Greenfield’s Commanders

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GREENFIELD — For two Hoosier veterans in the U.S. armed forces, service doesn’t end upon exiting the military. It’s a lifetime commitment, they said.

Greenfield residents Eric Billman of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Tony Cross of the Forty and Eight are in elite leadership roles with two of the biggest veterans organizations in the country. As leaders of the Indiana chapters of these nationwide groups, Billman and Cross said they are devoted to improving the welfare of veterans living all across their home state.

It’s outstanding for a small town like Greenfield to have such a strong representation of veterans, they said. Strength in numbers makes easy the goal to maintain a positive veteran presence in their community.

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Eric Billman, Veterans of Foreign Wars

Billman, who was elected as the Indiana state commander for the VFW in June, served in the Army from 1989 to 1992 as a Cavalry Scout. During his career, he deployed with the 1st Cavalry Division and the 7th Cavalry Regiment, both of which are legendary units with storied histories, he said.

Billman grew up in Rushville, graduating from Rushville Consolidated High School in 1986. When he initially enlisted, he said he was just trying to figure his life out. He figured he would stay in a short time, get some college money and figure out what to do next later on down the line.

But when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, kicking off Desert Storm, Billman got a lot more out of the military than he initially bargained for, he said.

“To be honest about it, there’s nothing good about war,” Billman said. “It’s not a pleasant experience. But we have a job and there’s things we have to do. You have your brother to the left and your brother to the right.”

It’s that same sense of fraternity he found in the Army that attracted Billman to the VFW, he said. It’s an organization with members dedicated to having each others’ backs, he said.

Today, Billman is concerned with making sure the VFW has representation in Hancock County so it can have a presence in the community and reach out to old and young veterans alike, he said.

The VFW sponsors local Little League teams and helps contribute to scholarship funds, but more than anything else they give veterans a home; a place where they feel like they belong, Billman said. Men and women who have seen war are often hesitant to share certain thoughts or stories with civilians who don’t share their experiences, but they’re more likely to open up to a fellow veteran willing to lend an ear, Billman said.

“We can chat with each other about things that we can’t talk about with the general population,” he said. “And we also take care of each other, and that’s kind of an integral part in this.”

Tony Cross, The Forty and Eight

Cross recently finished his first rotation as the Grand Chef de Care — designated state commander — for the veteran’s organization the Forty and Eight. It’s a proud moment for him to see such great leadership representation in the city of Greenfield, he said.

A New Palestine native, Cross served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1979 to 1998. He enlisted the day after he graduated from high school, and went on to travel the world, deploying to dozens of countries during his time in service. Cross left the military on disability 18 years later after getting injured during a training exercise, he said.

Since having to leave the corps, Cross said he’s wanted to give back to the military community in any way he can, he said. He’s involved himself in several veterans groups, including the American Legion, the VFW, and Morristown’s Marine Corps league. Cross is also the national director for POW MIA, he said.

“Anywhere I can be around veterans, it’s always just a close-knit community,” Cross said. “We can do a lot for each other.”

In his experience, veterans have always been a special type of people with an unusual amount of motivation, he said. You can’t train passion and attitude, you either have it or you don’t, Cross said.

The Forty and Eight, named for the boxcars in France in World War I that transported ‘forty men or eight horses’ to the front, is an invitation-only veterans organization that incorporates proven leaders of other veterans’ organizations.

The Forty and Eight is more than a social club where veterans can hang out at a bar together, Cross said; it’s an organization designed to strengthen the communities where service members live and to provide opportunities for future generations. In addition to advocating on behalf of veterans, they provide hundreds of scholarships a year to nursing students, he said.

Cross is honored to lead a group of men and women who share a brotherhood and sisterhood across services. And the reward is often witnessing the difference they’re able to make right at home, Cross said.

“Only one percent of Americans serve, and the people I surround myself with have served this country,” Cross said. “We have a common bond, and that common bond is service.”

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The Indiana branches of two of the largest veterans organizations in the United States, The Forty and Eight and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, have prominent leaders both residing in Greenfield. 

The Hancock County natives said they’re honored to represent these organizations, which have done so much in their efforts to serve their country and their communities for decades. 

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