CELEBRATING WOMEN IN THE MILITARY: WW2'S 6888TH BATTALION
Around 7 million service members, Red Cross employees, and government personnel were stationed in the Europe Theater by 1945. Their only communication with loved ones back home was mail. Great thanks should be given to the 6888th Central Post Directory Battalion, which was the only all-Black Women's Army Corps unit to be stationed overseas. In fact, they are one of the earliest groups of women in the military during WW2. These women sorted through 3.3 billion pieces of mail as quickly and accurately as possible to ensure communication with family and friends. Now, the all-Black female WWII unit is receiving a Congressional Gold Medal.Read next: Kristen Griest Made Army History Not Once, But Twice
Who Was the 6888th Battalion?
Women's roles in the military in WWII were far and few between. Out of 140,000 women who served in WW2, around 6,500 of them were Black. The 6888th was created in 1944, and contained around 850 Black women. Major. Charity Adams led the battalion. She finished the war as a Lieutenant Colonel, which made her the highest ranking Black woman in the war.The women went through weeks of basic training, even though they would not be on the front line. They still had obstacle training, as well as gas mask training. They deployed in February of 1945, and traveled by ship amongst waters filled with U-boats. As soon as the women arrived, they had to run for cover from a German V-1 rocket explosion.
Women In the Military WW2: Beginning the Work and Dealing With Discrimination
After the ship docked, the battalion took a train to Birmingham, England where they started in the mail backlog. Most frontline Soldiers had not got any mail in months. Sorting and correctly labeling the mail was extremely important. Working tirelessly, the women had 24 hour shifts in three different rotations.According to an Army Combat Studies Institute publication, six airplane hangers full of Christmas presents were amongst the mail that had been returned from the Battle of the Bulge. The windows of the mail sorting rooms were blacked out to protect the women from nighttime air raids.A report showed another large complication the women dealt with was men that had the same name. There were 7,500 men named Robert Smith. They also dealt with incorrect addresses or nicknames on pieces of mail. Each piece of mail was worked for roughly 30 days before finding its recipient.According to a defense.gov article, “Army historians said the women processed 65,000 pieces of mail per eight-hour shift in Birmingham and cleared what was thought to be a six-month backlog in only half that time — a total of about 17 million pieces of mail.”Related read: Changes Are Being Made to the New 2025 Military Pay Raise
Carrying on Despite the Hardships
Upon completion of the job in England, they were sent to France in June of 1945 to continue their work. This time, they had help from French civilians and German POW. Service members would thank the women of the 6888th when recognizing them in the streets. The women in the military during WW2 still faced racism and sexism. According to the National Museum of the US Army, service members often made the assumption that the women were to provide them companionship. The Red Cross would not let the women into their club, so they instead opened a segregated club. The women never stepped foot in their segregated club to show their disappointment, as they were just as hard working and deserving as any other service member.The NMUSA said some of the 6888th units recreational basketball players were invited to an all-star team. When the Army learned that the women were Black, they took the offer back. Mixing races in units, even for sports teams, was against Army policy. However, the women went on to win the European theaters basketball championship the same year.Sadly, three of the women died in a car crash in July of 1945. The war department would not provide funds for the funerals of burials. The women of course figured it out themselves and held a proper funeral in France.
Remembering the Women in the Military WW2: Credit Where Credit Is Due
When the women returned home in 1946, they received a few medals but no real recognition for their accomplishments. Years later, many of the women returned to England and France where they were honored for their service.In 2018, a monument at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas was built in their honor. In February of 2024, the House of Representatives passed legislation awarding the women of the 6888th battalion the Congressional Gold Medal award. President Joe Biden signed the bill on March 14th. It is unsure when the ceremony will take place but the women are finally obtaining global recognition for their service.Suggested read: Operation Just Cause: Coups, Drugs, and Equality for Women