The 6888 Postal Directory Battalion- Heroes of World War II

By February 1945, America had been at war for four long years. Our military personal, civilians and the Red Cross were sent overseas, far away from their families and friends. And their only form of communication back home ---was mail call. But what if letters from home stopped coming? due to a backlog of undelivered mail. Army brass understood the importance of mail and decided to send in a special unit to fix this morale busting problem. Enter the 6 Triple 8 Central Postal Directory Battalion, a group of all Black female soldiers with the motto, “No Mail, Low Morale.”

Despite poor working conditions in a rat-infested warehouse, these devoted servicewomen worked 7 days a week, 24 hours a day in three eight hour shifts. And they achieved unprecedented success and efficiency in solving the military’s postal problems. It is no surprise that they broke all Army records for sorting mail! With the new tracking system that the 6 triple 8 Battalion created, the women processed an average of 65,000 pieces of mail per shift and cleared the six-month backlog of Birmingham warehouse mail in just three months. This unit provided essential support for the U.S. military in the European theater by linking service members to their loved ones back home.

By the time the 68-88th completed their mission and left France in March 1946, they had exceeded all expectations. And because of their success, it opened up the doors for other Black women in the Army and other military services.

Comments:
1. The 6888th monument was donated to the Army by the Buffalo Soldier Educational and Historical Committee
2. Images of the 6888th Monument and its writings cannot be used without the explicit written permission of the Buffalo Soldier Educational and Historical Committee, c/o 9701 NW 73rd Terrace, Weatherby Lake, Missouri, [email protected]
3. For additional info about the 6888th visit www.womenofthe6888th.org.