Today In Black History: The Six Triple Eight WWII Battalion
The first and only all-Black WACs during WWII eliminated two years of backlogged military mail.
Issue #786 Today In Black History, Monday, January 13, 2025
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The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion (the “Six Triple Eight”) was the first and only all-female, all-Black battalion sent overseas during World War II. Established in 1944, this unique group was tasked with an enormous responsibility: clearing a two-year backlog of undelivered mail destined for American soldiers in Europe. At the height of the war, with millions of pieces of mail accumulating due to logistical challenges and the ongoing German offensive, timely delivery was crucial for morale and communication.
Columbia, South Carolina’s Major Charity Adams Earley, born on December 5, 1918, commanded the 6888th Battalion during WWII.
The battalion arrived in Birmingham, England, in February 1945 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Adams, the highest-ranking African American woman in the military at the time. Faced with an insurmountable situation, these women worked in shifts around the clock. Their motto, "No Mail, Low Morale," underscored the importance of their mission, recognizing that maintaining soldiers' connections with their families and loved ones was vital for sustaining their spirits.
Despite the challenges of operating in a segregated military and dealing with discrimination both at home and abroad, the Six Triple Eight persevered and utilized innovative methods to organize and process the massive volumes of mail. They implemented a new tracking system that efficiently matched undeliverable mail with correct addresses.
Adams and her team of 855 women of color worked tirelessly, around the clock, seven days a week, to ensure the delivery of approximately 17 million pieces of mail in England during World War II. They cleared a large backlog of undelivered mail to American soldiers stationed overseas.
The 6888th Battalion was given six months to sort mountains of backlogged mail, but they completed the task in half the time. They handled an estimated 65,000 pieces of mail per day.
Within just a few months, the women of the Six Triple Eight successfully cleared the backlog, achieving what many thought impossible.
Their unwavering commitment ensured that soldiers stayed connected with their families and paved the way for future generations of African American women in the military.
Charity Adams Earley was initiated into the Beta chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. while attending HBCU Wilberforce University in Ohio.
For her work in Europe with the 6668th, Adams received a promotion to lieutenant colonel. After the war, she briefly worked at the Pentagon before requesting a discharge in 1946. After her service, she returned to Ohio State University and completed her master’s degree in vocational psychology.
Lt. Col. Adams married Stanley A. Earley, Jr. in 1949 and settled in Dayton, Ohio, where they raised two children. She devoted the rest of her life to education and activism, serving as a dean at Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State College (now Tennessee State University) and Georgia State College (now Savannah State University).
Charity Adams-Earley died on January 13, 2002, in Dayton, Ohio. The National Postal Museum, National Women’s History Museum, Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame, Smithsonian Institute, South Carolina Black Hall of Fame, and many other organizations have recognized her dedicated service and work promoting opportunities for Black Americans.
The story of the Six Triple Eight remained largely untold for decades. Still, in 2022, President Joe Biden signed a bill awarding the battalion the Congressional Gold Medal, a testament to their enduring legacy and the vital role they played in the Allied victory.
President Biden signed the bill on March 14, 2022. Living members of the Battalion were honored in their hometowns. Only four members survived until 2022: Romay Davis, Fannie McClendon, Lena King (featured in the Tyler Perry film), and Anna Mae Robertson.
Today In Black History
In 1869, the Convention of Colored National Labor Union, the first Black labor union, held its first meeting, electing Frederick Douglass as its first president.
In 1913, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the largest Black Greek Letter Organization (BGLO) sorority, was founded at Howard University.
In 1966, Dr. Robert Clifton Weaver became the first Black person appointed to a presidential cabinet when President Lyndon B. Johnson named him to head the newly created Department of Housing and Urban Development.
In 1979, the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr..
In 1982, Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In 1987, Evan Mecham, the then-governor of Arizona, rescinded the gubernatorial decree by former Governor Burch’s Babbit that established the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a state holiday.
In 1990, Lawrence Douglas Wilder of Virginia was inaugurated as the first African American elected governor in the United States.
In 1997, WWII veteran Vernon Baker was finally awarded the Medal of Honor at age 77.
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They were awesome. 🥇