An Act amending Title 38 (Holidays and Observances) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in veteran recognition, providing for 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Day.

PRINTER'S NO. 2220
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1806
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY N. NELSON, HILL-EVANS, WAXMAN, GUENST, PROBST,
FREEMAN, PIELLI, VENKAT AND SANCHEZ, AUGUST 14, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, AUGUST 15, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 38 (Holidays and Observances) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in veteran recognition, providing for
6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Day.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 38 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
§ 1307. 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Day.
(a) Legislative findings and declarations.--The General
Assembly finds and declares as follows:
(1) In November 1944, the United States War Department
lifted the ban on African American women in the Womens' Army
Corps, leading to the formation of the 6888th Central Postal
Directory Battalion.
(2) The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was a
unique United States Army unit that had the distinction of
being the only all African American all-female battalion to
be deployed to the European Theater of Operations during
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World War II.
(3) Over 850 African American women, including 824
enlisted and 31 officers, served with the 6888th Central
Postal Directory Battalion which was commissioned February
1945 to March 1946.
(4) The specific mission of the 6888th Central Postal
Directory Battalion during World War II was to sort and clear
a multiyear backlog of mail for the American Army, Navy, Air
Force, Red Cross and uniformed civilian specialists stationed
in Europe, which represented 7 million individuals awaiting
correspondence.
(5) The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion
trained at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, and learned to:
(i) Identify enemy aircraft, ships and weapons.
(ii) Climb ropes, jump trenches and crawl under logs
wearing gas masks.
(iii) Board and evacuate ships.
(iv) March long distances with rucksacks.
(6) In February 1945, the first contingent of the 6888th
embarked from Camp Shank, New York, to sail to Britain and
their ship, the Ile de France, survived close encounters with
the Nazi U-boats, including a V-1 rocket exploding near the
dock causing the women to run and cover, and arrived safely
in Glasgow, Scotland.
(7) Despite enduring inhumane working conditions,
including dark, unheated, rat-infested aircraft hangers with
broken windows and air raids, the 6888th Central Postal
Directory Battalion created a new mail tracking system,
worked three separate eight-hour shifts, seven days per week
to process an average of 65,000 parcels per shift, or 195,000
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daily parcels, and cleared the six-month backlog of mail in
three months.
(8) After resolving the immense mail backlog in
Birmingham, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion
sailed to France for their next assignment in Rouen, where
they encountered undelivered mail dating back two to three
years, which the battalion successfully processed and cleared
in three months.
(9) After concluding the final assignment in Paris, the
last of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion
returned to the United States aboard the ship Claymont
Victory and was disbanded in March 1946 at Fort Dix, New
Jersey, with no parades, public appreciation or official
recognition of their accomplishments.
(10) The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was
the largest contingent of African-American women to ever
serve overseas, dispelled stereotypes and represented a
change in racial and gender roles in the military.
(11) On February 25, 2009, the 6888th Central Postal
Directory Battalion was honored by President Barack Obama at
the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at
Arlington National Cemetery.
(12) On November 30, 2018, a monument, inscribed "Women
of Determination, Dedication and Distinction" was dedicated
in Buffalo Soldier Memorial Park at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
(13) The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was
awarded the Women's Army Corps Service Medal, the European
African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Army Good Conduct
Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.
(14) In 2019, the Army awarded the 6888th Central Postal
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Directory Battalion the Meritorious Unit Commendation.
(15) On March 14, 2022, the Congressional Gold Medal was
awarded to members of the Women's Army Corps who were
assigned to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.
(16) Eighty-one members of the 6888th Central Postal
Directory Battalion were residents of this Commonwealth at
the time of enlistment:
(i) Anderson, Jennie V PVT.
(ii) Anderson, Love Peace CPL.
(iii) Artist, Mary A PFC.
(iv) Balls, Louisa PVT.
(v) Bastin, Edna PVT.
(vi) Bell, Lena Derriecott CPL.
(vii) Berks, Blanche Viola PVT.
(viii) Berry, Carolyn Morse PVT.
(ix) Brooks, Lucille McGhee CPL.
(x) Bugg, Vyvyanne Elmore PFC.
(xi) Cartwright, Charlotte PVT.
(xii) Collins, Florence A PVT.
(xiii) Cornwell, Elizabeth H PFC.
(xiv) Crews, Frances Vernon PVT.
(xv) Crump, Catherine Jane PVT.
(xvi) Dabney, Violet PFC.
(xvii) Daniel, Rhoda A SGT.
(xviii) Dannals, Elsie Alverna PFC.
(xix) Davenport, Naomi PFC.
(xx) Davis, Ursula Virginia PVT.
(xxi) Dean, Freda Mae PVT.
(xxii) Dean, Ruth Naomi PVT.
(xxiii) Demby, Addie Mae PFC.
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(xxiv) Elzie, Marian M PFC.
(xxv) Evans, Adele PVT.
(xxvi) Ewings, Ophelia Mae PFC.
(xxvii) Faulk, Ermayne Sanata PVT.
(xxviii) Ferguson, Alvia PVT.
(xxix) Ford, Alice Olivia PVT.
(xxx) Glover, Arena Theresa T5.
(xxxi) Gould, Helen Vivian T5.
(xxxii) Gray, Dolores Carolyn SGT.
(xxxiii) Green, Thelma Vivian PVT.
(xxxiv) Griggs, Hilda Parthenia PVT.
(xxxv) Grundy, Marian Rosalie PFC.
(xxxvi) Harris, Rosa Mae SGT.
(xxxvii) Jackson, Willie Marie PVT.
(xxxviii) Jacobs, Isofine PVT.
(xxxix) Johnson, Bebe C PVT.
(xl) Johnson, Hessie PFC.
(xli) Jones, Elaine Viola T5.
(xlii) Jordan, Frances C PFC.
(xliii) King, Catherine Alice SGT.
(xliv) LeSueuer, Evelyn C PFC.
(xlv) Lewis, Bernice F PFC.
(xlvi) Long, Phyllis Gray PVT.
(xlvii) Lucas, Grace Elizabeth PFC.
(xlviii) Lucas, Willma Henrietta PVT.
(xlix) Mance, Tryphena Teresa PVT.
(l) Marsett, Berenice Elisabeth PVT.
(li) McNeal, Julia PFC.
(lii) Monroe, Mary Priscilla T5.
(liii) Moraney, Elizabeth PVT.
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(liv) Parker, O'Dell PVT.
(lv) Patillo, Stella E SGT.
(lvi) Perry, Lillie PVT.
(lvii) Perry, Nazimova Lee PVT.
(lviii) Philpot, Alma Marjorie CPL.
(lix) Pinkett, Helen Lee PVT.
(lx) Purdy, Thelma Elizabeth PFC.
(lxi) Reid, Dorothy Louise PFC.
(lxii) Rich, Julia A 2LT.
(lxiii) Robinson, Aleese Juanita PFC.
(lxiv) Rodgers, Juanita Gertrude PFC.
(lxv) Russell, Sarah Olive T5.
(lxvi) Smith, Alice Hester PVT.
(lxvii) Stewart, Naomi Virginia PVT.
(lxviii) Stovall, Janyce Lee PFC.
(lxix) Stribbling, Helen DeVon CPL.
(lxx) Sullivan, Eleanor Frances PVT.
(lxxi) Taylor, Cleola E PVT.
(lxxii) Townsend, Margoit Michele PVT.
(lxxiii) Warfield, Cornelia Dolores PVT.
(lxxiv) Williams, Dorothy Elizabeth T5.
(lxxv) Williams, Eunice Viola SSG.
(lxxvi) Willis, Alberta Clarteen PVT.
(lxxvii) Wilson, Emma M PFC.
(lxxviii) Wilson, Ruby Mae PVT.
(lxxix) Wood, Hilda E PFC.
(lxxx) Wright, Catherine PVT.
(lxxxi) Young, Mary Purnell PVT.
(b) Designation.--March 9 of each year is designated as
6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Day in this
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Commonwealth.
(c) Proclamation.--The Governor shall issue annually a
proclamation encouraging residents of this Commonwealth to
observe 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Day and to
write and mail letters to family, friends, military personnel
and veterans to recognize postal employees and the important
services these employees provide in connecting us to each other.
Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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