The 6888th

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion

(The SixTripleEight marching in honor of Joan of Arc in Rouen, France in 1945.)

When I lived in West Germany and then Germany I remember seeing AFN “Commercials” about the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.

AFN: Armed Forces Network or AFN was the only English Language Channel offered to American Soldiers and their Families Overseas (you needed special equipment that you could only buy at the PX/BX.)

Today AFN has several TV Channels.

AFN didn’t have real Commercials selling products, but were either PSAs about how to be an “Unofficial American Ambassador Overseas”, how not to stand out as an “Ugly American” (being loud and wearing an oversized Cowboy Hat) and about different aspects of American Politics, Military History, etc.

6888th: The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, nicknamed the "Six Triple Eight", was a Black Battalion of the Women's Army Corps (WAC).

Until 1948 the United States Military was segregated by Race with Whites-Only Units and Non-Whites-Only Units (Blacks, Asians and Hispanics could be in the same Unit.)

Each Unit (whether White, Black, Hispanic or Asian) had to be Commanded by a White Officer.

Until 2016 Women (Black, White, Asian or Hispanic) were not allowed to fight in Combat in the United States Military. They were only allowed to be in Supporting Roles.

The SixTripleEight had 855 Women both Enlisted and Officers, and was led by Major Charity Adams.

It was the only Black US Women's Army Corps Unit sent Overseas during World War II.

The Group’s Motto was "No mail, low morale".

The Battalion was organized into 5 Companies, Headquarters, Company A, Company B, Company C, and Company D.

Most of the 6888th worked as Postal Clerks, but others were Cooks, Mechanics and held other Support Positions, so that the 6888th was a Self-Sufficient Unit

Founding: For several years during the beginning of World War 2 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, an Adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, advocated with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to find a meaningful role for Black Women in the War.

In the Summer of 1944, Black WACs at Fort Des Moines in Indiana received orders to train at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, an Overseas Training Center (TC.)

There they not only had to deal with Sexism from both the White and Black Soldiers, but also the Off-Base Racial Segregation (the Jim Crow Laws) which were legal in Georgia and the rest of the South until 1964.

Overseas:

(Mail stacked to the ceiling in Birmingham, England during the War.)

On February 3, 1945, the US Army sent 800 Women of the SixTripleEight overseas to England aboard the SS Ile de France. Their mission unknown to them.

Eleven days later, after dodging German U-boats, the SixTripleEight Central Postal Directory Battalion landed in Glasgow, Scotland.

On February 14 1945, the SixTripleEight arrived at their new home at the King Edward School near downtown Birmingham England.

Over the next 3 months, the SixTripleEight perfected their processes by setting up three eight hour shifts, seven days a week.

At peak efficiency, they processed for delivery over 65,000 pieces of mail per shift. By War’s end, it added up to 17 million pieces of mail.

The WACs set up a system of Army Postal Office (APO) carts to pitch mail. Once the carts were full, the mail would be delivered to the APOs for further distribution.

For Soldiers with Common Last names, like “Smith,” the clerks used special locator cards which contained the Soldiers’ Names and Unit Numbers to ensure proper delivery. The also repackaged damaged goods and sent them out.

Work conditions were less than ideal. The Women pitched mail in damp, poorly-lit warehouses without heat. The windows were all painted over for blackout conditions.

To battle the cold, some Women resorted to wearing ski pants, field jackets, fatigues or anything else to keep warm.

They worked eight-hour rotating shifts, seven days a week. The job, which was supposed to take them six months, was completed in only three.

In May 1945, the SixTripleEight was moved to Rouen, France, not far from the Port City of Le Havre.

After Victory In Europe: At the end of World War 2 in Europe the SixTripleEight moved to Paris and the luxuries of the Hotel Etat-Unis from where they began to rotate home.

On February 27, 1946, the SixTripleEight boarded the Claymont Victory for its return to the United States.

The Battalion was disbanded on March 9, 1946 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.

There was no Public Recognition for their service at the time.

 Many of its members stayed in the Military, while others used the GI Bill to earn College Degrees.

They became Teachers, Bankers, Nurses, and Civil Rights Activists.

Post-War Recognition: In 1946, members of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion were awarded the European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal during their Service.

On March 15, 2016, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was inducted into the U.S. Army Women's Foundation Hall of Fame.

On November 30, 2018, a Monument was dedicated in their honor at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.

On February 20, 2019, Secretary of the Army, Dr. Mark T. Esper, awarded them the Meritorious Unit Commendation for Meritorious Service during Military Operations from February 15, 1945 to March 4, 1946.

On April 4, 2019, the SixTripleEight Documentary premiered at the Women in Military Service to America (WIMSA) and screened throughout the United States to include The National WWII Museum in New Orleans.

On May 13, 2019, US Ambassador to the Court of St. James (the UK), Robert Wood Johnson, dedicated a Blue Plaque at King Edward’s School in Birmingham, England to mark the location where the SixTripleEight was stationed in February 1945.

On March 14, 2022, President Biden signed a Bipartisan Bill to award the Battalion the Congressional Gold Medal.

Film: A Film about 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion called “The Six Triple Eight” directed by Tyler Perry and starring Kerry Washington, Oprah Winfrey and Susan Sarandon will be released on December 6, 2024.