Alyce Dixon, World War Two Veteran, National Archives Identifier 236742014
Dixon was a member of the 6888th Central Postal Battalion
There is a saying “No Mail, Low Morale.” Within the 6888th Central Postal Battalion, part of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), this was their motto for getting mail to brave men and women fighting during World War II. It was not easy; ever-changing locations, duty stations, and movements caused a logistical challenge to getting the mail delivered on time.
Left: Photograph of WAC Officers Inspecting the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, National Archives Identifier 531249 Right: Photograph of Officers of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps who were assigned to Army Service Command Headquarters, National Archives Identifier 470541228
President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) on July 1, 1943. The 6888th Central Postal Battalion, also nicknamed the “Six Triple Eight,” was the only African American battalion in the WAC and the only all African American, all women battalion sent overseas during World War II. Major Charity Edna Adams commanded the battalion and more than 800 volunteers joined the 6888th Central Postal Battalion throughout the war. The unit was self-sufficient and included medics, administrative personnel, dining hall workers, and more.
Photograph of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion in France, National Archives Identifier 175539203
They trained in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, before arriving in Birmingham, England. These women worked around the clock: three eight-hour shifts seven days a week to deliver mail waiting in overflowing from warehouses. It was not simple or easy. Anything undeliverable was routed into their hands so they could track down service members from lists of seven million information cards.
Original Caption: “One of the two similar buildings, in France, which house the vast quantities of Christmas mail en route to American soldiers.” The 6888th would sort similar piles. Local Identifier: 111-SC-197654.
Once they went through the backlog in England, the Six Triple Eight moved to France on June 9, 1945, a month after V-E day to tackle an even more daunting backlog; some undelivered mail dated back two to three years and took about five months to completely sort.
Photograph of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion in France, National Archives Identifier 175539161
After the letters were finally distributed the 6888th Central Postal Battalion returned to the United States and was disbanded at Fort Dix, New Jersey in February 1946.
Recently, the Six Triple Eight was back in the news with a new movie that premiered on Netflix in December 2024. Interested in movies that feature records in the National Archives Catalog? Check out our newsletter from December 2023 - Lights, Camera, Records!
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