BATON ROUGE - More than 700 Vietnam War veterans gathered at the River Center for a 50th anniversary commemoration ceremony. 

On March 29, 1973, the last American troops returned home from Vietnam after nearly two brutal decades of fighting. Fifty years later, the horrors of the war are not forgotten, but Wednesday's ceremony aimed to focus more on the brotherly bonds created in the battlefield.

“It’s in memory not only of the people that are here but the ones that are no longer here that made the ultimate sacrifice for our country," said Commander Ronald Crowley, who served in the Marines during the Vietnam War. 

Wednesday's honorary ceremony included a live band, lunch provided by the Lieutenant Governor's office, and guest speakers including Governor John Bel Edwards and Mayor Sharon Weston Broome. The event was hosted by the Louisiana Department of Veteran's Affairs.

“We had the Governor as a keynote speaker, Mayor Broome and General Curtis here with us and we were just so honored to have all of them and their families here with us today," said Colonel Joey Strickland, Secretary of the LDVA.

Nearly three million people served in uniform in the Vietnam War. According to the LDVA, about 85,000 Vietnam veterans live in the state of Louisiana.