In the late 1940s, two boys in Fairfield, Connecticut first crossed paths on the kindergarten playground. Bill Battaglia and Tom Jackson both maintain their innocence as to who struck first that afternoon. What they know for sure is that Bill was pushed down a slide and Tom received a fistful of sand to the face. That rough-and-tumble start turned into a lifelong friendship, one that carried them from clarinet lessons in grammar school to service on opposite sides of the world during the Vietnam War, and eventually back home to Milford, where they now serve fellow veterans through the American Legion.
“We probably haven’t changed much since then,” Bill laughs. “We’ve always been close. Differences of opinion, sure, but we’d work through them.”
Growing Up Together
Their childhood was marked by freedom and community. They walked to school together, played Little League, skated on frozen ponds, and spent hours at Cindy’s Luncheonette or Duchess. “You could write American Graffiti about that place,” Bill jokes.
Tom recalls: “Back then, you went out in the morning and were told to be home when the streetlights came on. Everyone walked everywhere. It was all very mellow.”
Vietnam Calls
By the mid-1960s, conscription meant young men faced the decision of college, family, or service. At 17, Bill discovered his uncle was the Navy recruiter. “No way was I getting out of this one,” he laughs. Just ten days after marrying his sweetheart, he deployed for a 13-month tour aboard a destroyer that circumnavigated the globe. His ship performed reconnaissance and shore bombardment along the Vietnamese coast.
Tom’s path took him to the Marines. He enlisted almost on a whim after admiring a sharp-looking recruiter. “The Navy guys said it would be four years. The Army guy wasn’t there. Then we saw this guy standing there tall, sharp, everything pressed neat. I thought, this is the guy for me.” By 1967, he was in Vietnam, stationed in Đông Hà near the demilitarized zone. His service was marked by intensity and hardship: after a hernia sent him through hospitals in Japan and Guam, he returned to the field before finishing his deployment stateside.
Coming Home
When their service ended, both men sought to rebuild civilian lives. Bill pursued accounting, later running his own auto parts business while raising a family in Milford. Tom came home in 1969, and months later found himself at Woodstock.
Though life took them in different directions, reunions kept them connected. About 15 years ago, a meeting at Lowe’s brought them back together. Tom suggested Bill get involved with Milford’s American Legion Post 196, and from then on, their shared service to veterans began anew.
Building Community
Under their leadership, Post 196 has flourished into the largest in Connecticut, with nearly 1,000 members. Tom and Bill explain that the Legion isn’t just a gathering spot but a lifeline for veterans. “There are guys who would just sit at home otherwise,” Tom says. “Here, they’ve got a place to watch football, share a beer or soda, and be part of a community.”
He adds that the Legion has become an inclusive, family-friendly hub: “It’s not a smoky bar anymore. Wives tell their husbands, ‘Let’s go down to the Legion.’ There’s music, food, and a sense of belonging.”
Honoring Vietnam Veterans
Among their proudest achievements is organizing a Vietnam Veterans Day commemoration on Milford Green this past March. For the 50th anniversary, they spearheaded an effort that drew nearly 500 people, planted 3,000 flags, and raised $22,000 for veterans’ services. “We’re not getting any younger,” Bill reflects. “We wanted to do this while veterans could still gather, reconnect, and feel honored.”
Carrying the Legacy Forward
Today, Tom serves as Senior Vice Commander of Post 196 and chairs the Milford Veterans Committee and Parade Commission. Bill, formerly the Junior Vice Commander, focuses on sustaining the March 29th commemoration.
Both men emphasize the support they’ve received from Milford. “If we ask the city for something, they seldom say no,” Tom says. From use of the Green to collaboration on events, the town has stood shoulder to shoulder with its veterans.
A Lasting Friendship
Now in their late seventies, Bill and Tom are still side by side – lifelong friends who once played clarinet duets, then served on different fronts of the same war, and now lead one of the state’s most dynamic veteran organizations.
Their bond reflects not only their loyalty but also the broader story of veterans who return home and find new ways to serve. “We’ve woken up a sleeping giant,” Tom says. “More and more, Milford is becoming veteran- and veteran-family-oriented.”
Bill nods: “This is an amazing place to be a member. We’ll keep doing this as long as we can. All veterans are welcome – always have been, always will be.”
"More and more, Milford is becoming veteran- and veteran-family-oriented."
"We wanted to do this while veterans could still gather, reconnect, and feel honored."