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from https://apnews.com/article/six-triple-eight-black-female-congressional-medal-04e760837bf3686fc4523fdaec2d6f6e

Black female WWII unit, ‘Six Triple Eight,’ receives congressional medal
By FERNANDA FIGUEROA and MATT BROWN
Updated 6:32 PM PDT, April 29, 2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — The only Black, all-female unit to serve in Europe
during World War II, known as the “Six Triple Eight,” was honored
Tuesday with the Congressional Gold Medal, following a long-running
campaign to recognize their efforts.

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was credited with solving
a growing mail crisis during its stint in England and, upon their
return, serving as a role model to generations of Black women who joined
the military.

They cleared out a backlog of about 17 million pieces of mail in three
months, twice as fast as projected. The battalion would go on to serve
in France before returning home. And like many Black units during World
War II, their exploits never got the attention afforded their white counterparts — until now.

House Speaker Mike Johnson presented the medal to the family of the unit commander, Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley, during a ceremony in
Emancipation Hall at the Capitol Visitor Center. More than 300
descendants of the women who served in the battalion were in attendance.

0:00 / 55
AP AUDIO: Black female WWII unit, ‘Six Triple Eight,’ receives congressional honor
AP’s Lisa Dwyer reports on this year’s recipients of the Congressional
Gold Medal, a military unit who were recently celebrated in a movie for Netflix.

“This ceremony reflects one of the highest and most cherished traditions
of our republic, one that’s roots stretch back all the way to General
George Washington,” Johnson said.

“The Six Triple Eight are great American patriots, loyal to a nation
that, for far too long, failed to return the favor. And I’m glad to say that’s changing, and we’re doing that here today,” he said.

Stanley Earley III, the son of the battalion’s commander, was among the speakers at the ceremony. He called the women who served “true examples
of American excellence.”

“These soldiers exemplified determination in the face of adversity and demonstrated the ability to go beyond what was thought to be possible,” Earley said.

The 6888th was sent overseas in 1945, a time when there was growing
pressure from African American organizations to include Black women in
what was called the Women’s Army Corps, and allow them to join their
white counterparts overseas.

The 6888th toiled around the clock, processing about 65,000 pieces of
mail in each of the three shifts. They created a system using locator
cards with service members’ names and unit numbers to ensure mail was delivered.

“I don’t know if any of the letters between my mom and dad passed
through the hands of the Six Triple Eight, but I do know that the work
they did made it possible for millions of young men like my dad to keep
up the fight,” said Sen. Jerry Moran, who recounted meeting five of the battalion members in 2018. Moran, a Republican from Kansas, co-sponsored
the medal legislation in the Senate.

“When these women returned home, there was no parade to greet them. No
one lined the streets to thank them for their service. That ain’t right.
And we’re trying to correct it today,” Moran said.

(Jerking nitwits trying to act victimized. Plenty of us returned home
and got no parades or thanks for our service. It was what it was.)

The unit’s story has gained wider recognition in recent years. A
monument was erected in 2018 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to honor them,
and the 6888th was given the Meritorious Unit Commendation in 2019. A documentary “The Six Triple Eight” was made about their exploits. In
2024, Tyler Perry directed a movie for Netflix about the unit, starring
Kerry Washington.

The Senate voted to bestow the Congressional Gold Medal, its highest
honor, on the 6888th in 2021, and the House followed in early 2022.
Reflecting wide bipartisan support, leaders of both parties spoke at Tuesday’s ceremony.

Wisconsin Democratic Rep. Gwen Moore, who co-sponsored the legislation
to award the medal, called the recognition long overdue.

“This ceremony is a fitting end to a long journey to make sure that we
do not forget their service,” said Moore, who represents one of the two living members of the battalion.

“They did it for the love of country. And the story reminds us so much
that while there’s much that divides our country today, there’s even
more than joins us together, like a commitment to service, a commitment
to doing something bigger than yourself, to live and volunteer, to go
into service in a war zone, even in the face of segregation at home,”
Moore said.

(Yes!)

The AP spoke with one of the women who served in the battalion, Maj.
Fannie Griffin McClendon, after the congressional vote in 2022.
McClendon joined the Air Force after the military was integrated and
retired in 1971. She was the first female to command an all-male
squadron with the Strategic Air Command.

“It’s overwhelming,” McClendon said of the medal. “It’s something I never even thought about it.”

___

Associated Press writer Michael Casey contributed to this report.

FERNANDA FIGUEROA
FERNANDA FIGUEROA
Figueroa reports on Latino/Hispanic affairs as a member of the AP’s Race
& Ethnicity team.
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MATT BROWN
MATT BROWN
Brown is a reporter covering national politics, race and democracy issues.

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