WORCESTER, Mass. – On National Vietnam Veterans Day, a ceremony in Worcester paid tribute to the service members who made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as to the military members who came home.

Veterans gathered at the state's Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Worcester.

According to VA News, there are 7 million living Vietnam Veterans. They said many who served in Vietnam came home with both physical and unseen injuries of war. Often, those injuries went undiagnosed and weren’t understood by the medical community, or citizens as they are now.

“There’s so many stories,” said Phil Madaio, the president of the board of directors for the Massachusetts Vietnam Memorial. “You guys don’t want to say anything, but I’m sure there’s stories that you have, that everybody has here, that’d make your hair stand. Really, I appreciate every Vietnam veteran because of being there, you know what it was all about.”

Vietnam veterans can benefit from the PACT Act. It expanded coverage for veterans exposed to toxins like Agent Orange. Since it became law, enrollment in VA health care in Massachusetts has grown more than 36%.

Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from the Vietnam War.