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.

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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