URING WORLD WAR II, few things were more precious to soldiers overseas than mail from home. It was a lifeline that bolstered morale and reminded everyone of what they were fighting for.
But as the war raged and Ameri- can forces rapidly spread across Europe, mail distribution faltered. By early 1945, warehouses in Bir- mingham, England, practically bulged with undelivered letters and packages from home, resulting in a noticeable decline in morale among servicemembers. Something had to be done.
Enter the 6888th Central Postal
Directory Battalion — the fi rst all- female, all-African-American unit to serve overseas during World War II. Established within the Women’s Army Corp (WAC) in November 1944, the history-making 6888th was charged with sorting mountains of mail and ensuring each piece was delivered properly. It was a Herculean task that one general predicted would take at least six months to complete. The women of the 6888th did it in three.
66 MILITARY OFFICER FEBRUARY 2016
Anticipating adventure The WAC was established in 1943 so women other than nurses could par- ticipate in military service. Those who joined underwent six weeks of basic training, often followed by four to 12 weeks of specialist train- ing. African-American women were part of the WAC from the start, and fi rst lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights leader Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune strongly encouraged the War Department to send African- American Wacs overseas. But there was a proviso, reports Beth Ann Koelsch, curator of the Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. Be- cause African-Americans made up 10 percent of the nation’s popula- tion at the time, African-American recruitment within the WAC also was capped at 10 percent.
A total of 824 African-American
enlisted personnel and 31 offi cers drawn from the WAC, the Army Service Forces, and the Army Air Forces made up the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, nick- named the “six triple eight.” It in- cluded a headquarters company for administrative and service support and companies A, B, C, and D, each commanded by a captain or fi rst lieu- tenant. Maj. Charity Adams Earley, from Kitrell, N.C., was selected to command the battalion.
Among those who signed up was Millie Dunn Veasey of Raleigh, N.C. She saw an ad soliciting female black recruits and learned the cleri- cal skills she had acquired through various New Deal programs were especially valued. Veasey, who like many others was excited at the prospect of seeing Europe while supporting the war eff ort, easily
PHOTOS: U.S. ARMY WOMEN’S MUSEUM, FORT LEE, VA; PREVIOUS SPREAD, NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION; STAMPS, JOHN KROPEWNICKI/SHUTTERSTOCK
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88