Harvey-Merriman Post 190
Post History
Post 190 was started by World War I veterans around 1938 with a temporary charter from the State of Tennessee American Legion. A permanent charter was issued in 1948. One of Post 190’s first WWI Post Commanders was the county Postmaster, Vola Mansfield Sr. His son, Vola Mansfield Jr., a World War II veteran, was also a member of Post 190. In 1948 the post members passed a resolution naming Post 190 in honor of the first to die from Sequatchie County while serving in WWI and WWII. The names are Mark Harvey from WWI and Thomas Merriman from WWII.
Along with other community projects, between 1949 and 1971, Harvey-Merriman Post 190 was responsible for organizing and running the Sequatchie County 4th of July parade. In 1971 this responsibility was turned over to the Sequatchie County Rescue Squad. Additionally, in 1949, Post 190 in concert with the local VFW Post 5772, financed the creation of a monument honoring those who died in service to our great county. The monument was placed on the lawn of the Sequatchie County courthouse and dedicated on Memorial Day 1950. The original names engraved on this memorial monument were seven WWI and sixteen WWII veterans. Later, two veterans who died during the Korean conflict and three from the Vietnam War were added. Post 190 has been hosting a Memorial Day ceremony at the courthouse for over 70 years. Since the dedication of the monument in 1950, a wreath is placed at the memorial, the names are read, and taps played.
In 2009, Harvey-Merriman Post 190 organized the county’s first Veteran’s Day parade. The Sequatchie County Veteran’s Memorial Park was dedicated in 2011. Many veterans and local volunteers worked countless hours to complete this world-class memorial park.
Since its inception, American Legion Harvey-Merriman Post 190 has been a leader in veteran’s activities in Sequatchie County. We are proud of our members, both past and present.
Join Us and Keep this History Alive!
Scholarships and Community Projects
American Legion Post 190 sponsors various scholarships to further the education of our children. We also sponsor and financially assist many worthy community projects and programs initiated by the National American Legion.