02-05-2025
Congress honors WWII's All-Black, All-female battalion with Gold Medal
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – This week, in a rare moment of bipartisan unity, Congress awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, better known as the Six Triple Eight, the only all-Black, all-female unit to serve overseas during World War II.
The ceremony brought together more than 300 descendants from across the country to honor the women whose work had remained largely unrecognized for decades.
'They had a painstaking job, but because they were not expected to succeed, it made them want to push forward,' said Stelena Hooper Evans, daughter of Pfc. Mildred Hooper, one of the unit's members.
The Six Triple Eight was deployed to England and France in 1945 to sort a massive backlog of more than 17 million pieces of mail intended for American troops and their families. Tasked with completing the job in six months, the battalion succeeded in just three. Their work provided more than just logistical relief, it offered hope and connection during one of the darkest periods in modern history.
'And it could be something simple,' Evans said. 'Like: 'Your mother has started a new bakery.' Or it could have been a 'Dear John': 'I have left you and married your brother.''
For many descendants, the ceremony was not just an honor, but a revelation. Tremika Massey only learned about her grandmother, Pfc. Hester Givens Massey's service, while writing her obituary after her passing.
'She never talked about it,' Massey said. 'She was just a hard, stern grandmother. It all made sense later. She was over there making history, with bombs falling.'
Among the 855 women who served in the unit was Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley, the first African American woman commissioned in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. Her son, Stanley Earley, says she would be proud.
'She'd be really happy,' he said.
Despite the critical role they played, the Six Triple Eight received no formal recognition when they returned home. Many later used the G.I. Bill to pursue higher education and became leaders in their communities.
'It doesn't matter about the obstacles in life,' said Jeri Marshall, daughter of Odessa Taylor Marshall. 'It's: can you meet the challenge?'
'They were history,' Massey added. 'And we are too, because they instilled those things in us.'
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) spoke at the event, emphasizing the impact of the long-overdue recognition.
'They will never, ever be hidden figures again,' he said.
Only two surviving members of the Six Triple Eight are alive today. Neither was able to attend the ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.
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