Members of the 6888th sorting mail in France, United States Department of Defense. (Click the picture to learn more.)
Explore the Legacy of the 6888
Interested in learning more about the 6888? Start with The Six Triple Eight, a documentary by Lincoln Penny Films, which chronicles the mission of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion during WWII.
In February 1945, the U.S. Army deployed 855 Black women from the Women’s Army Corps (WACs) to England and France to eliminate a massive backlog of mail in the European Theater. As the only all-Black, all-female battalion to serve overseas during the war, the Six Triple Eight faced systemic racism and sexism from both within the military and abroad, yet they persevered — completing their task in six months while handling over 17 million pieces of mail and restoring vital lines of communication for American troops.
Their story was long neglected. The last of the unit returned to the U.S. in March 1946 with little fanfare. In recent years, however, they have begun to receive overdue recognition: the U.S. Congress passed The Six Triple Eight Congressional Gold Medal Act (2021–22), officially recognizing their service and placing them by name among the nation’s honored recipients.
A feature film adaptation was released at the end of 2024 and is now on Netflix. The Six Triple Eight, a 2024 war drama directed by Tyler Perry and starring Kerry Washington, tells the battalion’s story to wider audiences.
In addition, a musical is in development. Under the working title 6888: The Musical, the stage project is executive produced by actor Blair Underwood and features a book by Morgan J. Smart, with music and lyrics by Ronvé O’Daniel and Jevares C. Myrick. The creative team is collaborating with historians and descendants to honor the legacy with historical fidelity.