Black History fact #21: The 6888th battalion

What's going on, everybody. Welcome to another episode of a day with crime, black history fact edition. Of course I am your man, David. Let's jump in. 

All right. So this one, I know a lot of people don't know. I know a lot of people older than us probably do, but I've talked to some people and they said they never knew about this one. So I'm very happy to share this fact with you today. The 608088th battalion. Which was an all black [00:01:00] female unit of military that delivered mail to the world war two troops across England.

 In February of 1945, the 6,888 central postal directory battalion was established to deliver mail to American troops, government personnel, and volunteers abroad. And. At the time many packages and letters were poorly addressed or sent to individuals with common names and a little further direction.

Members of the service were in getting their mail, which had an outsize impact on morale. Officials estimated that with the disarray of the postal warehouse, it would take around six months for the harrowing backlog to be sorted and delivered American. African-American women were granted the opportunity to travel, to serve overseas in late 1944 in the 6888th battalion was full of eager well-trained recruits led [00:02:00] by major charity, Edna Adams, the women of the six triple eight spent time in Oglethorpe, Georgia.

Preparing for service, jumping over trenches, identifying enemy crabs and marching mail delivery in a war zone. Did not come without danger and the women of the battalion phase, several close calls, injuries, and even some instances of death, though, the reaction to this battalion was mixed. The six triple eight was outstandingly efficient.

The battalion worked in long shifts, seven days a week, and created a brand new tracking system for the mail they received rather than a couple of the sorting of mail and the project at six months, the recruits blew through the task. In three. All right. So less learn a little bit more about the incredible women of the 6888th central pulsatile directory battalion.

So their nickname is the six [00:03:00] triple eight. They had 855 black women, both enlisted and officers and was led by major charity Adams early. It was the only all black, all female battalion overseas during world war two. And the group model was no male, low morale. The battalion was organized into five companies, headquarters company, a company, B company, C and company D, and most of the 6,888 worked as postal clerks, but others were cooks mechanics and held other support positions.

So that the 6888th was as self-sufficient unit. So during world war II, there was a significant shortage of soldiers who were able to manage the postal servers for the U S army overseas in 1944. Mary McLeod Bethune worked to get the support of first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, for a role for black [00:04:00] women in the war overseas, black newspapers to challenge the us army, to use black women in a meaningful army.

The women who signed up, went to basic training in Georgia and women who were already in the WAC like Alice Dickson served at different locations, including the Pentagon before they joined the 6888th, the 6,888 left the United States on February 3rd, 1945, selling on Ellie to France and arriving in gloss.

On February 12th, Ellie to France and counter several German U boats on the trip, forcing the ship to take evasive maneuvers. And the same day, the battalion was transported by train to Birmingham on 15 February, the battalion was inspected and marched and review before Lieutenant general, John C H Lee commanding general communications zone, European theater of operations and major general Robert [00:05:00] McGowan.

Who was the chief quartermaster ETO part of whose command was male when the 6,888 settled in that Birmingham, they saw letters stacked to the ceiling of the temporary post office. And the temporary post office was located in converted. Some letters have been in the makeshift offices for as long as two years.

Army officials believe that undelivered mail was hurting morale. Many letters and packages were difficult to source as they were addressed with only the first name of the soldier had a commonly used name or use nicknames early in the operation or white general attempted to send a white officer to tell them how to do it.

Right. But major early responded, sir, over my dead body. The battalion finished, what was supposed to be a six month task in three months in may of 1945, the 6,888 devised their own system to handle the backlog of [00:06:00] male. The women of the 6,888 worked in three different shifts, seven days a week processing and delivering mail or morale booster to fighting troops in Europe.

Each shift handled an estimated 65,000 pieces of. And it was cold when they arrived and women wore long underwear and coats in the unheated buildings. The 6888th was a segregated unit, sleeping and eating in different locations from the white male soldiers. They were housed in a former school building with officer's quarters in houses nearby.

And so women felt that European locals treated them better than people did in the United States. A chaplain working at Birmingham caused problems for. Ordering her soldiers not to report to work, but to report to his office, causing them to be AWOL early, had to counsel him to let the women alone reminding him that she was in charge of the women's assignments.

So that was just in England. And as you see, [00:07:00] no matter where you went back, then, you know, they have some issues, you know, you got a guy who's CODO saying, you know, no you're going to report to me because I'm in charge early, said that's not going to be happy. So that's just in England alone, they ended up going to France.

So once the backlog in Birmingham had been dealt with the 6888th was shipped across the channel to in may of 1945. And then we're in trained to Rowan the 6,888 dealt with another backlog of mail. Some of the letters, three years old and the military police in the WAC unit, we're not allowed to have weapons.

So they use jujitsu to keep out unwanted visitors. They also participated in a parade ceremony at the place where Joan of arc died by October of 1945. The mailer Rowan had been cleared in the 6888th was sent to. They marched through Paris and we're [00:08:00] housed and it looks serious hotel where they receive first-class treatment during this time, because the war was over.

The battalion was reduced by 300 women with 200 due to be discharged in January of 1946. And in February, 1946, the unit returned to the United States where it was disbanded at Fort Dix, New Jersey. There was no public recognition for their service at the time. So there, you have it about the 6880th battalion sad thing is, is their own people.

Americans did not give them any recognition and they felt that they were treated better by the Europeans. And I think that that's sad because these women did a great service showing that America was strong, especially among our black women. So what did their legacy become? So it says the members of the 6,888 central postal director, battalion world water, the European [00:09:00] African middle Eastern campaign medal, the good conduct medal and the world war II, victory metal during their service on February 25th, 2009, the battalion was honored at the women and military service for America Memorial Arlington national cemetery.

The event was attended by three former unit members of the 6,888, including Alice Dixon, Mary Raglin and Gladys Schuster Carter Dickson. And Raglin, we're also honored by president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama in 2009 on March 15th, 2016, the 6,888 central pulsatile directory battalion was inducted into the U S army women's foundation hall of fame.

Battalion veteran Elsie Garris attended the induction ceremony and on November 30th, 2018, Fort Leavenworth dedicated a monument to the women or the 6,888 central postal director, battalion [00:10:00] five women from the battalion may, bill Campbell, Elizabeth Johnson, Lena king, and Anna Robertson. And the lowers erotic were present at the dedication.

So they got there, just do a lot of years later, but I'm glad we did something for these incredible women. And I believe in my heart, no matter what anybody says that maybe some of the practices that was used, then it was probably used today and our own American. Postal system. 

 all right, guys that does with this. And I thank you for tuning in to yet another black history fact here. Join me tomorrow, I have another one for you. 

As always need to get ahold of us, feel free to drop a line. At a day with crime@gmail.com. Also, don't forget to visit the website, www.adaywithcrime.com. It is [00:11:00] your one stop shop for everything that is a day with crime. Alright guys, as always be safe all there and be good to yourself. and each other. And I'm going to catch you guys on the next one.