The Six Triple Eight
In honor of Black History Month, we’re doing a deep dive on the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion–also known as the “the Six Triple Eight”–a group of brave African-American women who served in World War II.
Courageous, bold, strong, and resilient are just a few words that describe the women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, a predominantly African-American unit of the Women's Army Corps, or WACs. The WACs were a branch of the U.S. Army established during World War II that allowed women to serve in non-combat roles such as clerical work, communications, and mechanics.
During World War II, the Army faced low morale, at least in part because soldiers and their loved ones didn’t hear from each other for as long as two years! The Army lacked the resources to process the millions of individual pieces of mail that piled up in European warehouses from floor to ceiling–that is, until the Six Triple Eight took on the task. They were given the immense challenge of sorting through and distributing a massive backlog of undelivered mail sent to the 7 million U.S. soldiers stationed in Europe during the war.
While working in rat-infested warehouses in England and France, the Six Triple Eight were treated like second-rate citizens in deplorable working conditions–but that didn’t stop them. According to the Buffalo Soldier Educational and Historical Committee, they developed an efficient process for sorting the mail that enabled them to sort more than 17 million letters and parcels, effectively erasing the mail backlog–and they did it under the deadline that was set for them. They used ingenious methods to sort the mail, including by scent and location. The unit was then transferred to Rouen, France, in June 1945 to sort through additional mail and cleared a three-year accumulation in just five months.
The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion didn’t receive recognition until nearly 80 years later, when former President Joe Biden awarded the group with the Congressional Medal of Honor in March 2022, proving women of color could be assets to and have a place within the U.S. Army. The amazing women of the Six Triple Eight included:
Charity Adams: In her memoir One Woman’s Army, Major Charity Adams shared how she became the first Black woman to serve as a U.S. Army officer and lead the newly formed 6888th Battalion, which is also called the Six Triple Eight.
Romay Johnson Davis: Romay Johnson Davis one of the oldest surviving members of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. She passed away on June 21, 2024, at 104 years old. When the unit was on the boat in tumultuous waters, Romay knew that there was no use panicking. She scolded her crying companions. “You can’t get off the ship,” she said. “You have to train yourself not to be so frightened that you can’t enjoy it.”
A big thank you to Retired Col. Edna Cummings who was largely responsible for bringing the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the Six Triple Eight, to the forefront for us to celebrate their amazing accomplishments for the U.S. Army. Also, let’s give credit to the inspired director, Tyler Perry, for keeping the conversation going with his Netflix film about The Six Triple Eight. Let’s continue to celebrate these incredible women for their significant contributions boosting the morale of the 7 million soldiers during World War II, and for the many African-American women with untold stories of bravery and commitment to the U.S. Army and military service.
