The War of the Silver Marches ended in 1486 according to the SCAG: "...in early 1486, the tide turned against the orcs in the North, and by the end of the year their armies were broken and scattered" (p. 17).
Most published adventures take place in the late 1480's. Storm King's Thunder, for example, "isn't set at a specific time but is assume to take place sometime after 1485."
So, yes, there will be plenty of veterans from the war in the present time period.