Congress Honors Six Triple Eight, The Black, All-female Wwii Unit

The nation’s only Black, all-female unit to serve in Europe during World War II was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on Tuesday, decades after their efforts helped lift morale for soldiers fighting in battle. 

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

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, often referred to as the Six Triple Eight, cleared a backlog of nearly 17 million pieces of mail in three months during the war — twice as fast as expected. 

The women, who faced both racial and sexism during their service, were credited with ensuring service members received letters from their loved ones. They served first in England before moving to France. 

In 2021, the Senate passed legislation to award the women the highest honor in Congress: the Congressional Gold Medal, followed by a 422-0 House vote in 2022. Former President Biden signed the bill into law that year.

Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), who co-sponsored the legislation for the award, said at the time that the medal “is only fitting for these veterans who received little recognition for their service after returning home.”

Tuesday’s ceremony took place in Emancipation Hall at the U.S. Capitol, a “fitting place” to recognize the Six Triple Eight’s work, Moore said, because of the enslaved and free Africans who built it with little to no recognition — much like the women of the 6888th Battalion. 

“The Six Triple Eight Battalion were these unsung sheroes who served their country,” Moore said. “They did it because they were patriotic, not because they ever thought they would get any recognition.”

Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said the battalion was that of “extraordinary women.”

“These fiercely passionate, patriotic and persistent members of the women’s army corps, deployed knowing that they would confront the dual challenges of racism and sexism at the hands of their own military and beyond," Jeffries said. 

He referenced the women’s battle cry — No mail, low morale — as he spoke of how they accomplished “what others could not, in a war zone with bombs dropping above and horrific warehouse conditions.”

Tuesday’s ceremony, Jeffries added, was the opportunity to salute these “mighty veterans,” including those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Of the 855 women who served in the battalion, only two are still alive, according to the Associated Press. 

Johnson on Tuesday presented the medal to the family of the unit commander, Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley. 

The award followed years of advocacy, including having a monument erected in their honor in 2018 at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. In 2019, the women were awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation. Just last year, a Netflix film starring Kerry Washington and directed by Tyler Perry explored the women’s story. 

The award comes amid President Trump’s crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion in federal agencies, including the military. 

Trump signed an executive order earlier this year directing the military to remove all DEI programs and policies from the armed forces. 

But in its efforts to comply with Trump’s order, the Pentagon faced backlash for removing webpages dedicated to Black service members — including Army Maj. Gen. Charles C. Rogers, a recipient of the Medal of Honor — the Navajo Code Talkers and Japanese Americans. 

“Amid Trump’s efforts to rewrite history, the Six Triple Eight story is so important to share,” Moore told The Hill in a statement on Tuesday. “We cannot forget their contributions and heroic service to our country, boosting service member morale under the difficult conditions of war. I’m honored to help lift up their stories and to see more Americans learn this history.”

Jeffries on Tuesday emphasized that the ceremony was bipartisan. 

“We reject any efforts now to erase this history,” said Jeffries. “That is why this bipartisan ceremony is so particularly important. The women of the Six Triple Eight overcame the odds, disproved the doubters and courageously contributed to the allied victory in World War II.”