The nonprofit organization requires that in order to be chosen for inclusion on the wall, the officer must have died in the course of duty and served directly for a governmental agency with the powers to arrest.

NPR: Police Memorial Wall Comes With Some Tough Calls

"I think it is always worrying to see that police officers are regularly being assaulted in the course of their duty, " he said.

BBC: Assaults cost Welsh police 1,700 days off

Now, Kyra, there is no question, of course, there are still literally hundreds of generals and admirals on active duty in the U.S. military in Iraq, Afghanistan, here in the Pentagon and around the world.

CNN: Starr: Rumsfeld criticism 'extraordinary'

Of course, this illusion flies in the face of common sense, to say nothing of the constitutional duty to provide for the common defense.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: The Death of Illusions