NEWTON — Three activities special to the Reunion Day agenda of the 132nd annual Soldiers Reunion weeklong festival honoring all Catawba County military veterans are planned by Newton American Legion
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Postwar Virginia post still serving
By American Legion Post 114 Executive Committee
Feb 17, 2021
Feb 17, 2021
In the mid-1940s, African-American soldiers from Manassas, Va., started to return home from World War II. They sought organizational affiliation with veterans who had shared the common experience of war and service to nation in uniform.
As a result of Jim Crow and the laws of segregation in the South, these Virginian soldiers were not permitted to join veteran organizations with whites - including The American Legion. In 1945, 16 African-American veterans residing in Manassas petitioned National Headquarters in Indianapolis for a charter to conduct official meetings.
On April 26, 1945, National Headquarters issued a temporary charter to these 16 individuals under the title “Colored Post 114 of Manassas, VA.” Just over a year later, on June 7, 1946, the Department of Virginia issued a permanent charter, removing the words “Colored Post” and giving the post its ne