WORCESTER, Mass. – Wednesday is National Vietnam War Veterans Day, and this year, the day fell on the 50^th anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from the war.

Veterans gathered at the state's Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Worcester Wednesday afternoon, paying tribute to the servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as to the military members who came home, some who struggled in the years following the war.

Jon Santiago, the state's new secretary of veterans' services, said everyone has a responsibility to live a life honoring the sacrifice Vietnam veterans made.

"There still is a tremendous amount of emotion,” Santiago said. “These people went to war, many of their friends didn't come back. When they came back, they weren't necessarily welcome. They've been fighting for decades to get benefits and the credit they deserve, and I am lucky as a veteran myself, I can benefit because of the work they did."

In the 50-years since the war, it was Vietnam veterans who first recognized and talked about post-traumatic stress disorder, or P.T.S.D., according to Vietnam Veterans of America. Vietnam veterans also worked to ensure all military members receive their benefits.