Latest news with #SixTripleEightCongressionalGoldMedalActof2021
USA Today
30-04-2025
- General
- USA Today
'Six Triple Eight:' The all-Black female WWII unit awarded the Congressional Gold Medal
'Six Triple Eight:' The all-Black female WWII unit awarded the Congressional Gold Medal The unit, made up of 855 Black women, boosted the morale of soldiers fighting across Europe during World War II. Show Caption Hide Caption Milwaukee church celebrates 'Six Triple Eight' service member Anna Mae Robertson served in the only all-female African-American unit deployed overseas during the war, and her service was celebrated in February. Fox - Milwaukee The all-Black female WWII unit, the "Six Triple Eight," was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award that Congress can bestow upon a civilian. On Tuesday, the 6888th unit, which is known as the "Six Triple Eight," was awarded the medal for 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 Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana. 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. 'Six Triple Eight': Kerry Washington, Tyler Perry's movie tells true story of Black women in WWII What is the 6888th? 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 Lt. Col. 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 6888th 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 6888th attended the ceremony, Johnson said during his speech at the ceremony. Why was mail so important? 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. 'The Six Triple Eight' movie "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. This story has been updated to correct typos. Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Connect with her on LinkedIn,X, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@
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
