Honoring the legacy of the 6888th: unsung black female heroes of WWII finally receive long-awaited recognition
Pranjal Chandra | Apr 29, 2025, 15:45 IST
( Image credit : AP )
The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-Black, all-female unit, will receive the Congressional Gold Medal for their crucial WWII service in Europe. They efficiently processed millions of undelivered mail pieces, significantly boosting troop morale. Despite facing segregation and neglect, their contributions are now being recognized, honoring their resilience and dedication.
In a moment steeped in history and justice long overdue, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion the only all-Black, all-female unit to serve in Europe during World War II — will be honored with the Congressional Gold Medal, one of the United States’ highest civilian awards. The ceremony, set to take place at Emancipation Hall in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, marks a powerful acknowledgment of courage, resilience, and patriotism that went largely unnoticed for decades.
Nicknamed the “Six Triple Eight,” the battalion’s formation in 1945 was the result of increasing pressure from civil rights organizations demanding the inclusion of Black women in the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) and in overseas service. While the segregated military of the era often limited Black personnel to menial roles, the women of the 6888th were assigned a critical and complex mission: to resolve the overwhelming backlog of undelivered mail intended for U.S. service members in Europe.
What they accomplished was extraordinary
Faced with a warehouse overflowing with nearly 17 million pieces of undelivered mail some delayed by years the women developed a meticulous system of locator cards, logging service member names and unit numbers to ensure mail reached its rightful recipients. Working in three shifts around the clock under harsh conditions in England and later France, they processed roughly 65,000 pieces of mail per shift. They completed the job in half the time military officials had anticipated.
Yet, despite the magnitude of their contribution to troop morale and the smooth operation of military logistics, the 6888th received little attention or recognition when they returned home. Their accomplishments, like those of many Black units during World War II, were sidelined in the dominant narrative of the war one largely centered on white soldiers and male heroics.
With only two surviving members of the original 855 women who served, the timing of this recognition is poignant. Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley, the battalion’s commanding officer and one of the highest-ranking Black women in the Army at the time, will be represented by her family at the ceremony. Earley was known for her firm leadership and refusal to tolerate segregation within her unit’s operations a stance that often brought her into direct conflict with superior officers.
“This recognition is not just about honoring their work,” said Kim Guise, senior curator at the National WWII Museum. “It’s about acknowledging the barriers they broke and the standards they set often in silence and against enormous odds.”
Wisconsin Rep. Gwen Moore, who helped champion the legislation leading to the award, noted that the medal is a small but vital step toward setting the historical record straight. “These heroes deserve their dues,” Moore said. “Their story is one of sacrifice, dignity, and unmatched service.”
Congress overwhelmingly supported the move, voting 422-0 in favor of awarding the medal in 2022. One of the few living members, retired Maj. Fannie Griffin McClendon, expressed her disbelief at the recognition finally arriving. “It’s overwhelming,” she said. “It’s something I never even thought about.”
Since their wartime service, the story of the Six Triple Eight has slowly gained traction. A monument was erected at Fort Leavenworth in 2018, and the battalion received the Meritorious Unit Commendation in 2019. Documentaries and dramatic works including a 2024 Netflix film directed by Tyler Perry and starring Kerry Washington have helped introduce their legacy to new generations.
Their story, once buried under decades of military and societal neglect, now stands as a beacon of perseverance and pride a reminder that the fight for recognition can be as important as the fight itself.
Nicknamed the “Six Triple Eight,” the battalion’s formation in 1945 was the result of increasing pressure from civil rights organizations demanding the inclusion of Black women in the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) and in overseas service. While the segregated military of the era often limited Black personnel to menial roles, the women of the 6888th were assigned a critical and complex mission: to resolve the overwhelming backlog of undelivered mail intended for U.S. service members in Europe.
What they accomplished was extraordinary
Faced with a warehouse overflowing with nearly 17 million pieces of undelivered mail some delayed by years the women developed a meticulous system of locator cards, logging service member names and unit numbers to ensure mail reached its rightful recipients. Working in three shifts around the clock under harsh conditions in England and later France, they processed roughly 65,000 pieces of mail per shift. They completed the job in half the time military officials had anticipated.
Yet, despite the magnitude of their contribution to troop morale and the smooth operation of military logistics, the 6888th received little attention or recognition when they returned home. Their accomplishments, like those of many Black units during World War II, were sidelined in the dominant narrative of the war one largely centered on white soldiers and male heroics.
That is now beginning to change
With only two surviving members of the original 855 women who served, the timing of this recognition is poignant. Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley, the battalion’s commanding officer and one of the highest-ranking Black women in the Army at the time, will be represented by her family at the ceremony. Earley was known for her firm leadership and refusal to tolerate segregation within her unit’s operations a stance that often brought her into direct conflict with superior officers.
“This recognition is not just about honoring their work,” said Kim Guise, senior curator at the National WWII Museum. “It’s about acknowledging the barriers they broke and the standards they set often in silence and against enormous odds.”
Wisconsin Rep. Gwen Moore, who helped champion the legislation leading to the award, noted that the medal is a small but vital step toward setting the historical record straight. “These heroes deserve their dues,” Moore said. “Their story is one of sacrifice, dignity, and unmatched service.”
Congress overwhelmingly supported the move, voting 422-0 in favor of awarding the medal in 2022. One of the few living members, retired Maj. Fannie Griffin McClendon, expressed her disbelief at the recognition finally arriving. “It’s overwhelming,” she said. “It’s something I never even thought about.”
Since their wartime service, the story of the Six Triple Eight has slowly gained traction. A monument was erected at Fort Leavenworth in 2018, and the battalion received the Meritorious Unit Commendation in 2019. Documentaries and dramatic works including a 2024 Netflix film directed by Tyler Perry and starring Kerry Washington have helped introduce their legacy to new generations.
Their story, once buried under decades of military and societal neglect, now stands as a beacon of perseverance and pride a reminder that the fight for recognition can be as important as the fight itself.