The Battle of Athens in 1946 involved veterans raiding a National Guard Armory in McMinn County (where Athens is the county seat), not Memphis itself. Although the corrupt political machine opposing them was centered in Memphis under boss Ed Crump, the actual armed confrontation occurred in Athens.

Context: World War II veterans, organized as the GI Non-Partisan League, sought to oust the corrupt Cantrell Machine in McMinn County.

The Armory Raid: On August 1, 1946, after sheriff’s deputies stole ballot boxes to the county jail, veterans broke into the local armory to seize rifles, Thompson submachine guns, and dynamite.

Outcome: The armed veterans besieged the jail, leading to a hours-long gunfight that ended with the surrender of the corrupt officials and the restoration of a fair election count.

https://ammo.com/articles/battle-of-athens-forgotten-history-tennessee-rebellion-against-local-government