CIA reveals fallen officer

By Pam Benson
CNN National Security Producer
WASHINGTON (CNN) - When Gregg Wenzel died six years ago in Ethiopia, the obituaries said he was a U.S. Foreign Service officer killed by a drunken driver on the streets of Addis Ababa.

Monday the public learned the State Department job was a cover for his real occupation: CIA spy.

At a ceremony commemorating those who have died in the line of duty, CIA Director Leon Panetta revealed Wenzel's affiliation with the agency and noted that Wenzel was a member of the first clandestine service class to graduate after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

"He helped unite the class and kept its spirits high in the toughest moments," Panetta said.

Wenzel left his job as an attorney to join the agency. He was 33 years old when the car he was riding in was hit by a drunken driver who to this day remains a fugitive.

There are now 90 stars prominently displayed on the memorial wall in the spacious atrium of the CIA headquarters, each commemorating an officer, like Wenzel, who died while serving the country.