 (Extracts, September 2023)

CIA Honors Fallen Officers in Annual Memorial Ceremony (May 23 2023) — CIA Website

Note — In 2006, the CIA finally acknowledged Douglas S. Mackiernan as one of their officers killed in the line of duty.

“We stand before these 140 stars not only with gratitude but with reverence for our fallen heroes. We’ll never forget their sacrifice. We’ll never forget their devotion.”

CIA Director William Burns

May 23 2023