When they arrived in the United Kingdom in February 1945 to begin their overseas assignment, the women of the 6888th Battalion found 17 million pieces of mail waiting for them – letters and packages sent by the families and friends of American soldiers serving in the European theatre.
The first battalion of African-American women and the only battalion made up solely of women to deploy overseas during World War II, the 6888th’s job was to get that mail delivered as quickly as possible, in hopes that it would bolster the moral of the troops fighting through the last, terrible months of the war.
Led by Major Charity Adams -the first black woman commissioned as an Army officer – the battalion was given six months to complete their mission, but – working around the clock – managed to do it in half the time.
Learn more about these remarkable women and read Charity Adams’ autobiography, One Woman’s Army.
Sheer Ghosts 