VETERANS: Next month is Memorial Day, always held the last Monday in May.

To commemorate the selfless sacrifices made by so many, Bradford Publishing Co. is putting together a special section called Some Gave All.

We ask the public to share photos and stories with us of loved ones who never made it home. And we ask our local veterans to share stories of those who served with them, but never made it back to their loved ones.

To share a photo or a story, contact The Era newsroom Monday through Friday, by email at news@bradfordera.com, by mail at P.O. Box 365, Bradford, PA 16701; by phone at (814) 362-6531; or stop in to see us at 43 Main St.

When sending in a submission, please include a phone number so a reporter can contact you for further questions. We will accept submissions until May 12. 

This year Memorial Day will be May 26. It is often marked by visiting cemeteries to place American flags on graves, holding parades and a National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m.

Wearing red poppies in honor of fallen service members is a tradition originating from the poem “In Flanders Fields.” The flowers symbolize the blood shed by fallen soldiers, and is worn in remembrance.

Memorial Day is distinct from Veterans Day (Nov. 11), which honors all who served in the military, whereas Memorial Day specifically honors those who died in service.

The day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868, by Gen. John A. Logan to decorate the graves of Civil War veterans with flowers. Flag protocol for the day is that the American flag should be flown at half staff from sunrise until noon, then raised to full staff until sunset.