Thousands of fallen Virginians’ names to be read aloud in Memorial Day marathon

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The names of thousands of Virginia service members who were killed in combat will be read aloud during a "Say Their Names Marathon" on Memorial Day, honoring their sacrifice through what's expected to be a 12-hour-long effort.

The Shrine of Memory, a fixture of the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, displaces the names of nearly 12,000 Virginia men and women who were killed in combat between World War II and the present day. They are organized across glass and stone walls based on conflict and where they lived in Virginia.

On Monday, April 21, the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) announced a new Memorial Day event to honor these fallen Virginians.

The "Say Their Names Marathon" will begin at about 12:45 p.m. on Monday, May 26, following the end of the annual Commonwealth's Memorial Day Ceremony.

At that time, "Virginians from all walks of life will begin reading aloud the names of every hero whose name is listed in the Shrine of Memory," according to the department.

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“There is a quote often attributed to Ernest Hemingway that reads, ‘Every man has two deaths, when he is buried in the ground and the last time someone says his name. In some ways, men can be immortal,'" said Clay Mountcastle, the director of the Virginia War Memorial, in a press release. "By reading these names aloud during our inaugural Say Their Names Marathon, we can assure that each of those included here are remembered by all who hear them."

Each reader will be assigned 50 names and they will be read in the order they appear on the Shrine of Memory. The event will continue until all names are read. The department estimated this will take about 12 hours and end at about 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 27.

If you would like to participate in the marathon as a reader, you must register online ahead of the event. There are over 200 slots.

DVS encourages those interested to attend both the Commonwealth's Memorial Day Ceremony -- which will begin at 11 a.m. on Monday -- and to remain in support of the readers participating in the marathon, if possible.

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While the Virginia War Memorial's interior will only be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. that day, the grounds and the Shrine of Memory will remain open until the marathon is complete.

The Virginia War Memorial is located at 621 South Belvidere St. in Richmond. Admission is free and free parking is available.