‘Six Triple Eight’ Black Female WWII Unit Receives Congressional Medal

The only Black, all-female unit to serve in Europe during World War II, known as the “Six Triple Eight,” was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal, following a long-running campaign to recognize their efforts. The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was credited with solving a growing mail crisis during its stint in England and, upon their return, serving as a role model to generations of Black women who joined the military. They cleared out a backlog of about 17 million pieces of mail in three months, twice as fast as projected. The battalion would go on to serve in France before returning home. And like many Black units during World War II, their exploits never got the attention afforded their white counterparts — until now.

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House Speaker Mike Johnson presented the medal to the family of the unit commander, Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley, during a ceremony in Emancipation Hall at the Capitol Visitor Center. More than 300 descendants of the women who served in the battalion were in attendance. The 6888th was sent overseas in 1945, a time when there was growing pressure from African American organizations to include Black women in what was called the Women’s Army Corps, and allow them to join their white counterparts overseas. The 6888th toiled around the clock, processing about 65,000 pieces of mail in each of the three shifts. They created a system using locator cards with service members’ names and unit numbers to ensure mail was delivered. The Senate voted to bestow the Congressional Gold Medal, its highest honor, on the 6888th in 2021, and the House followed in early 2022. Reflecting wide bipartisan support, leaders of both parties spoke at Tuesday’s ceremony.

Source: AP News