Two Wars: No Mail, Low Morale

Wed, Nov 18 4:32 A.M. NH Explore (11.2)

During World War II, a shortage of soldiers managing the postal service created a backlog of mail and packages that never made it to their intended destinations. Officials knew the undelivered mail was hurting morale but were unsure how to solve the problem. To address this issue, Mary McLeod Bethune, an educator and political activist, advocated for the enlistment of women of color in the Women's Army Corps. TWO WARS: NO MAIL, LOW MORALE tells the story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion (also known as the Six-Triple-Eight), a group of 824 women who served in the Women's Army Corps. Under the command of Major Charity Edna Adams, the Six-Triple-Eight created a card index system to efficiently process mail and completed numerous critical missions that contributed to the war effort. Despite their significant contributions, the battalion received little recognition and was disbanded upon return to the U.S. It took 50 years before their heroic efforts were properly acknowledged.

Duration: 24 minutes and 0 seconds