The FBI honors their fallen agents who have been killed in the line of duty through adversarial action. The names of these Agents, who are called Service Martyrs, are inscribed on a permanent plaque so that their sacrifice will never be forgotten and they will always be remembered. The inscription on the plaque reads: “In memory of Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation who were killed in the line of duty as the direct result of an adversarial action.” As of September 2001 a total of 34 agents had their names on the Special Martyr Plaque.
The FBI also honors those Agents who lose their live in the act of performing their duty, but not through adversarial conflict. This would include pursuit of a criminal, like as in a car or foot chase. There is a separate plaque with the names of 15 agents that have lost their lives in this fashion and the inscription on this plaque reads: “In memory of Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation who lost their lives in the performance of a law enforcement duty.”
