WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Wednesday is National Vietnam War Veterans Day, when we remember those who fought and who died fighting in Southeast Asia more than half a century ago.

A wreath laying ceremony was held Wednesday morning on the West Springfield Town Common. For the U.S., the Vietnam War was the longest and most unpopular military engagement in the country’s history.

West Springfield Vietnam Veteran Ron Osborne told 22News he’ll never forget the disrespect he endured when he returned from combat, “We’d like them to know, we went over there with good intentions. We weren’t baby killers, we weren’t anything like that. We ran into something that we didn’t start.”

Roughly 58,000 American were killed in the Vietnam War. An estimated two million Vietnamese military and civilians were also killed.