Driven by their motto, “No mail, Low morale” the 6888th Central Postal Battalion, nicknamed the “Six Triple Eight,” were not only the sole predominately African American battalion in the Women’s Army Corp (WAC), but they also were the only predominantly African American, all-women battalion sent overseas during World War II. Their assignment was daunting— sorting through a two-year backlog of undelivered mail amidst deplorable conditions, unfamiliar territory, discrimination, and delivering the mail to American soldiers.
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Against all odds, these amazing women successfully completed their assignment, fulfilling their promise of getting a whopping 17 million pieces of mail to U.S. soldiers. Their heroics delivered both mail and morale to the soldiers. Their inspirational story is the focus of a Women’s History Program honoring women in the military being presented by the Baltimore County Delta Foundation (BCDF).
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The tribute will take place on Saturday, March 9, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. at the Owings Mills Branch of the Baltimore County Public Library, 10302 Grand Central Ave. in Owings Mills, Maryland. The program is free and will feature refreshments, a panel discussion, and a screening of the documentary: “The Six Triple Eight—No Mail, Low Morale” (a Lincoln Penny Film Production).
Governor Wes Moore has proclaimed March 9, 2024 as “6888th Day in Maryland,” inspiring the BCDF to offer a special tribute to the predominantly Black, all-women’s battalion. The Baltimore County Delta Foundation was established in 2010 and it is committed to providing charitable and educational programming to the citizens of Baltimore County. Heather Ross is president of the Foundation.
Panelists for the program will include CH Captain Stephanie R. Handy, U.S. Army; Chekita Hamilton, Ph.D., U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; and Anita Hammerer, manager, American Legion Towson Post #22, Maryland Military Department. The discussion will be facilitated by Master Sergeant (retired) Elizabeth Ann Helm Frazier, who is also a staff assistant with the Office of Information Security (OIS) and executive producer of “The Six Triple Eight” documentary.
Ernestine Jones Jolivet, one of the founders of the Baltimore County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. is the Program Event Chairperson.
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“It’s a part of our history,” said Jolivet. “The accomplishments of women are often played down, and not taken seriously, no matter how much we accomplish. We need to realize we know our worth, and to make sure others see the value in what we do. Things were segregated at the time of the Six Triple Eight, and even though they were intelligent, they had to overcome many things to show what they could do. And it seems that in 2024, things like that are still going on.”
The WAC was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and on July 1, 1943 was set to active-duty status. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt along with her friend and civil rights leader, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, pushed for the inclusion of African American women in the WAC.
“Many of these women had degrees and skills that were marketable, but they still wanted to help guard our freedom, not only for themselves but for the country,” said Jolivet. “They wanted to show their patriotism. But even to show their patriotism, it was hard because some did not want to give people of color any type of job that would show their talents.”
She added,” They gave these women what they thought was a menial job, but it was an important one. I don’t think they realized how important it was when they gave this job to them because the conditions were horrible…a damp, rat-infested, cold building. They were given six months to clear the backlog. Not only did they clear up the backlog but did it well. They did it in three months, record time.”
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Their patriotism and heroism is also the subject of Tyler Perry’s new film “Six Triple Eight.” The film stars Kerry Washington and will air on Netflix.
Jolivet encourages everyone to attend the March 9 program that remembers women soldiers who fulfilled a vital role during World War II.
“I’m excited about what we have planned, and hope people will be just excited,” she said. “We’re going to leave people with a call to action, that they continue to share the story of the Six Triple Eight so that people will be telling other people about them. The hope is that people will continue to tell their story. This is our HISTORY!”
For more information, call Deborah Peaks Coleman at 410-428-9930 or to register visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/womens-history-event-6888th-day-in-maryland-tickets-835114037567?aff=ebdssbdestsearch