Iconic Six Triple Eight unit to be honored next month in Washington
ST. LOUIS – One of the most iconic group of soldiers in military history is being honored by the United States Congress. The U.S. Army's 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, better known as the Six Triple Eight, was the only all-female, predominately Black unit to serve overseas during World War II.
The women, led by Major Charity Adams, redirected more than 17 million pieces of mail to soldiers waiting desperately to hear from their loved ones back home. The unit's motto was, 'No mail. Low morale.'
The servicewomen worked around the clock – three eight-hour shifts a day, seven days a week. The military thought it would take them six months to tackle the massive backlog of mail, but they got the job done in three months. The battalion set military records in the U.S. Army's postal system in England and France.
They not only got letters, cards, and packages to soldiers fighting on the front lines of battle, but to all U.S. personnel, civilians, service members, Red Cross workers, and others involved in the European Theater of Operations. Congress is preparing to present the remaining members of the Six Triple Eight with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor the nation can bestow on a civilian.
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