The only entirely female black unit serving in Europe during the Second World War received the Congress gold medal on Tuesday at the United States Capitol.
The 6888th central postal directory battalion, commonly known as “six triple Eight”, addressed a backlog of approximately 17 million pieces of mail in three months before serving in France and finally back in the United States
Alongside the Bipartisian leaders of the Congress, President Mike Johnson (R-La) presented the honor, which is the highest civil honor awarded by the congress, to the family of the unit commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Charity Adams Earley. According to Johnson, more than 300 descendants and family members of the six Triple Eight battalions were present for the ceremony.
“This remarkable story has brilliantly captured imaginations, she has now inspired books and films, has aroused the conscience of millions of Americans, who just want to hear and share this incredible story,” said Johnson.
The children of Earley, Stanley Earley III and Judith Earley, received the prize for the leaders of the Chamber and the Senate.
President of the Mike Johnson Chamber presents the Congress Gold Medal for the 6888th Postal Directory Battalion in Stanley Earley during a ceremony at Hall Emancipation, April 29, 2025, in Washington, DC, DC
Kayla Bartkowski / Getty Images
During their service in 1945, the battalion of 855 members did not win any fanfare or recognition for their exploits. This medal comes after years of campaign for the neglected battalion which, according to many, have given the example for black women in the army.
The Congress voted 422-0 to attribute the 6888th with this honor in 2022. The representative Gwen Moore (D-WISC.), Who co-spoke the law, spoke during the ceremony, praising the “unknown heroes” receiving recognition 80 years later.
This honor marks the latest development of unity delay recognition. A monument was erected in 2018 in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in their honor, and the 68888TH received the meritorious mention of the American army in 2019.
The Netflix film made in 2024 by Tyler Perry on the unit, which featured Kerry Washington, obtained an Oscar nomination for the best original song.
Retirement Colonel Edna Cummings, who shared a few acceptance words during the ceremony, led a documentary on the unit in 2019.
“This story has now restored the passion for service, as evidenced by young girls who now disguise themselves as members of the six triple eights,” she said.
The Democratic Manager of the Hakeem Jeffries room (D-NY) shared a few words during the ceremony, stressing the importance of a bipartite celebration in today’s political climate.
“We meet here today to salute these powerful veterans. We greet the ingenuity with which they took the battle,” said Jeffries. “We salute the barriers they shattered in the system designed to repel them. We salute their pioneering spirit and the road they have paved for others.”
The 6888TH Central Postal Directory Battalion joined the under 200 beneficiaries to receive the Congress gold medal.
