American Legion, Post 86, Ripley, TN

06/09/2026

06/06/2026

One of the Four Pillars of the American Legion is Americanism. This includes the honoring of the symbols of Country. The most honored symbol is our American Flag--Stars and Strips of Red, White and Blue. The Veterans' Museum at the Dyersburg Airfield in Halls, TN will have a Flag Day program and Flag retirement ceremony on Sun. 6-14-2026 @ 2pm. See the attached flyer for details. Post 86 is calling on all members to come to the program. We ask that you wear the American Legion uniform cap to show our connection. Our Past Commander Hunter Mountjoy said he was making his famous pimento cheese sandwiches for the snack table.

Send a message to learn more

06/04/2026

REMINDER: Sat. June 6, 2026 @ 1pm come to Emiliee's Restaurant for our monthly Commander's Lunch. Get caught up on local veteran news and multiple conversations on all topic except politics, please. Also, June 6th is the anniversary of the D-Day Normandy Invasion of WW II. To the best of knowledge there is only one WW II veteran still living in Lauderdale County. Maybe a member who knows him will share information about this veteran.

06/02/2026

You don’t have to be an expert to make a difference—you just have to be willing to show up. Thursday, June 4th is your opportunity to show up.

Our virtual Be the One training from The American Legion, in partnership with Columbia University, equips you with the tools to recognize when a veteran may be struggling and how to respond with confidence, compassion, and care.

Whether you’re a Legionnaire, family member, or community supporter, this training can help you save a life.

Register today at https://ow.ly/SWVr50Z3ANZ

05/30/2026

One more Memorial Day activity was completed this morning at the Rutherford Cemetery on Rucker Farm Rd. west of Halls, TN off Hwy 88. This is where a Revolutionary War Veteran is buried along with some of his family. Henry Franklin Rutherford (B-8/17/1762, D-5/20/1847) was given a land grant for acreage in W. TN and a job of surveying the area that became known as Four Points. Dr. Dave Strong, D.Ed., 1st Vice Commander of Post 86, made plans to place the special Betsy Ross like flag at his grave site last weekend, but the rain interfered. He followed through with the flag placement today.

05/30/2026

05/26/2026

Legislation would increase benefits for some disabled veterans, streamline the ability to make healthcare appointments, expand Fisher House eligibility and more.
The House passed six veteran-friendly bills, including five that The American Legion supported via testimony, during the week of May 18. A summary of the bills endorsed by the Legion and previous statements:

• H.R. 6047 the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act, which would increase the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) monthly compensation benefit for service-connected, catastrophically disabled veterans and the surviving families of 100% disabled or deceased veterans. “This legislation works to uplift our most vulnerable veterans and provide an overdue increase in Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for survivors, aptly in time for Memorial Day,” the Legion wrote.

• H.R. 496 Veterans 2nd Amendment Restoration Act. This bill prevents VA from automatically reporting veterans to the FBI’s NICS background check system solely because they require a fiduciary to manage their benefits. Instead, it directs VA to notify the DOJ that past transmittals were improper. “It is a moral injustice for veterans to lose their 2nd Amendment rights because a judge deemed a financial fiduciary was warranted. There is no connection between the ability to manage one's finances and violent ideations. The American Legion believes that this reporting mechanism violates due process and opposes any legislation that infringes on constitutional rights. We support the rights of veterans who are under a fiduciary, especially when the rights are enshrined in the U.S. Constitution,” Legislative Director Cole Lyle testified during before the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs in 2025.

• H.R. 3482 Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act. The bill mandates VA implement an electronic scheduling process to streamline healthcare appointments for veterans. “The American Legion strongly supports H.R. 3482, the Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act, as a vital step toward ensuring timely access to quality healthcare for our nation’s veterans,” Lyle testified before the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations in 2025.

05/24/2026

Memorial Day 2026 Placing Flags by Post 86. Members of Post 86 took on the honor of placing flags on the graves of veterans in two Lauderdale County cemeteries---Halls Cemetery and Marys Chapel Cemetery. The Halls group was organized by 1st Vice Commander Dave Strong. He obtained the help of Mathew Warden, Youth Minister at First Baptist Church-Halls. Mr. Warden gathered up a crew of youth who braved the rain to help. The Post is thankful to them for their honoring our veterans. Dave gave them a lesson about the origins of Memorial Day, also. The Marys Chapel effort was headed up by Post Commander Jimmy Higgins with the help of Historian James Hall, who had the flag supply. We had several Post members and one son, also a county veteran who brought a couple of boys with her to help. This was an excellent activity for the Post to honor our deceased veterans and to education a younger generation about this tradition.

05/23/2026

As we look ahead to Memorial Day 2026 on May 25th, the American Legion Post 86 members ask all Lauderdale County citizens to remember the military men and women of this county who died in the service of this Nation. If you have not seen the memorial wall with the names of Lauderdale County citizens who gave their lives during the major conflicts in the past century, we suggest you visit it sometime during this national holiday. It is located on the southwest corner of the Ripley city square at S. Washington and S. Jefferson. The Memorial Wall has the names of soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen who died in uniform during World War I, World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam wars. Listed are 37 WW I; 70 WW II; 15 Korean; and 20 Vietnam names for a total of 142 Lauderdale Countians who died in service of their country. We have not yet added the names of any who died in the War on Terrorism---Persian Gulf War, Gulf War, Iraqi War, Aphganistan War. Some of the names on the Wall are likely to be in your family. Let none of us forget the sacrifices of our country’s military. The following is an excerpt of a Memorial Day speech prepared by the American Legion National headquarters to be shared with the public:
“The men and women who died for our freedom represent the diverse patchwork that is the United States of America. They were rich and poor; Black and white; male and female. They were from cities, farms and suburbs. They came from every ethnicity, background and political spectrum. In short, they looked like anyone of us.
Their one common characteristic is that they all took an oath to die for America if called upon. We can ensure that the memories of these heroes and their sacrifices are not in vain. We can ensure that future generations understand the importance of service, sacrifice, and honor. We can ensure through our own community service that our country remains strong, free and prosperous.
Memorial Day is a time that many wear or proudly display poppies, not as symbols of what was lost, but as reminders of living legacies.
So let us take this time to remember and honor the men and women who have given their lives for this great country. Let us reflect on their courage, their sacrifice and their dedication to a cause greater than themselves. And let us recommit ourselves to the cause of freedom, justice and democracy, so that the legacy of our fallen heroes will live on for generations to come.
We continue to mourn their loss, but most of all, we celebrate their lives.
Thank you, God bless America and God bless those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.”
--------------American Legion Post 86, Ripley, Lauderdale County, TN James T. Hall, Post Historian