Ira Winkler is president of Secure Mentem, a security awareness company. Let’s hope the president doesn’t go to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This is only a small representation of the sacrifice that CIA officers, and those of other intelligence agencies that Trump disparaged for months, go through on a daily basis. It is morally reprehensible for Trump to stand in front of The Memorial Wall and complain that he isn’t being treated fairly by the press.Īs Trump paid no homage to these heroes, I would recommend that you visit the Wikipedia page for the Memorial Wall and absorb the sacrifice and heroism demonstrated by these people. These are just a handful of heroes that the stars represent, the stars Trump rambled in front of. I repeat for emphasis: 19 years.Īnd just to demonstrate the height of Trump’s hypocrisy, and how much he truly values the four Americans whose blood he made a campaign issue, two of the stars represent Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods, both former Navy SEALs who were killed in the Benghazi attack. Hugh Redmond was captured in China posing a businessman, and was held in a Chinese prison for 19 years before he died. He was captured and tortured by the North Vietnamese before dying. Tucker Gougelmann was trapped in South Vietnam after the fall of the country. William Buckley was held by Hezbollah before being assassinated. Then there are the CIA officers who were imprisoned and tortured before dying or being assassinated. ![]() If they were still in the military, they might have been considered for the Congressional Medal of Honor given how they gave their lives to save the lives of others. Christopher Mueller and William “Chief” Carlson, a former Navy SEAL and former Green Beret respectively, were killed in an ambush while tracking terrorist leaders in Afghanistan. Douglas Zembiec, the “Lion of Fallujah,” who was killed while trying to capture terrorist leaders in Iraq. Many are retired special forces officers, including Marine Maj. Some died in the middle of terrorist attacks, such as the attack on Camp Chapman in Afghanistan, which killed Harold Brown, Elizabeth Hanson, Darren LaBonte, Jennifer Matthews, Dane Paresi, Scott Robinson and Jeremy Wise. This includes deaths dating back almost 40 years. Of the 117 stars representing CIA who died under various conditions, 16 of these people can still not be named, as publicly identifying them still would compromise intelligence operations to this day. Let’s talk about what Trump didn’t: the people the stars on the Memorial Wall represent. This is essentially the equivalent of lighting a cigarette off the eternal flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He complained about underreporting of the inauguration attendance. He talked about how unfairly the press treated him. Instead, he chose to try to convince a group of highly intelligent people that he didn’t say what he is on camera as saying. Trump’s actual speech was rambling, and while he spent a trivial amount of time acknowledging the service of the CIA employees, he never acknowledged the sacrifice the wall represented. Instead, it is clear he wanted a photo op. The CIA has several auditoriums that can hold more people, if Trump actually wanted to address the CIA staff. While there are some ceremonies held at the wall, they are rare and for esteemed purposes to honor the service of others.Ĭontrary to White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s statement, it is inconceivable that the lobby would be able to hold 400 employees plus the media and all of their equipment, as well as the White House staff and security detachment. The wall is in the lobby of the main CIA building, and people pass it on a daily basis to remind them of the sacrifice of others. The most appropriate way to describe it is the equivalent of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for the intelligence community. It represents that danger that CIA operatives and other employees face on a daily basis. ![]() The wall has 117 stars etched in stone that represent employees of the CIA who died in the line of duty. Trump gave his talk in front of the Memorial Wall at the CIA. While Trump’s speech would otherwise be perceived as just one of his typical rambling and patronizing talks that attempt to make a crowd believe what his administration is now referring to as “alternative facts,” it is the location of the speech that makes his nobody-treats-me-fairly speech utterly despicable. ![]() President Trump complained about “unfair press” at the intel equivalent of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
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