WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nearly eight decades after serving their country overseas, the trailblazing Black women of the Six Triple Eight are finally receiving the nation’s highest civilian award: the Congressional Gold Medal.
The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion — the only all-Black, all-female unit to serve in Europe during World War II — was responsible for breaking through a paralyzing mail crisis that threatened to collapse troop morale. Tasked with clearing a 17-million-piece backlog in England, these women finished their work in half the expected time, sorting and delivering over 65,000 pieces of mail per shift, day and night.
Their success was monumental. Their recognition, however, has been long delayed.
On Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson and other congressional leaders will present the medal to the family of Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley, the unit’s commanding officer, during a ceremony in Emancipation Hall at the Capitol Visitor Center. Only two women from the original 855 are still living.
“That really shows how long this recognition took,” said Kim Guise, senior curator at the National WWII Museum. “It is really important to recognize the accomplishments of these women and what they went through to serve their country in wartime.”
For retired Maj. Fannie Griffin McClendon, one of the surviving members, the honor is still overwhelming. “It’s something I never even thought about,” she told the Associated Press.
McClendon would go on to break barriers in the newly integrated Air Force, becoming the first woman to command an all-male squadron in the Strategic Air Command before retiring in 1971.
Fighting racism, delivering hope
The 6888th’s deployment to Europe in 1945 came after relentless pressure from African American leaders to allow Black women to serve overseas. But even in uniform, racism followed them. Their assignment — handling undelivered mail — was considered tedious and unglamorous. Yet they approached it with unshakable purpose.
“They kept hollering about wanting us to go overseas so I guess they found something for us to do: take care of the mail,” McClendon recalled. “They expected we were gonna be there about two or three months trying to get it straightened out. Well, I think in about a month, in a month and a half, we had it all straightened out.”
To ensure accuracy and speed, the Six Triple Eight developed an innovative tracking system using locator cards with service members’ names and unit numbers — a method far ahead of its time.
Congressional Gold Medal for Six Triple Eight: A recognition long overdue
Despite their achievements, the Six Triple Eight’s story was buried for generations — another chapter erased from America’s narrative about World War II.
In 2018, Fort Leavenworth in Kansas erected a monument in their honor. The battalion received the Meritorious Unit Commendation in 2019. Their story gained further attention with the 2021 documentary The Six Triple Eight and, most recently, a 2024 Netflix film directed by Tyler Perry and starring Kerry Washington.
In 2022, Congress voted 422-0 to award the women of the Six Triple Eight the Congressional Gold Medal.
“These heroes deserve their dues, and I am so glad their story is being told,” said Rep. Gwen Moore of Wisconsin, who co-sponsored the legislation. “I am especially honored to ensure my constituent Ms. Anna Mae Robertson and the many others who served with her are recognized for their selfless service.”
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