Battalion Of Black Women Army Veterans Of World War II Earn Congressional Gold Medal

By Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector

March 14, 2022

TOPEKA — President Joe Biden signed legislation Monday to award the Congressional Gold Medal to barrier-breaking members of the only all-Black, all-female battalion to serve overseas during World War II.

Members of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion of the Women’s Army Crops, or the “Six Triple Eight,” earned a special place in history and were worthy of the highest distinction Congress can bestow, said U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas.

“Though the odds were set against them, the women of the Six Triple Eight processed millions of letters and packages during their deployment in Europe, helping connect WWII soldiers with their loved ones back home — like my father and mother,” Moran said. “Our nation will always be grateful to the members of the Six Triple Eight and now, nearly 80 years after their service, we are finally able to recognize these extraordinary women on the national stage.”

The battalion deployed to Europe in 1945 to sort through a six-month backlog of mail. Failure to deliver the letters and packages piled up in a warehouse in England was viewed as a detriment to morale among soldiers on the frontlines. The 855 women of the battalion completed their assignment in three months.

The effort to recognize the battalion was inspired by retired Col. Edna Cummings, who co-produced the 2019 documentary, “The Six Triple Eight,” that highlighted the unit’s achievements. A monument to the 6888th was installed in the Buffalo Soldiers Monument Park at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.

“Their service will never be forgotten as soldiers and trailblazers for gender and racial equality,” Cummings said.

This legislation was also sponsored by U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada, in the Senate and by U.S. Reps. Gwen Moore, D-Wisconsin, and Jake LaTurner, R-Kansas, in the House.

Moore said the president’s signing of the bill meant work could begin on designing the coin and planning a formal congressional ceremony to present the medal to survivors of the postal directory battalion or their families.

“This legislation is for my constituent, Ms. Anne Mae Wilson Robertson, and every unsung hero of the Six Triple Eight,” Moore said. “In signing this legislation into law, our nation, in perpetuity, honors these trailblazing heroes and helps ensure their service is always remembered.”

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