The Virginia War Memorial is hosting its second “Say Their Names Marathon” event this weekend ahead of Memorial Day to honor the men and women who have served in the military.
The free event includes volunteers reading out the names of nearly 12,000 Virginia service members who died while serving during World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and the Global War on Terrorism in the order in which their names are inscribed on the glass and stone walls of the Memorial’s Shrines of Memory.
“It is said that a person has two deaths – the day they leave this Earth and the day their name is said for the last time,” said Virginia War Memorial Director Clay Mountcastle. “At the Virginia War Memorial, one of the most important missions is to remember and honor our veterans and especially those Virginia men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice serving our commonwealth and our nation.”
The event will begin at 12:45 p.m. on Sunday through approximately 12:30 a.m. on Monday. It will be held outdoors at the Memorial’s Shrine of Memory-20th Century– rain or shine.
Last year, there were nearly 200 volunteers that helped read out the names. This year, all the slots to read the names have all been filled.
“While we share many of the names and stories every day, it’s really not enough,” said Mountcastle. “So, for the first time last year we initiated the Say Their Names Marathon. It couldn’t have happened without the nearly 200 volunteers who each read a list of fifty names in three-minute intervals.”
The Virginia War Memorial is located at 621 South Belvidere St., Richmond, VA 23220. Free parking is available in the Virginia War Memorial surface lot and in the parking deck.
The 70th annual Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony will also be held Monday at 11 a.m. at the Virginia War Memorial.
