Black Female WWII Unit the Six Triple Eight Will Receive the Congressional Gold Medal

The only Black, all-female unit to serve in Europe during World War II, commonly known as the Six Triple Eight, will be presented Tuesday with the Congressional Gold Medal, following a long-running campaign to recognize its efforts.

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

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

At a ceremony scheduled to be held in Emancipation Hall at the Capitol Visitor Center, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and others will present the medal to the family of the unit commander, Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley.

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Wisconsin Rep. Gwen Moore, who co-sponsored legislation to award the medal to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, called it a long overdue honor for the women in the unit.

“These heroes deserve their dues, and I am so glad their story is being told,” Moore, a Democrat, told The Associated Press on Monday. {snip}

In 2022, Congress voted 422-0 to bestow its highest honor on the 6888th.

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