“Dear Molly, Could you tell us how many stars on the Memorial Wall are known to represent women? Regards, Intel Today”
Question to CIA Molly Hale (Tweet – February 4 2019)
“I have no doubt Abdelsayed’s death was linked to the stresses of a dangerous assignment tracking Taliban members and other targets.”
Former CIA Director John Brennan (May 2019)
“There’s been an erosion of understanding in CIA leadership for at least two decades about what the wall is for and who is it that we’re commemorating. Now we have a suicide star on the wall. That’s not what the wall is for.”
Retired CIA historian Nicholas Dujmovic (May 2019)
The Memorial Wall is a memorial at the Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, Virginia. It honors CIA employees who died in the line of service. There are 133 stars carved into the white Alabama marble wall. Eleven represent women.
May 24 2019 — I have long argued that the CIA was hiding the identity of a female officer recently honoured by a star on the Memorial Wall. We now know who she is and how she died. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today
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On March 22 2019, the CIA indeed confirmed that 11 stars represent women. And, to the best of my knowledge, only 10 were known to have been “killed in the line of duty.”
On May 20 2019, the Washington Post revealed the name of the mysterious star. And, as I suspected, her story is rather unusual.
RELATED POST: CIA Molly Hale Just Answered Intel Today Question. Well, Not Really… [UPDATE : 11th Female Star Identity Revealed]
The daughter of Egyptian immigrants, Ranya Abdelsayed (04/28/1979) joined the CIA in 2006. On August 28 2013, while serving in Afghanistan, she committed suicide.
Ranya Abdelsayed was less than 48 hours away from returning to the United States when a colleague found her body in her bed at the agency’s Gecko Firebase in Kandahar. At 34, she had shot herself in the head.
At the 2014 Memorial Ceremony (May 19, 2014), Abdelsayed was honoured with a black star on the CIA’s vaunted Memorial Wall, which pays tribute to members of the CIA who gave their lives in the service of their country.
In 2017, her name was added to the Book of Honor that sits at the base of the wall. There was no customary news release or public acknowledgment.
CIA Honors its Fallen in Annual Memorial Ceremony (May 19, 2014)
WASHINGTON, DC – Today the Central Intelligence Agency paid tribute to the 111 women and men of the Agency workforce who have died in the line of duty—courageous Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. This year marks the 40th anniversary of CIA’s Memorial Wall, and of the original 31 stars that were engraved in the summer of 1974 to honor those who had fallen since the Agency’s founding in 1947.
Standing before the Memorial Wall in the lobby of CIA headquarters, Director John O. Brennan said: “Each of the 111 stars carved into the marble wall behind me is an expression of love, respect, and eternal devotion. Together, they silently testify to nearly seven decades of valor and dedication, virtue and sacrifice, all on behalf of our Republic.” Director Brennan emphasized that the constellation of stars is a powerful reminder that freedom comes at a very dear cost.
Director Brennan spoke at length about the extraordinary lives of the four individuals whose stars were added to the Memorial Wall this spring. “We share your pride in them and what they achieved,” he told the assembled family members, friends, and colleagues. “We too know the measure of their strong character and generous spirit, and feel deeply privileged and grateful to have served with such selfless patriots.”
During the ceremony, Director Brennan presented the families of the four with a marble replica of their loved one’s star.
CIA’s Memorial Ceremony is attended each spring by hundreds of employees, retirees, and family members of those who died in service with CIA. [CIA Website]
CIA Director Reflects on 2014 Annual Memorial Ceremony
Published on May 23, 2014 — Excerpts of a discussion with CIA Director John Brennan, who sat down with a CIA public affairs officer to talk about the annual CIA Memorial Ceremony. The ceremony was held on May 19, 2014.
REFERENCES
A CIA suicide sparks hard questions about the agency’s Memorial Wall — Washington Post (May 19 2019)
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CIA Memorial Wall — The Mysterious Star : Ranya Abdelsayed (April 28 1979 -August 28 2013)
Intel Today 