Athens Veterans Fought Ballot Corruption

On August 1, 1946, Athens, Tennessee, erupted into the Battle of Athens after World War II veterans challenged a corrupt local political machine accused of police brutality, fee-grabbing, and election fraud. Returning veterans formed a nonpartisan GI ticket, promised that votes would be counted as cast, and watched the polls after years of rigged local politics. Violence broke out after deputies blocked Black farmer Tom Gillespie from voting, shot him in the back, beat GI poll watcher Bob Hairrell, and took ballot boxes to the county jail. Armed veterans besieged the jail and recovered the ballots, and the count made decorated veteran Knox Henry the sheriff of McMinn County.

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