Thompson Clemons Post 200

Thompson-Clemons Post #200 was the first African American Post established in the State Of Mississippi and came to exist due to the perseverance of eighteen determined Black Veterans of WWI and WWII around the Mississippi Delta. These veterans attempted to join Keesler-Hamrick-Gillespie Post #29 which refused them membership. Given that this was the 1940s and segregation still existed, Post #29 could not get a majority vote to allow Black veterans to join.

The eighteen Black Veterans filed a petition to start a new post and presented it to the Mississippi Department of the American Legion. Mr. Solomon N. Dickerson, a postal worker and co-worker of Mr. Arthur H. Ritchter, the Adjutant of Post #29, worked to push the petition through the District. It was due to their vigorous and persistent correspondence to the District and the Mississippi Department of the American Legion that the Black Veterans succeeded in this attempt.

The District voted for approval unanimously to support the request. The Keesler-Hamrick-Gillespie Post #29 served as a sponsor post to assist the Thompson-Clemons Post #200 in getting a temporary charter.

Originally, the post was called the Mississippi Delta Post #200. Mr. L. H. Threadgill, then principal of Stone Street High School, proposed that the post be named after two former students of Stone Street High School that were killed in action (KIA) during WWII. The motion carried and the name was adopted. Thompson-Clemons Post #200 was granted a permanent charter on July 28, 1949. The first Post Commander was Mr. Solomon N. Dickerson.

Mr. L. H. Threadgill and others in the community were very instrumental in purchasing the property, obtaining a deed, and getting the building to establish a post headquarters. That headquarters is still there today.