passed the physical and written tests and soon found herself in basic training at Fort Des Moines, Iowa, after which she moved on to Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., for mission training. Shortly thereafter, Veasey was on a ship bound for Glasgow, Scotland. “I was seasick the entire trip,” she recalls with a laugh. The ship arrived Feb. 14, 1945. It was an auspicious introduction for all as a German V-1 rocket exploded near the dock, causing the new arrivals to duck for cover. When that fi rst contingent ar-

rived by train in Birmingham, they often were stared at by individuals who rarely had seen black people. But once the novelty wore off , the women found the community ex- tremely welcoming. Veasey made friends with a British family named Adams who hosted her for din- ner on weekends. “I was fortunate because my experiences overseas were fairly pleasant,” she says. But that’s not to say that every-

thing was rosy. In the U.S. and again overseas, the women of the 6888th found themselves doubly segre- gated, fi rst from the men and again from white female soldiers. When the 6888th later was transferred to France, the women were expected to sleep on mattress covers fi lled with barn straw. Veasey wouldn’t have it. She and a few others marched right out and found proper mattresses for all.

Tackling adversity head on In the mail storage warehouses, the women assigned to sorting and delivering the mail found literally millions of letters and packages awaiting them. Many of the packag- es contained spoiled cakes and other treats — food for rats that called the blacked-out warehouses home, re- ports Koelsch. Due to a lack of heat, the women often wore long johns and heavy coats while working.

PHOTOS: OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS; STAMP, JOHN KROPEWNICKI/SHUTTERSTOCK

Women of the 6888th worked in eight-hour shifts, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and devised a tracking system of nearly 7 million information cards to distinquish between soldiers with the same name.

(facing page) Members of the 6888th Postal Direc- tory Battalion work alongside French civilians to sort a back- log of mail during World War II. (previous spread) The unit, nicknamed “six triple eight,” marches in a victory parade May 27, 1945, in Rouen, France.

Soldiers take a few moments to enjoy the sites while stationed in Eu- rope. The unit served in both England and France from February 1945-46.

FEBRUARY 2016 MILITARY OFFICER 67