WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — The Vietnam War was one of the most gruesome wars in American history, but wasn’t always valued that way. Today marks the 48th year since the ending of the Vietnam War.

“To see our fellow marines, getting killed and all that, and all of this takes us back to Vietnam, and it’s just, it’s sad,” War veteran, Perfecto Sevilla said.

Sevilla was just 18-years old when he was drafted into the war and still remembers the cries from his fellow friends.

“I had an occasion that happened with me, I saved my buddy from you know…laying there, and he’s hollering my name, telling me ‘please come, Pepe, come get me, come get me, I don’t want to die here. So I did. I brought him, I brought him to safety and he made it home,” Sevilla said.

But despite what our soldiers lived through, they were still at war even when stepping foot back on U.S. soil.

“No recognition, getting cussed out because you wore a uniform, calling you a baby killer and you’re just fighting for your country. You come back, and they tell you, you ain’t worth doo-doo.” Veteran, Carl Moss said.

“The Vietnam War experience was not a good one, it was very sad because they didn’t want us in Vietnam, and they didn’t want us in the states,” Sevilla said.

This is why ceremonies honoring and recognizing what our soldiers did for us, is so important.

“Over the years, you reflect on that and become more appreciative for the little ceremonies just like this because I know, I didn’t do anything wrong, I know I did what was asked of me, by serving, in the military,” Moss said.

“And I am proud to be a United States marine, veteran,” Sevilla said.

48 years may be just a number to us, but it is a living memory of how these soldiers fought through and came back when many others didn’t. Sevilla was sent not once, but twice to Vietnam. During his second tour, his wife was seven months pregnant, another example of the courage he had to serve this country.