“As a paramilitary operations officer, John’s role was to work behind enemy lines, supporting local pro-government forces and engaging in special missions to disrupt the activities of the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the Vietcong.”

CIA website

December 15, 2024 — John Wesley Kearns III was a CIA officer who served as a paramilitary operations officer on contract in Laos during the Vietnam War. He was killed in action on December 15, 1972, at the age of 30. Silent Stars is now available on Kindle. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY.

RELATED POST : “Silent Stars: The Fallen Heroes of the CIA” — Book Review by ChatGPT

Last Mission – In 1971, after completing a first tour in Laos, Kearns returned to CIA headquarters, where he enrolled in intensive Thai language training. He also completed the clandestine operations course.

In August 1972, he returned to Laos, where he was assigned to Long Tieng in northern Laos and later to Pakse in the south.

Death – On December 15, 1972, John was stationed in the Paksong area. The North Vietnamese Army launched an intensive mortar attack.  A mortar fragment pierced his aorta. He died during transportation to the hospital.

Memorial Wall and Book of Honor

John Kearns was the last of the initial 31 stars honored on the CIA Memorial Wall. Like Wayne McNulty (24), Wilbur M. Greene (29), and John Peterson (*30), his name remained anonymous and was not included in the Book of Honor for almost three decades.

As Ted Gup remarked:

“To some degree, it was an act of legerdemain practiced upon the American public, whose patience and support of the Vietnam conflict were already flagging. To some degree, too, it was a feeble attempt to avoid international condemnation for violating a promised neutrality.”

The Intelligence Star

John Kearns was posthumously awarded the CIA’s Intelligence Star, a distinction reserved for “voluntary acts of courage performed under hazardous conditions” or “outstanding achievements or services rendered with distinction under conditions of grave risk.”

For more information about John W. Kearns and other similar stories, read our new book: “Silent Stars – The Fallen Heroes of the CIA.” Silent Stars is now available on Kindle.

References

Kenneth Michael Absher. “Recalling a CIA Officer’s Sacrifice – John Kearns and the Cold War in Laos.” Studies In Intelligence, Vol. 46, No. 4, 2002

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Silent Stars – The Fallen Heroes of the CIA : John W. Kearns (Star 31 – Laos – December 15, 1972)

“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.”

William J. Burns
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
CIA Memorial Ceremony
(May 23, 2023)