Virginia veteran hears uncle's name at War Memorial's Say Their Names Marathon: 'It brought tears'

RICHMOND, Va. — At the Virginia War Memorial on Sunday, 12,000 names are being read out loud.

During the service, Phillip Deane sat quietly across from the podium, a veteran himself, waiting patiently for one name in particular — his uncle.

"Layton was a young sailor at Pearl Harbor in 1941. His destroyer was actually able to make it out of Pearl Harbor that day and resume some operations. Later on in his career, that particular destroyer was destroyed itself out in the South Pacific," Deane said.

After surviving Pearl Harbor, Layton W. Deane joined another destroyer and continued serving his country. But in August 1943, his ship struck a mine.

"When they named his name out of Amherst County, I was not expecting such an emotional reaction. It brought tears just to be able to hear his name," Deane said.

Layton W. Deane is just one of the 12,000 Virginians honored during the Say Their Names Marathon — each name carrying a life, family, and sacrifice behind it.

Virginia Department of Veteran Services Commissioner John Maxwell said the event is a reminder that those honored were more than names etched in stone.

"I want them to know that every single person was a human being, a daughter, a son, or a father, or a mother, was a friend, and that every single one of them gave their life for the ideals of our nation," Maxwell said.

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From World War II to Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and the Global War on Terrorism, the names continue for 12 hours — echoing through the halls of the Shrine of Memory Memorial.

Two hundred volunteers, including CBS 6's Rob Cardwell and GeNienne Samuels, each read a list of 50 names.

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Virginia War Memorial Director Clay Mountcastle said hearing the names spoken aloud carries a meaning that goes beyond the wall.

"I believe hearing these names spoken out loud resonates with people, gives people an appreciation about who that person was, just hearing their names spoken out loud really means something to people. And when you hear the volume of names hour, after hour, after hour, that really gives you an impression of just how many have sacrificed their lives for us," Mountcastle said.

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