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13 May 2025, Post 281 Meeting Agenda

Written by Terry Ward on . Posted in American Legion Post 281 News.

Agenda for Post meeting on Tuesday, 13 May with social time and food STARTING 5:30 pm ,   MT. Juliet, Charlie Daniels Park, Community Center, Room Bravo   

NEW START time for the pizza and social time is 5:30 PM.   Regular meeting  begins at 6:00 pm.   We must be done NLT 7:45 pm on meeting nights.  

Welcome guest and all members in attendance.  

Adoption of minutes as posted on the Website 18 APR. 

The busiest Month of the YEAR is here….  Calendar UPDATE as follows: 

Sunday 18 May, Run for the Wall Support, 3:00 pm, at Golden Bear/Beckwith Road, bring your American Flag and support the Run for the Wall riders as they pass by on I 40, headed to Lebanon for a fuel stop at Pete’s Truck Stop, enroute to Cookeville.

Honoring America’s Flag Display in cooperation with the Mt. Juliet Exchange Club

Thursday 22 May,  09: 00 am, Clock Tower at MT Juliet RD and East and West Division, in stall rebar for Honoring America’s Flag event, with post members, Under Armor volunteers and others, in cooperation with the Mt. Juliet Exchange Club.   Bring work gloves and a small ( 5 lb.) sledgehammer if you own one.  

Thursday 22 May,  10: 00 am, begin Exchange Club assistance support.  See signup schedule, with continuous 24 hr. coverage for each day until take down on the 26th of May. 

Saturday 24 May,  6:00 pm to 7:30 pm,   Patriotic Honor Concert at Honoring America’s Flag event, featuring Mt. Juliet’s JBD express, along with the Ed Bray’s Ledgen race car #66.  Food truck will be available.  Tickets for attending are sold at the entrance; recommended donation is $12.  Special tickets for an American Flag set, a burger, chip and drink, and enjoy the concert for $50 donation.  See flyer on this website.    

Monday 26 May, 3:00 pm,  Take down and storage of flags and posters.  

2.  Thanks to former Executive Committee members, Mike Faoro, Bob Snuck, Shawn Taylor, and Don Barnes for their dedication and service to the post.   Member Mike Faoro is presenting two JROTC award to students at GHHS at 5:00 pm, 13 May.  

3.  Oath of Office to our next Executive Committee for the year 2025-2026 will be conducted by former CDR Lew Hightower New 1st Vice, Jeff Mattingly, 2nd Vice Brandon Adderholt, S.O. Patti Whitmore and new S@A Mike Adams will not be at the meeting due to planned vacations.   New Adjutant Bruno Padovani, F.O. Steve Iles, and Chaplain David Hale will be administered the Oath of Office.     

4. Boys state update, we have 11 young men have registered with Dept attending. 

5.  Mid-Year Department Convention, Murfreesboro 14 -15 June, basically 8 am to  Steve Iles , Patti Whitmore and I will be attending. 

6.  Wilson County Memorial Day (26 May) at the Vet Center in Lebanon @ 10 am, for all of Wilson County.   HG will be present to conduct rifle volley.   

8.  Next big event on the horizon is the State/County Fair in 14-23 Aug.

Officers Reports , 1st V/2ndV/ADJ/FO/SO/CH (sick call) HG/ALR/ Committees  

Closing Protocol to follow.  

9.  Next regular post meeting scheduled for 10 June 2025     

Honor America’s Flag 2025 #2 #2

Written by Jeff Mattingly on . Posted in American Legion Post 281 News, Announcements.

Hey, I goofed! We need more help. Especially setting up the flags! I’ve changed the Sign Up app. Please click the link below to get on board. There’s also several other opportunities to help, so let’s getter done!

Our biggest fundraising event of the year, so far. We Need Your Help!

Please click the link below to sign up. This year is going to be really special!

Click Here to go sign up!

We will also need your help with promoting our Patriotic Honor Concert! Stay Tuned for more information!

April 2025 General Meeting Minutes

Written by Shawn R. Taylor on . Posted in Minutes.

COMPILED/SUBMITTED BY:  ADJUTANT Shawn R Taylor   

REGULAR MEETING MINUTES – Date: 8 Apr 2025

Reviewed By: COMMANDER Terry Ward, POST 281, Tyler Cates, Dept of TN      

CONVENED:  1830   ADJOURNED: 1945  

MEMBERS PRESENT: 28   VISITORS: 10   POST OFFICERS: 9    TOTAL: 47

ASSEMBED

At 1730 hrs., the doors of the Mt. Juliet Community Center (MJCC) were opened for food and fellowship.  Merry Roberts, with Mission BBQ, provided food and drinks for members and guests.

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Post 281 regular meeting, 8 APR 25

Written by Terry Ward on . Posted in American Legion Post 281 News.

Agenda for Post 281 regular meeting, 8 APR 25 @ The Charlie Daniels Park, Community Center, Room “B” as in BRAVO   

6:00 PM, Mission BBQ is serving tonight with a variety of their wonderful BBQ options, along with green beans and cole slaw and drinks and dessert too along with soft drinks, tea, and cookies too. Socializing while eating. Mary will address our members and give everyone an update on their special days for veterans 17 May, (Armed Forces Day) at their restaurant located at Opry Mills Malls and when free sandwiches for Veterans will be available. 

On or about 6:30,  Begin opening protocol for the meeting.

Quits of Valor Presentations for members Arnie Painter and Don Moody/ by Robert St. John and John Herko.      

Adoption of the minutes as posted on the Post website;  28 March, February as posted by the Post Adjutant.   

Officer reports:     1st Vice, 2nd Vice,  ADJ, FO, SO,  S@A, CH (sick call)

HG, ALR, SAL, Auxiliary updates ,  Buddy Calls update/ John Herko

CDR     New Business / Correspondence/ CDR’s Comments 

  Nominations for 2025/2026 Post Officers are open and looking to fill the  1st Vice, 2nd Vice, Adjutant, and Sergeant at Arms post positions.   

 Update on Honoring America’s Flag event,  in May, and special music concert on Saturday, 24 May at the Clock tower.   Cover sequence of timing and special coverages for security.    Set up on 22 May….overnight coverage…..Concert 24 May…take down and storage 26 May.   

Boys State, with our 10 boys we will sponsor, runs from 25 May to 30 May.     

Memorial Day event in Lebanon at the Veterans Center, starting at 11:00 am. 

Next regular post meeting scheduled for 13 May, CDP CC, room Bravo.   11 Mar.      

Anything else for the good of the legion.  

Closing Protocol.          

TENNESSEE LEGIONNAIRE AND INSTAGRAM

Written by Jeff Mattingly on . Posted in Announcements.

The American Legion Department of Tennessee Monthly Bulletin includes a lot of upcoming events and goings on around the state. The Department also publishes the Tennessee Legionnaire which comes out in February, May, August, and November. A glimpse of what’s going on around us if you will.

The bulletin says, ‘The Tennessee Legionnaire has a new design which lends itself to photos of the things happening around the department. Email your photos to shannon@tnlegion.org. Also, we have launched an Instagram account for the Department, and you can find it. Follow us there so we can follow you as well. Instagram is a great way to connect with young veterans, who often do not use Facebook.’

Thanks to Shawn Taylor, our Adjutant, for highlighting this announcement.

March 2025 General Meeting Minutes

Written by Shawn R. Taylor on . Posted in Minutes.

General Meeting Minutes

COMPILED/SUBMITTED BY:  Adjutant Shawn R Taylor   

REGULAR MEETING MINUTES – Date: 11 Mar 2025

Reviewed By: Commander Terry Ward, POST 281, Tyler Cates, Dept of TN      

CONVENED:  1820   ADJOURNED: 1942  

MEMBERS PRESENT: 26   VISITORS: 3   POST OFFICERS: 7      TOTAL: 36

ASSEMBED

At 1800 hrs., the doors of the Mt. Juliet Community Center (MJCC) were opened for food and fellowship.  Sergeant-at Arms, Don Barnes, provided pizza and soft drinks for members and guests.

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Tennessee Military Collectors Association 2025 Spring Show

Written by Jeff Mattingly on . Posted in Announcements.

Set For April 18, 19 at Cool Springs Marriott

Fifty years ago, some friends in Nashville visited a military antiques show in another state. On the way home they discussed historic items they saw and the value of having an organization in Tennessee to honor veterans, preserve military artifacts and provide opportunities to see or collect militaria. Following that conversation, the Tennessee Military Collectors Association was formed as a non-profit organization, hosting semi-annual events where anyone could buy or sell military antiques or relics, obtain information and appraisals, or simply enjoy being in a museum-type atmosphere.

The next TMCA show is set for April 18 & 19 at the Cool Springs Marriott in Franklin, Tennessee and TMCA president Jimmy Howell says items for display, sale or trade “will include uniforms, medals, badges, photos, swords, daggers, vintage military weapons, flags, helmets, insignia, radios, cameras, binoculars, books, paper artifacts, home front collectibles and more. Weather permitting, there may also be WW II-era military vehicles in the Marriott parking lot. Modern weapons are not permitted to be sold or brought into the show.”

The show will be open to the public from noon to 5 p.m. Friday, April 18, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 19. Admission is free for Junior ROTC and Scout members in uniform, children under 15 (when accompanied by a parent) and active-duty military, police and fire department members. For all others, admission is $5.00. The Cool Springs Marriott is approximately 10 minutes from Nashville, located at 700 Cool Springs Blvd., Franklin. Parking is free.

“We have two shows each year, one in the spring and one in the fall, and in the last few years attendance has been the highest ever,” says TMCA president Jimmy Howell. “Commemorative events for World Wars I & II brought renewed interest in military items, as did several movies, TV shows, film documentaries, books and magazine articles. We see children and grandchildren of veterans who have inherited souvenirs and are eager to talk with an expert about an item’s use and history – and we recognize more people are seeing military relics as investment opportunities as values increase.”

“As interest in military collectibles has grown, our shows have expanded to accommodate those wanting to view, display, buy or sell artifacts,” Howell says. “For the TMCA Spring Show we will fill three of the Cool Springs Marriott ballrooms with more than 400 tables brimming with military artifacts from many nations and time periods. We take pride in hosting family friendly events where guests can start or expand a collection of militaria with items in all price ranges – or just spend a few hours seeing and touching military pieces.”

Each year TMCA uses show proceeds and member donations to financially support Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps programs at schools in middle Tennessee and programs/efforts for veterans, including recent gifts to Operation Standdown Tennessee and Honor Flight of Middle Tennessee. You can learn about TMCA by visiting http://tmcaonline.org

More Information:

Ronnie Townes – 615-661-9379 rrtownes@att.net

Woody McMillin – 615-500-8433 woodyair@comcast.net

Honored by state legislature

Written by Jeff Mattingly on . Posted in American Legion Post 281 News, Announcements.


Abigail Whicker shows the resolution she received from the Tennessee House of
Representatives on March 13. The Mt. Juliet Christian Academy senior received
the resolution for winning the American Legion oratorical contest in 2023 and 2024.

Whicker was invited to present her speech to the state house that day.
American Legion of Tennessee State Commander John Davis (left) and American
Legion State Oratorical Chairman and the Commander of Post 281 in Mt. Juliet
Terry Ward (right) joined her at the state capital for the ceremony.