« We never heard anything more about it. All of that was behind us »
Coporal Lena Derriecott Bell King, 6888th bat.
The Six Triple Eight is the first battalion composed of African American women to serve in the U.S. military. Their main task was to raise and maintain soldiers’ morale during World War II. How? By clearing and organizing a huge backlog of undelivered mail and packages, keeping troops connected with their families and loved ones.
The troops had been moving so quickly across the European Theater that millions of pieces of mail had been left behind, undelivered. Oftentimes, a letter was simply addressed to “Junior, U.S. Army.” Another challenge was that with 7 million Americans in Europe, many service members had the same name. The troops also moved rapidly across Europe, rarely staying in one place for long. These were just some of the reasons why mail could not be delivered.
Both families and soldiers had been waiting for letters that had not arrived, and the lack of news from home was hurting morale.
Led by Charity Adams, the battalion trained at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. In mid-December 1944, the 6888th Battalion was sent to Europe. No group of African American women, part of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (established in 1943 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt), had ever been sent to Europe before.
These women were shipped to Birmingham, England, in February 1945, where their accommodations were more than primitive: unheated rooms, rats, and blacked-out windows.
Once they arrived at King Edward’s School, their first task was to clear six airplane hangars filled with mail, including Christmas parcels that had arrived during the Battle of the Bulge. The unit worked seven days a week, censoring letters, reassembling scattered packages, tracking service members, and investigating insufficiently addressed mail.
By May 1945, they had achieved in three months what others had not managed in two years. “No mail, low morale” became their motto.
The 6888th Battalion was then transferred to Rouen to address further mail issues. While in Rouen, the battalion faced tragedy when PFC Mary Barlow, PFC Mary Bankston, and Sergeant Dolores Bown were killed in a jeep accident. The three of them are buried and honored at the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy.
The battalion completed their task in early 1946 by clearing the mail backlog in Paris, where public places were not segregated.
Their leader, Charity Adams, was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, the second-highest rank for a woman in the U.S. Army at the time. The war had given women of all races the chance to serve in meaningful positions. However, once the war ended, women were removed from their positions to make way for men, and military records did not make a distinction. There was no parade, no glory, and no real recognition for the 6888th Battalion.
The first memorial honoring the Six Triple Eight was erected on November 30, 2018, at the Buffalo Soldier Monument Park in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
A bill was passed in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. On March 14, 2022, President Joe Biden signed the bill into law: the women of the 6888th would be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
On December 20, 2024, Netflix launched a movie titled Six Triple Eight, which we look forward to watching.
“We advocate for African American military women to tell their story, the accomplishments and challenges often absent from history books. It is fitting that the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion’s extraordinary legacy will now be known to all, inspiring future generations.”
— Colonel Stephanie Dawson, USA (Ret.), President of the National Association of Black Military Women.
Source :
https://www.womenofthe6888th.org