The conflict profoundly affected the American troops who served there, as well as the nation’s culture and politics. But 50 years later, veterans say they see its mistakes being repeated.

Vietnam’s top leader said his nation is ready to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the world’s great powers, as tens of thousands gathered to watch a military parade marking 50 years since the end of the war and the defeat of the US-backed southern regime.

Vietnamese refugees evacuated by helicopter arrive on board the USS Midway ahead of the fall of Saigon on April 29, 1975. The Vietnam War came to an end on April 30, 1975, when North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam. The fall of the city marked the end of the South Vietnamese government and decades of conflict.

The Vietnam War that ended after the fall of Saigon 50 years ago greatly impacted U.S. society. For some Americans, it still shapes their lives today.