“IN HONOR OF THOSE MEMBERS OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY”
Memorial at the CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia
(September 30 2023) — The Memorial Wall now has 140 stars. Before 9/11, the number of stars per year was 78/54 = 1.4. After 9/11, the rate greatly increased. Actually it doubled to 62/22 = 2.9.
Who are those men and women? When did they die? Why are they honoured by a star?
In 1974, the CIA dedicated the Memorial Wall with 31 stars in 1974 to honor those who had fallen since the Agency’s founding in 1947.
Douglas Mackiernan, the first star, died in 1950, but his name was only revealed in 2006.
Since the attacks of September 11 2001, 55 stars have been added to the Book of Honor and the Memorial Wall.
Ted Gup is the author of the bestseller The Book of Honor, winner of the Investigative Reporters and Editors Book-of- the-Year Award. The book is a very good source of information.
However, Gup’s book was published in May 2001, and the number of stars on the CIA wall has almost doubled since then.
Many of these additional stars are nameless. But even the named ones have not been the object of a systematic study, let alone a book.
Methodology
When the CIA honor several officers with a star during the same ceremony, I have no way of knowing the star number of a given individual.
However, according to the CIA, Rachel Dean is star 87. (See: CIA Memorial Ceremony 2007.) I will therefore assume that — in such case — the stars are ranked according to the year of death. This may or may not be the methodology used by the CIA. For instance, they might use the number of years served at the Agency.
When several individuals have died on the same day (same event), I rank their stars by alphabetical order. Again, the CIA may use a different methodology.
Finally, whenever both classified and unclassified stars are added during one ceremony, I rank the classified stars last as it is likely that they relate to more recent events. Again, this is a logical choice but the CIA may use a different methodology.
Chronology : 2001 to 2020
July 1974 — The Memorial Wall is created. 31 stars chiseled into the marble.
1987 — First Memorial Ceremony is held with Deputy Director Robert M. Gates presiding. The number of stars on the wall has grown to 50.
1997 — 70 stars. 29 of which had names
On June 8 2001, the CIA formally commemorated the 78th star on its Memorial Wall, honoring former Agency officer Tucker Gougelmann, who died in Vietnam in the summer of 1976 after 11 months of torture.
“This year (2021) marks the beginning of a somber chapter in the legacy of the Memorial Wall. The Agency carved new stars for the first time above the inscription.”
2021 May 25 — 4 new stars; 137 stars
2022 May 23 — 2 new stars; 139 stars
2023 May 23 — 1 new star; 140 stars
Jon Evans, a medical doctor who was killed in a plane crash in Southwest Asia in 1969
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