Courage to Deliver: The Women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion
By the end of 1944, with the D-Day landings complete and the hard-fought Battle of the Bulge underway, the Army faced another daunting challenge: mail warehouses in Europe overflowed with mountains of undelivered letters and packages. A shortage of postal workers meant seven million Americans on the continent were feeling disconnected from their loved ones at home. In response, a Women's Army Corps (WAC) unit, eventually designated as the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, was assembled and sent to England and then France.
The 6888th, comprised of 855 predominantly African American women, also included other segregated Latin American, Caribbean, and multiracial women. They were the only unit of Black women to serve overseas during World War II. Under the command of Major Charity Adams, the "Six Triple Eight" developed an efficient and effective sorting and tracking system to tackle the severe mail backlog. They redirected mail for service members moving across the continent, corrected incomplete addresses, and repackaged damaged letters and parcels. The unit exceeded expectations and is credited with delivering over 17 million items by the end of the war. Their motto of "No mail, low morale," reflected their dedication to boost the morale of Army soldiers and civilians serving in Europe.
Leadership
When the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) was established in May 1942, the War Department's directive was to mirror Army policy for Black men and limit Black women to ten percent of the total number of personnel. The rigorous application process for all female applicants to the first WAAC Officer Candidate Class (OCC) consisted of a visit to the local recruiting station to file paperwork, an aptitude test, screening by a preliminary local interviewing board, a physical exam, and a personal interview. An evaluating board in Washington, D.C. then conducted the final assessment. To bolster the number of African American applications, the Army sent officers to Black colleges to help recruit qualified candidates. When the first women arrived at the WAAC Training Center at Fort Des Moines, Iowa, to attend the officer candidate school, there were 440 officer candidates, 39 of whom were Black.
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First WAAC Officer Class
The Black women were assigned to the Third Platoon, First Company, First WAAC Regiment. During the six-week course, they were housed in a segregated building but followed the same course of instruction as the other platoons. The OCC candidates were trained in military customs, first aid, property accountability, map reading, physical training, and close order drills. On 29 August 1942, the graduates were commissioned as third officers in the WAAC, a rank equivalent to a 2nd Lt. in the Army.
Major Charity Adams
Charity Adams was the first African American woman to receive a commission in the WAAC. Upon graduation, her first assignment was as a company commander at the First WAAC Training Center at Fort Des Moines. Adams also served as a convoy officer when troops were moved to other posts, and she frequently participated in recruiting activities and war bond drives. In December 1944, she was selected to command the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.
The 6888th Mission
In 1943, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) was converted to the Women's Army Corps (WAC) and granted military status. With this transition, Dr. Bethune, along with several African American organizations, successfully advocated for Black women to be sent abroad.
By December 1944, the 6888th received training at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, and shortly thereafter arrived in Europe. In both England and France, they faced overwhelming backlogs of mail. The challenging situation was due to a chornic shortage of postal workers, constant troop movements, common soldier names, and incomplete addresses. It was estimated that 7,500 individuals were named Robert Smith. The mail, housed in dimly lit and drafty aircraft hangers, had sometimes been ravaged by rodents. The Six Triple Eight lived in austere conditions with outside showers and sparse indoor heat. Nevertheless, when the unit arrived, fresh from the States, they were ready to prove themselves up to the task.
The Processing System
The 6888th was organized into a Headquarters Company, which handled administrative and service support, and four postal companies, A, B, C, and D, each commanded by a captain or first lieutenant. The unit immediately got to work, rotating in eight-hour shifts, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The tracekd the locations of millions of troops and had the somber responsibility of returning mail addressed to service members who had died. The officers also served as censors. As the stacks of mail began to shrink, the Six Triple Eight adopted the motto, "No mail, low morale."
The Fight for Equality
The 6888th was subjected to racism and sexism both at home and abroad. At Fort Des Moines for training, Black women were housed in a segregated building, kept away from the white platoons. In England, a general officer threatened to replace Major Adams with a white lieutenant when she ordered a portion of the 6888th to continue their work rather than join the formation for his inspection. In another instance, the 6888th was successfully using integrated accommodations in London for weekend passes. When the Red Cross decided to lease a hotel just for the Black women, Maj. Adams asked her troops not to use the segregated facility which she felt would be a step backwards and her soldiers readily agreed.
Once returned home and out of service, many Black WACs struggled to receive the full benefits of the GI Bill. It wouldn't be until July 1948 that Executive Order 9981 integrated the Armed Forces, but the fight against racism and segregation in the civilian world was just beginning.
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Return
The 6888th completed its mission and the last members departed the European Theater of Operations on 2 March 1946 aboard the S.S. Claymont Victory. There was no parade or any form of recognition for the Six Triple Eight. The Army immediately began deactivating the unit and most of the women left military service to return to their civilian lives.
Lasting Legacy
More than seven decades after their service, a wave of acknowledgement and admiration for these honored mothers, aunts, sisters, and grandmothers swept across the country. Recognition came in many forms: a monument in the Buffalo Soldier Commemorative Area, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, The Six Triple Eight documentary, a Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Congressional Gold Medal, and the redesignation of Fort Lee to honor Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams and Lieutenant General Arthur Gregg. The descendants of the 6888th continue to share new and unique memorabilia, documents, and images of these American trailblazers who helped shape our nation.
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