SOUTH HADLEY — When Jim Bouchard returned to the United States after serving as a medic in the Vietnam War, he was called a “baby killer” by a stranger in a bar.

On Wednesday, he was one of many veterans recognized in a Vietnam Veterans Day commemoration at the South Hadley Public Library.

“This makes me see that people do care… that people are starting to understand how important it is to be recognized for going to war,” said Bouchard.

The yearly event, a collaboration among the South Hadley American Legion Post 260, South Hadley Sons of the American Legion, South Hadley VFW Post  3104 and the Military Order of the Purple Heart, hosted veterans, families and the public for a commemoration and recognition of the sacrifices made by veterans and their families during the Vietnam War.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the return of American prisoners of war from North Vietnam, and the South Hadley event paid special tribute to those who were held captive during the war.

“We as a nation will not rest in our efforts to secure the release of any U.S. personnel still being held against their will or obtain the fullest possible accounting of all missing, and to return all recoverable American remains so that we may relieve the suffering of the families,” said Brian Willette, commander of South Hadley American Legion Post 260.

Willette added that there are still 1,581 missing Americans, six of whom are from western Massachusetts, according to the National League of Families, an advocacy group for those missing and unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War. Service members from the community who died in the war were remembered with a wreath-laying ceremony and the sounding of taps. Gold Star families were also recognized.

The event also included the dedication of two new signs, which will be placed on both sides of the South Hadley/Holyoke Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge, to Vietnam veterans.

March 29 was proclaimed as National Vietnam War Veterans Day by President Obama in 2012, and in 2017 President Trump signed the day into law. The day recognizes all American veterans who served anywhere in the world between Nov. 1, 1955 and May 15, 1975, along with their families.

“The reception we gave those heroes is shameful,” said Pam Connors, Army veteran and spouse of a late Coast Guard officer. “We are now thankful that the country recognizes and have now embraced them and to finally let them hear, ‘thank you for your service. We appreciate your service. We welcome you home.’”

Willette also spoke about the photograph “Burst of Joy” taken at Travis Air Force Base in March 1973, which came to symbolize the end of U.S. war involvement and the beginning of healing for those who served. What many people don’t know about the photograph, said Willette, is that the officer was a prisoner of war for over five years, and shortly after the photo was taken, he and his wife divorced.

“This picture behind the scenes depicts what veterans go through when they return home … while that return, for all of us, was a burst of joy, issues were to follow,” said Willette, who added the American Legion will be holding a “Be The One” event later this year to discuss PTSD and mental health issues.

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