Congress awards gold medal to all Black female WWII unit, 'Six Triple Eight'
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – The only Black, all-female unit to serve in Europe during World War II, known as the 'Six Triple Eight,' was honored Tuesday 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.
The battalion cleared a backlog of 17 million pieces of mail in three months, it was projected to take six months.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) 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 Six Triple Eight are great American patriots, loyal to a nation that, for far too long, failed to return the favor. And I'm glad to say that's changing, and we're doing that here today,' he said.
Stanley Earley III, the son of the battalion's commander, was among the speakers at the ceremony. He called the women who served 'true examples of American excellence.'
'These soldiers exemplified determination in the face of adversity and demonstrated the ability to go beyond what was thought to be possible,' Earley said.
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.
'I don't know if any of the letters between my mom and dad passed through the hands of the Six Triple Eight, but I do know that the work they did made it possible for millions of young men like my dad to keep up the fight,' said Sen. Jerry Moran, who recounted meeting five of the battalion members in 2018. Moran, a Republican from Kansas, co-sponsored the medal legislation in the Senate.
'When these women returned home, there was no parade to greet them. No one lined the streets to thank them for their service. That ain't right. And we're trying to correct it today,' Moran said.
A monument was erected in 2018 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas to honor them and in 2024 a movie was made for Netflix about the unit starring Kerry Washington.
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.
Wisconsin Democratic Rep. Gwen Moore, who co-sponsored the legislation to award the medal, called the recognition long overdue.
'This ceremony is a fitting end to a long journey to make sure that we do not forget their service,' said Moore, who represents one of the two living members of the battalion.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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