“We talk a lot in memorial affairs that you die twice,” said Brian Natali, outreach director for the Pennsylvania Department of Military & Veteran Affairs. “You die when your physical body stops working and your heart stops. And then spiritually, you die when nobody speaks your name anymore."

Memorial day honors over 1.3 million Americans who died in conflict through the nation’s history.

“When somebody shares somebody's name, that's interred, they know that they still live in spirit,” Natali said.

In Harrisburg, lawmakers proposed several bills this session that support the veterans still here—those who steward the stories of those who have passed.

“We have got, I believe, the fourth largest population of veterans in Pennsylvania than in any other state in the country,” said Sen. Camera Bartolotta, a Republican from Beaver, Greene, and Washington counties.

The senator’s bill, SB64, focuses on veteran owned businesses. The bill is set for a Senate floor vote in June. If passed, the state would design a logo that veterans could apply for and then use in their business operations.

“[They] are able to use it on their letterhead, on their websites, like a sticker on the door— any kind of merchandizing that shows the public, this is a veteran owned business,” Bartolotta said.

“I was a dentist for 40 years, and this is another business that I have of wood turning.” Dr. Robert Silverman is a Vietnam Veteran who served in the Air Force. Today, he is also a craftsman, selling his wares at the annual Harrisburg Artfest. His Tooth Acres Farm tent is full of handmade bowls and plates, with natural designs and popular logos.

“All Pennsylvania woods, everything made here in Pennsylvania— no tariffs,” Silverman said. "Everything is made locally.”

He says he likes the idea of a consistent logo, which could add some brand recognition for new businesses.

“Veterans need it, need a shot. They need a helping hand. And that program might give that little lift that they need for that recognition,” Silverman said. “That they that would help them get over that hump like everybody has when they're starting a business.”