The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion

So often in the telling of African American history, the deeds of many are lost to the pages of time. Such was the case of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion led by Lt. Colonel Charity Adams. Brought to life by the recent hit Netflix movie, “The Six Triple Eight,” details the exploits of these highly talented Black Women who literally delivered the events of WWII to America’s front door.

 

In 1945, soldiers and their loved ones found themselves to be incommunicado. News of the home front and the front lines was not getting through, caused by a three-year mail backlog. As a result, fighting men and their families were distraught, to say the least. Enter First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Persuaded by her good friend and social justice activist, Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune, Mrs. Roosevelt was instrumental in creating the 6888th Battalion despite the discriminatory policies of the United States Armed Forces at that time. Made up of an all-Black battalion of the US Women's Army Corps (WAC) and led by Lt. Colonel Adams, this newly formed unit crossed the German submarine-filled waters of the Atlantic Ocean to take on the herculean task of sorting not one but several airline hangers of piled-high mail. The most difficult challenge? A time limit of only six months to complete the task.

 

Spirit, determination, tenaciousness. These were the values behind the strategy. These were the skills that tell the story of more than 850 women who, day after day, sought to reconnect men and women with mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters. In fact, they sorted more than 17 million pieces of mail in just ninety days. For her efforts, Lt. Colonel Adams became the highest-ranking Black woman in the US Army.

 

It has been more than 80 years since these brave women left the shores of the United States to change history. Over the decades, these proud women have shared their stories of service and dedication, and their memories have been preserved.

 

Mission accomplished.