Six Triple Eight gets congressional medal for WWII mail service : NPR

The only female unit serving overseas in World War II received the Congressional gold medal on Tuesday, just 80 years after retracting an incredible, organized feat.

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion (known as Six Triple Eight) was primarily black and deployed to Europe towards the end of the war, and to tackle the burgeoning crisis.

When the women arrived in Birmingham, England in February 1945, they were greeted by multiple warehouses filled with mail addressed to around 7 million American soldiers and government officials stationed in Europe.

I had a lot of emails so I estimated that one common general thing would take six months to organize it all and deliver it. US Army Museum. But the six triple 8, whose motto was “no email, low morale,” was able to do it in half the time, even in harsh conditions.

After their success in Birmingham and the end of the war in Europe, the units achieved similar missions in Rouen, France and Paris. And while members of the unit received several medals when they returned to the US in 1946, There is no welcome ceremony Or a general perception of their services.

It’s in the story of Six Triple Eight It attracted more attention Over decades, Congress has received the best private award given to him over decades, including a 2019 merit unit recognition from the US military, a 2024 film, and a long-standing campaign to recognize Congress’ gold medal, Congress’ gold.

The Senate voted for the law to award the award in 2021, and a year later the house followed the lawsuit unanimously. President Joe Biden then signed the law in 2022.

“It never happened to me that it happened,” said Major Fanny McClendon, one of two surviving veterans in the 855 unit. I said it at the time.

However, due to the time required for design Create an actual medalthe ceremony at the U.S. Capitol was not featured in the book until recently. Earlier this year, more than dozens of senators wrote House Speaker Mike Johnson. letter I urge him to schedule a medal ceremony “quickly” and warn him of a “critical point.”

“Today, it is known that only two of the Six Triple Eights are alive,” they wrote. “Those who are still survivors should not wait any longer for them to receive this much-anticipated recognition that they deserve their value.”

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s ceremony, supporters had more reasons to be worried about their lack of awareness.

The webpage about six triple 8 appeared to be one of those driven by the Department of Defense to revoke diversity, equity and inclusive efforts. NPR reported in mid-March that the unit’s story is no longer noticeable on the Arlington National Cemetery website and can still be found using the search feature.

Veterans Affairs Bureau That says Fourteen of the unit’s members will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, and 32 will be buried at Virginia or state veterans’ cemeteries nationwide.

The Department of Defense has since restored some of the deleted entries. Rep. Deborah Ross, DN.C. I wrote a letter In early April, Defense Secretary Pete Hegses asked to restore all web pages, including six triple-8 web pages.

“To erase this extraordinary legacy is a terrible betrayal of their service,” Ross wrote, saying he was rude to all veterans. “This timing is especially bad when the country is just beginning to see the story of 6888th.”

The Department of Defense has not responded to NPR’s request for comment. The War Department, which operates Arlington National Cemetery, told NPR Tuesday that the profiles of individuals placed there have not been permanently removed from its website and have been reclassified. The Six Triple Eight page is now Listed below “A well-known soldier.”

Battalion breaking the barrier

American Women Army (WAC) Captain Mary Carney and the leading charity of American WAC Commanders Adams inspect the first arrival to the 68,888th Central Post Directory Battalion in February 1945 at a temporary post in Birmingham, West Midlands, England.

Photo/Getty Image Archive

Hide captions

Toggle caption

Photo/Getty Image Archive

Black women were effectively removed from military service until the start of World War II, prompting the creation of what became known as the Women’s Army (WAC).

WAC opened opportunities for women in non-combat roles, but the separation policy at the time meant that the Black WACS could only constitute up to 10% of the overall power, the US Army Museum explains. The US military was not fully integrated until 1948.

Of the 140,000 women who worked at the WAC during World War II, approximately 6,500 were black. Ministry of Defense.

Black organizations and civil rights figures like Mary MacLeod Bethune have sought black women from WAC to get the same opportunity to serve abroad. Under mount pressure, and the increase in mail backlogs – the war division created the 6888th in 1944.

“They wanted us to go abroad, so I think we found something we should do overseas. Take care of our email,” McClendon said. Associated Press. “And there were so many emails.”

The battalion included five companies commanded by Major General Charity Adams, who became the highest-ranking Black Army officer during the war. Six Triple 8 was often referred to as an all-black unit, At least two Members of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent.

After several weeks of training, the woman sailed to Scotland. There, they were forced to run for cover on arrival when a German rocket exploded near the dock – and boarded a train to Birmingham to begin sorting the mail and boosting morale.

Navigating email, sexism, and racism

According to DOD, the battalion was greeted in a dimly lit warehouse stacked from floor to ceiling, including six plane hangars full of returned Christmas presents.

They discovered rats eating packages of sweets aimed at soldiers, mail that bouncing off when the troops changed locations, and a maze of recipients with similar or identical names.

The unit broke into three 8-hour shifts and worked seven days a week. They came up with a system that included creating and updating millions of locator cards with serial numbers and locations for European Americans, looking for clues to assault intended recipients.

Adams, estimated in his 1989 autobiography, One Female Army: Black Officer Remembers WACthe unit sent an average of 65,000 emails per shift.

In addition to the work at hand, the women at Six Triple Eight also faced sexism and racism overseas. According to the National Park Service, they had not enlisted in the local club for enlisted soldiers, so Adams led a boycott of the alternative separatist facilities that were provided.

“They decided to run their own food halls, hair salons and refreshment bars,” he says. “Women were exposed to slander by male soldiers who replied that black women were allowed in the military.”

Dod says some black male service members mistakenly assume that women in the unit were sent to Europe to provide dating.

Some of the six Triple 8 recreational basketball players were invited to play in the Army All-Star team, but not when the Army learned of the race. And when three members of the unit died in a Jeep collision, the war department did not fund the funeral. The rest of the women raised their own money.

Post-war

When the unit arrived in France, as Adams later recalled, “They suddenly discovered that there was a business in Rouen,” attracted attention from black and white service members. They had to increase the security around the compounds.

With the help of French civilians and German prisoners, the unit was able to clear mail of similar sizes in just five months. In October, a reduced unit with about 300 members having previously been discharged from hospital was sent to Paris to continue work.

The remaining soldiers were sent back to the United States in February 1946, where they received the European African Middle East Campaign Medal, the Women’s Army Service Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.

“This unit disbanded without further ceremonies in Fort Dix, New Jersey,” reads the U.S. Army National Museum website.

The museum urged that Six Triple Eight would not have been celebrated by parades or public awareness, but their achievements have led to the US military’s general committee “recommended the “continuous use” of female soldiers of color.”

[BeforeheadingabroadinFebruary1945someofthefirstBlackWACmembersposedinCampShanksNewYork.

Associated Press/Applications

Hide captions

Toggle caption

Associated Press/Applications

Get recognition

Over the decades, six triple 8 members, and more and more surviving families, gained more recognition for the groundbreaking service.

Several women returned to England in 1981 to pay tribute to the Mayor of Birmingham. Adams released his memoir eight years later, and was awarded the following year, 10th by the Smithsonian Association National Postal Museum. That was the monument of honor for the unit. Founded in Fort LeavenworthKansas, 2018.

Their legacy has also been recognized in books and films. 2019 Documentary And a 2024 MoviesDirected by Tyler Perry, and starring Kelly Washington as Adams.

“These women were fighting for a country that wasn’t always fighting for them, but they believed in the seed of what this democracy was,” Washington told NPR. Morning Edition 2024. “And they believed in their own ability to create important change. ”

Washington and Perry said they worked with unit veteran Lena King to better understand the women’s experiences during the war. One Florida woman attending Tuesday’s ceremony only learned that her late mother was in the battalion last year. Spectrum News 13 reported.

king He passed away in January In the year 2024, 100, she was already one of the few surviving members of the forces who could place emphasis on the honor of the Congress in the future.

“I wish there were a lot of the 68888 members here, and when President Biden signed the bill, I hope they’re still here,” she said. Released 2022 From Senator Jerry Moran’s office, R-Kan. “It’s going to be a great day.”