RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia War Memorial will honor fallen service members in a unique way this Memorial Day by reading aloud the names of nearly 12,000 Virginians killed or missing in action.
The names, etched in glass and stone at the Shrine of Memory, represent Virginians who died during wartime from World War II to the War on Terror.
"Behind each name is a story. Behind each name is a family. Behind each name is a community that suffered a loss," Clay Mountcastle, the Virginia War Memorial's executive director, said.
For Stephen Ross, the memorial holds deep personal significance. His son, Andrew Ross, a Special Forces soldier and West Point graduate, was killed in Afghanistan in November 2018 at age 29.
"This is a place to come, relax, be comfortable and to honor Drew," Ross explained. "The pain doesn't go away, but you do become more comfortable with dealing with everything."
While Memorial Day can be especially painful for families of fallen service members, Ross will find comfort in the inaugural "Say Their Names" marathon.
"There is something very special about hearing Drew's name," said Ross.
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Mountcastle estimates the event will last at least 12 hours. Members of the public are invited to participate by reading lists of 50 names each.
"To say their names absolutely humanizes that person," Mountcastle said. "There is always a significant feeling that comes across me when I see each name in the Shrine of Memory. It will not stop until every single name has been read."
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The Virginia War Memorial also holds special meaning for Mary Ann Coates Smith, whose father was killed during the Battle of the Bulge 80 years ago when he was just 22 years old.
"His name is on this wall. And I like to visit often and touch the wall," Smith. "It is like I have a closer feeling here. His name is James H. Coates. He is from Lancaster County, Virginia."
Smith cherishes memories of her father, describing him fondly: "He has blue eyes and double dimples, so he is my blue-eyed double-dimple daddy."
For Gold Star families like Smith's, the memorial's gesture of reading every name brings comfort on this solemn day.
"This is going to be wonderful with all the names and it's going to take a long time because there is so many that we love on this wall," Smith said.
There is an old saying that "A person dies twice. Once when they stop breathing. A second time when their name is uttered for the last time." At the Virginia War Memorial this Memorial Day, the fallen will live another day.
"Hearing (Drew's) name. Hearing other people say his name and that being part of something special at the War Memorial is a gift," Ross said.
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