Ohio House Passes Bill to Recognize Historic All-Women Battalion
COLUMBUS – State Representative Melanie Miller (R-City of Ashland) is pleased to announce that the Ohio House of Representatives passed House Bill 204, bipartisan legislation to recognize 6888th Central Post Battalion, with unanimous support.
House Bill 204, spearheaded by Miller alongside State Representative Erika White (D-Toledo), will designate March 9th of each year in Ohio as 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Day, a day to remember and honor the only all-Black women’s unit that served overseas during World War II.
“These remarkable women overcame numerous obstacles and left behind a legacy of service as the unsung heroes of WWII,” said Miller. “They deserve our honor and recognition as they made the impossible possible and accomplished a critical task that boosted the moral of the American people and American soldiers.”
The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, nicknamed the “Six Triple Eight,” included 855 women and was led by Major Charity Adams, the highest ranking black female officer in the US Army in World War II.
The battalion worked 7 days a week, in 3 shifts, processing and delivering mail to the troops fighting in Europe. Each shift handled an estimated 65,000 pieces of mail. In total, the unit handled mail for over 4 million military and civilian personnel and untangled massive mail backlogs in the UK and France. A task that military leaders estimated to take six months, the battalion completed the task in three months.
The battalion was disbanded on March 9, 1946 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.
House Bill 204 awaits consideration from the Ohio Senate.
To see Rep. Miller’s floor remarks, click here.
