'Six Triple Eight:' The all-Black female WWII unit awarded Congressional Gold Medal
On Tuesday, the 6888th unit, which is known as the "Six Triple Eight," was awarded the medal for honor the work they did during World War II to "increase the morale of all United States personnel stationed in the European Theater of Operations during World War II," by helping deliver millions of pieces of backlogged mail, according to the U.S. House of Representative's History Art and Archives.
A common issue with delivering mail to those stationed in Europe during the war was that a lot of people had the same name, according to House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson. But the 6888th created a system of 7 million ID cards to help mitigate the issue.
"They didn't have the high-tech gadgets we do today," said Johnson. "They had to do it manually."
This allowed soldiers to receive more letters and boosted morale among those serving overseas.
The unit is receiving the honor three years after former President Joe Biden signed the Six Triple Eight Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2021 into Public Law 117-97 in 2022, according to Congress.
The "Six Triple Eight" was the only unit of Black women to serve overseas during World War II, according to Johnson.
The battalion, which was also known as the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, was led by Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams-Earley, the highest-ranking Black female officer during World War II, according to the National Museum of the United States Army.
The unit was a part of the Women's Army Corps, which was created in 1943, according to the Wounded Warrior Project. The 688th was then created in 1944.
The unit was made up of 855 women of color, 824 enlisted Soldiers and 31 officers, the museum stated on its website.
Over 300 descendants and family members of the 3888th attended the ceremony, Johnson said during his speech at the ceremony.
Soldiers, government officials, and Red Cross workers serving overseas faced low morale, so one way to boost their spirits was to ensure they received the letters, pictures, and packages their loved ones back home sent them.
"No Mail, Low Morale" was the unit's battle cry while it worked to get mail sent to those stationed in Europe.
The unit was sent to a warehouse in Birmingham, England, where mail was so backed up, a general said it would take six months to process, but the 6888th sorted it in three months, according to Public Law 117-97.
In 2024, "The Six Triple Eight," a movie written and directed by Tyler Perry, was released on Netflix in December 2024.
The movie, starring Kerry Washington, Ebony Obsidian and Milauna Jackson, won the NAACP's Image Awards for Outstanding Motion Picture and Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture in 2025, according to IMDB.
Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Connect with her on LinkedIn,X, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Six Triple Eight': WWII unit is awarded the Congressional Gold Medal
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