Latest news with #6888
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Honoring Black History: Savannah and ‘The Six Triple Eight'
By now, many of you have heard the story of the 6888– the all-Black, all-female army unit tasked with the critical mission of sorting and delivering backlogged mail to soldiers overseas during World War did you know that at least one of the women in that battalion has a local connection?WSAV's Kim Gusby shares the story of the soldier who helped challenge barriers of both race and gender. For more on the women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, contact Dr. Karen Jordan at ktjordan6888@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
22-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Historian uncovers largely unknown story of the 6888 Battalion with Maryland ties
'The 6 Triple Eight', an American war drama, has become Tyler Perry's most-watched Netflix film. Viewed close to 75 million times, it tells the largely unknown story of the all-black, all-woman 6888 postal battalion, the only such battalion to ever serve overseas during World War II. The movie was inspired by an article written by a military historian who interviewed the few surviving members of the battalion. However, to understand their story, you must go back to 1947, when then-President Harry Truman desegregated the army and had the records of almost all the black units destroyed. This "we're all one" gesture was originally meant to signify that the U.S. army was all-inclusive, despite civil rights strides throughout the U.S. Truman's efforts made it extremely tough for historian Kevin Hymel when he was asked to write an article about the 6888 Battalion on the occasion of a monument being erected for the brave women. "This story really hadn't been told for almost 80 years when I wrote my first article about them," Hymel said. "The biggest thing I was a black unit of women in Europe in World War II. I had no idea!" Kevin wrote his second article on the 6888 in 2018, as the postal directory monument at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas was to be unveiled. He contacted the few remaining veterans including 94-year-old, Lena Derricott King. "At 94-years-old she was still cooking her own meals and going out every Saturday night dancing. At 94 years old this is an amazing an amazing woman," Hymel said. Lena's story is featured in the film. "I think the movie did an amazing job..." Before Kevin's article came out, his publisher reached out to Hollywood producers, who then called Kevin. "One day they called and said, 'Tyler Perry is going to be calling you. He's very interested in the movie. I thought, 'Right, Tyler Perry is going to call me'," Kevin said sarcastically. "And sure enough, two days later Tyler Perry called me" Kevin then became the military history advisor on the film. "I think the movie did an amazing job of showing the dignity of these women that went into an unknown atmosphere. Not just a war zone, but a zone where they were not wanted in certain ways and proved themselves and kind of rose above and showed what they could do," he explained. What they did was disentangle a mail system that wasn't working. "This mail has been sitting here for over 10 months. The soldiers have not heard from their loved ones and their loved ones have not heard from them," said Kerry Washington as she played Major Charity Adams in the film. Letters and packages hadn't been distributed to soldiers for close to a year. "When there is no mail, there is no morale. But all that said, this is our mission and we will not fail," Major Adams says during an inspirational moment as she gives a speech to the 6888 battalion. In just 90 days, 17 million pieces of mail were sent out. However, it's important to note that this is at a time when the military environment wasn't always welcoming, especially while training in the U.S. "...where they [were] met with all kinds of prejudices [that] they really were not prepared for," Kevin added. "Being completely ignored by your officers, or having one of your fellow soldiers, a white female, throw glasses of water over the stall while you're trying to go to the bathroom in the ladies' room." "I was happy, and I was sad..." Karen Taylor grew up hearing stories like this from her mother, Second Lieutenant Vivian Elzie Taylor. She and 18 other Maryland women volunteered for the 6888. While the work was hard, Karen says her mother loved being overseas. "It was not like the U.S. In the U.S., we couldn't couldn't go to restaurants," Karen said. She told WJZ's Denise Koch that she has seen the Tyler Perry film at least 5 times since it was released on December 6, 2024. "I was happy, and I was sad," Karen said as she reflected on the film. "The sad part was I'm sitting here watching a story that no one knew about." "So many women in the 6888 came home and almost never spoke about their served their country. They came home and got on with their lives. And it's amazing that the story is finally being told to a larger audience," Kevin rejoiced. "And those few women survivors, and more importantly their descendants, should be so proud of the movie and the service that their mothers and aunts, you know, and anyone related to the 6888 accomplished in World War II."
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
I accidentally found out my mother's role in WWII. Now I'm honoring women like her.
There is a rich heritage of African American history in our country that is unknown. Therefore, it is an honor when someone discovers that their own ancestor(s) had a part in the history of our country. I recently felt that sense of honor and gratitude after accidentally finding out about my mother's service in World War Il, in which she ended up a corporal. My siblings and I always knew that our mom, Virgie Lee Caywood, was a WAC (Women's Army Corps) but we never knew the details, nor did we understand its historical significance. It wasn't until Tyler Perry released his movie, "The Six Triple Eight," in December 2024 on Netflix, that we realized that this was what our mother did and that this was also our history. A friend of ours saw the movie and recognized our mother's name at the end of the movie in the list of women who served in the Six Triple Eight. She then notified us via Facebook of her discovery. This sparked an interest in not only seeing the movie but a passion to learn more about this group of phenomenal women. During WWll, it was brought to the attention of President Franklin Roosevelt that morale was low among the soldiers because they were not receiving any of their mail, and their families were not receiving communication from the soldiers. These women were assigned to resolve the issue of about a two-year backlog of mail in Europe — first in Birmingham, England, then in Rouen, France. Other groups had attempted this feat with no success. They were given six months to resolve the backlog of 17 million pieces of mail, some of which was rat infested. They created systems to process this mail and accomplished their goal in 90 days under terrible conditions. I am a former resident of Arkansas, but I have lived in Kentucky for almost 37 years. After my discovery about my mother's service, it became a passion to help locate families of other 6888 members from Arkansas and Kentucky. My mother was among 16 women from Arkansas who served in the 6888. There were 18 women from Kentucky who served in this unit. They are as follows: Adams, Henrietta G T5; Blythe, Jennetta Schooler CPL; Brock, Emma H PFC; Chambers, Effie PVT; Coleman, Alberta CPL; Cox, Venus B PVT; Cross, Minnie Grace PFC; Gill, Marilyn E T4; Hammond, Ruth Henrielle CPL; Harris, Norene SSG; Hayden, Vivian G PFC; Jackson, Julia M PVT; Longmire, Sara Elizabeth PFC; Marshall, Grant Esther PVT; Miller, Evelyn Eva PVT; Nelson, Carrie Ethel PFC; Ricketts, Adele PFC; and Saunders, Nettie Mae PVT. Opinion: Has Breonna Taylor's death changed Louisville? Tell us what you think. In 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Six Triple Eight Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2021 into Public Law 117-97. There is also a 6888 monument in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, that has information about the battalion and the names of all 855 (or more) listed. You can view the monument online. I encourage those who are related to or know any of the women listed above to contact Ms. K Jordan at ktjordan6888@ so the database can be updated and to receive any updated information about the 6888th. I also encourage you to continue researching this battalion and their accomplishments, watch the movie, watch documentaries, read books, listen to podcasts and tell your children and their children about the vital role their ancestors have played in American history. It is our duty to pass it on and make sure the story never stops. Donna F. Lewis is a retired elementary music teacher who lives in Richmond, Kentucky. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Black women like my mother boosted morale during WWII | Opinion
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WWII movie shares story of Dayton's Charity Adams Earley
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — A piece of local history is getting national attention after receiving an Oscar nomination for best original song. At the end of 2024, Netflix released 'The Six Triple Eight,' shedding light on the remarkable story of America's first all Black female army unit. Created by Tyler Perry, the film tells the story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, and their contributions during World War II. Oscar nomination for Netflix movie about Dayton woman The film hits home for the Miami Valley, as it directly focuses on Charity Adams Earley from Dayton — a trailblazer for the 6888 who broke barriers then, and now. 'The scene on the airplane means a lot to me,' said Stanley Earley III, Charity's son. 'It's not a big scene in regard to the movie but one of my earliest memories about my mother talking about the 6888, she talks about being on the plane.' Adams Earley was the first African American woman to be an officer in the Women's Auxiliary Corps. The battalion deployed overseas during WWII, tasked with clearing a massive backlog of undelivered mail to boost the morale of U.S. soldiers. The battalion completed the mission with remarkable efficiency despite facing racism and sexism. And Adams Earley's influence isn't just historical — it's personal. Her children speak of a mother who was always prepared, always strong and always ready to lead by example. 'She believed in getting things done, don't put them off, don't procrastinate,' said Judith Earley, Charity's daughter. VA women's clinic renamed to honor WWII Veteran Charity Adams Earley Her son tells us she did so much more than she's accredited for. 'She was involved in the school desegregation issues,' said Stanley Earley. 'And in Dayton, she was on the chair of the housing authority. She was on the national board of the Red Cross. She was involved in so many different organizations.' And Adams Earley continues to be recognized. The Dayton VA Medical Center named their women's clinic after her. And her legacy is carried forward by the young women at the Charity Adams Earley Girls Academy in Dayton. 'We have a statement that we say: once an Earley girl, always an Earley girl,' said Karla Goins, academy principal. 'It's a term of endearment that we call our students.' At the academy, young women are taught the same lessons that Adams Earley preached: never let obstacles stop you, always lift up others and above all, keep pushing forward. 'Everyday I learn a little bit more about her that I didn't know,' said Judith Earley. 'And I start to appreciate how other people view her.' Family and school officials say her legacy isn't just about the past — it's about shaping the future, one leader at a time. 'The Six Triple Eight' is available to watch on Netflix. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
