Book honors Nevadans who died serving country

CARSON CITY — A book documenting every Nevadan who gave his or her life while serving in the U.S Armed Forces was unveiled Monday by Gov. Brian Sandoval.

Sandoval, joined by representatives of Nevada’s Gold Star Families, the Nevada Military Support Alliance and the Nevada National Guard, unveiled the Nevada Fallen Heroes Book at a ceremony at the Veterans’ Memorial on the state Capitol grounds.

The book contains more than 800 names of men and women who died in service to their country dating to the Civil War and Nevada’s statehood.

Sandoval said the book is a living memorial that will be updated each year as more individuals are identified. It will be put on display in the Capitol Building.

“Though tomorrow we celebrate Veterans Day and not Memorial Day, we are all gathered here to honor all of Nevada’s fallen,” Sandoval said.

The names will provide a constant reminder of the personal cost of our nation’s defense, he said.

Gold Star Mother Sally Diamond Wiley, who lost son Sean, called it a “wonderful tribute.”

Staff Sgt. Sean Diamond died in As Salam, Iraq, in 2009 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

The grief of losing a family member never fully goes away, Sandoval said.

“But you have my commitment that their decision to serve a cause greater than themselves will never, ever be forgotten,” he said.