They’re still getting the flowers they deserve!
This week, the women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, also known as the “Six Triple Eight,” were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal—the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress, ABC News reports. The unit holds a singular place in American history as the only all-Black, all-women battalion to serve overseas during World War II. Nearly eight decades after their critical and courageous contributions, the long-overdue recognition is finally here.
“That really shows how long this recognition took,” said Kim Guise, senior curator and director of curatorial affairs at the National WWII Museum. “It is really important to recognize the accomplishments of these women and what they went through to serve their country in war time.”
Back in 1945, during the final chapters of the war, the 6888th was deployed to Europe in response to a growing pressure from African-American organizations to allow Black women to serve overseas in the Women’s Army Corps. Their mission? Sort through a massive backlog of undelivered mail—17 million pieces of it.
“They kept hollering about wanting us to go overseas so I guess they found something for us to do overseas: Take care of the mail,” recalled retired Maj. Fannie Griffin McClendon. “And there was an awful lot of mail… They expected we were gonna be there about two or three months trying to get it straightened out. Well I think in about a month, in a month and a half, we had it all straightened out and going in the right direction.”
The women worked around the clock in three shifts, processing approximately 65,000 pieces of mail per shift using a detailed system of locator cards to ensure every letter and package reached the right service member. Their work not only boosted morale on the frontlines but also broke down racial and gender barriers in a deeply segregated military system.
Congress officially passed legislation awarding the Congressional Gold Medal in 2022 with a resounding 422-0 vote. Now the formal ceremony, three years in the making, took place this week on April 29th in Emancipation Hall at the Capitol Visitor Center, where House Speaker Mike Johnson and others presented the medal to the family of the unit’s trailblazing commander, Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley.
“These heroes deserve their dues; and I am so glad their story is being told,” said Wisconsin Rep. Gwen Moore, who co-sponsored the bill. “I am especially honored to ensure my constituent Ms. Anna Mae Robertson and the many others who served with her, are recognized for their selfless service.”
For McClendon, one of only two surviving members of the original 855 women, the honor is both surreal and deeply emotional. “It’s overwhelming,” she told reporters. “It’s something I never even thought about.”
After her time with the 6888th, McClendon continued her service, joining the Air Force after the military was integrated and becoming the first woman to command an all-male squadron in the Strategic Air Command. She retired in 1971, carrying with her the resilience and legacy of the Six Triple Eight.
The battalion’s story has finally been thrust into the spotlight in recent years. A monument was erected in 2018 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. They received the Meritorious Unit Commendation in 2019. A documentary—The Six Triple Eight—preserved their journey on screen. And in 2024, Tyler Perry brought their legacy to a new generation with a Netflix film starring Kerry Washington.
Their mission may have begun with mail, but their impact delivered so much more: courage, legacy, and proof that when Black women lead, history follows.
Cover photo: ‘Six Triple Eight’ Battalion Receive Congressional Gold Medal for Heroic WWII Service/Photo credit: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images