Black Female WWII Unit Recognized With Congressional Honor

The only Black female unit that served the continent of Europe during the Second World War has been awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on Monday 28 February.

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion consisting of an all-black battalion of the Women's Army Corps got the recognition and voted with the award after a long-running campaign.

The Senate passed the legislation in the year 2021 and the 422-0 vote follows numerous operations and activities. The unit is also known by the nickname as 'Six Triple Eight' was given the task to arrange and route mail for American civilians and service members.

It may be mentioned that only a half dozen among 855 members unit is still alive living in different parts of the world.

One member Fannie Griffin McClendon 101 years old from Arizona said that she is overwhelmed to know about the votes and says that she has never thought about it.

The Six Triple Eight got the credit for solving the expanding mail crisis in England by that time and was also known for being the role model of Black women for generations in joining armed forces.

The service by the unit of 855 members never got wider recognition earlier but in the last gone years, it has changed as 6888th started getting recognition.

In 2018, to honour the all-black battalion a monument was constructed at Fort Leavenworth located in Kansas and in 2019 the unit received the Meritorious Unit Commendation.

A documentary titled 'The Six Triple Eight' was also made featuring the story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.

Wisconsin Rep. Gwen Moore sponsored the bill after contacting by the 6888th member Anna Mae Robertson's daughter said that the Six Triple Eight was a revolutionary group of heroes who were the only all-Black, Women Army Corps Battalion to serve overseas at the time of 2nd World War.

She added that these women's team sorted millions of pieces of mail by closing mail backlogs and ensured that servicemembers received letters from their loved ones. They have done all these by facing sexism and racism amid the war zone.

Moore further added that a Congressional Gold Medal only fits for the veteran 6888th members who received very little recognition for their work after returning home.

One of the 6888th members Hunt-Martin who passed away in 2020 at the age of 98 now gets the recognition as the house on Monday night voted to change the Central park Post Office in Buffalo after her name and rename it as 'Indiana Hunt-Martin Post Office Building.'

The group was sent overseas in the year 1945 when growing pressure was seen from African-American organizations for including Black women in the Women's Army Corps and allowing them to join white counterparts.

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