Commending the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion for its contributions during World War II.

89(R) HR 1074 - Enrolled version - Bill Text

H.R. No. 1074

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, The members of the legendary 6888th Central Postal

Directory Battalion rendered exceptional service to their country

during World War II; and

WHEREAS, The battalion was formed in 1941, when

U.S. Representative Edith Nourse Rogers introduced a bill to create

the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps; President Franklin D. Roosevelt

signed the bill into legislation the following year, and the WAAC's

name was changed to the Women's Army Corps in 1943; after several

units of White women were sent to serve in the European theater,

African American organizations lobbied for the deployment of a

Black WAC unit overseas; the U.S. War Department approved the

request, and a battalion of enlisted personnel and officers were

drawn from the WAC, the Army Service Forces, and the Army Air Forces

for the establishment of the 6888th Central Postal Directory

Battalion; the 855-member unit, which included 44 Texans, became

known as the "Six Triple Eight" and was deployed to Europe in

November 1944; and

WHEREAS, Making history as the only WAC unit of color to serve

overseas in World War II, the mostly African American battalion set

about its mission of clearing a vast backlog of undelivered mail for

U.S. service members, government personnel, and Red Cross workers

in England and France; beginning its effort in Birmingham, England,

the 6888th was given half a year to clear several warehouses stacked

to the ceilings with returned mail and packages; working in shifts

around the clock, the women completed their work in just three

months; following Victory in Europe Day, the unit was sent to Rouen,

France, where it once again resolved a backlog in half the time

allotted; and

WHEREAS, Adopting the motto of "No mail, low morale," the Six

Triple Eight served from 1945 to 1946 and demonstrated great skill

and efficiency in solving the military's postal issues as well as

tremendous resilience when encountering racism and sexism; in 2022,

the battalion was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest

civilian honor bestowed by the U.S. Congress; in February 2025, the

George W. Bush Presidential Center hosted an event in celebration

of the battalion; the program followed the December 2024 release of

the Netflix film
The Six Triple Eight
; and

WHEREAS, The 6888th had strong ties to Texas, with the unit

serving at Amarillo Army Air Field and Camp Maxey; Texan women who

served in the unit included Private First Class Hazel Jones Allen,

Private Bessie Booker-Lusk, Private Erma Pauline Boyd, Technician

Fifth Grade Ruth Verjil Reuben Brown, Private First Class Freddie

Williams Chinn-Kline, Technician Fifth Grade Florence Marie

Cole-Rawls, Private First Class Marguerite J. Ellis-Parker, Staff

Sergeant Jaunita Jewel Goodloe, Private First Class Mary Louise

Hill, Private First Class Mildred Lois Hooper, Private First Class

Paulene Adrienne Lewis Hopkins, Corporal Dorothy Lee Howard,

Technician Fifth Grade Ernestine Elizabeth Hughes-Thompson,

Private First Class Georgia Clarence Hughes-Jones, Private First

Class Ella Mae Jackson, Staff Sergeant Jerrell Lawrence, Private

First Class Catherine Lee, Sergeant Lucille Lewis-Smith, Sergeant

Ruby Lee McClung, Private Martha Anna McKnight, Private First Class

Ophelia Mills-Outley, Private First Class Helen Beatrice Minor,

Sergeant Catherine Louise Nelson-Bowie, Sergeant Ruby Jessie May

O'Brien, Private First Class Essie Oralea O'Riley, Technician Fifth

Grade Mablyne Ortiz, Private First Class Kate Louise Pate-Walker,

Private Essie Lee Penn-Underwood, Private Mildred Elizabeth

Peterson, Second Lieutenant Calonia V. Powell-Boykin, Technician

Fifth Grade Jewell G. Rettig, Private Minerva Loraine Revernal,

Private Eddie Toliver Richards, Private First Class Winnie Beatrice

Richardson-West, Private First Class Onnie Lois Roberts-Stanley,

Technician Fourth Grade Florida Elizabeth Robey, Private First

Class Erma L. Smith, Private First Class Lucille Smith, Technician

Fourth Grade Rose Stuart, Private Millie Mary Taylor-Moore,

Corporal Johnnie Mae Walton, Private First Class Myrtle Elizabeth

Wright, and Private Mable Jeannette Zenon-Williams; and

WHEREAS, Inspired by a deep sense of patriotism and a

devotion to duty, the members of the 6888th Central Postal

Directory Battalion made a significant impact on future generations

of women in the military, and it is a privilege to join in honoring

their enduring legacy; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas

Legislature hereby commend the 6888th Central Postal Directory

Battalion for its outstanding contributions during World War II.

Rose

______________________________

Speaker of the House

I certify that H.R. No. 1074 was adopted by the House on May

23, 2025, by a non-record vote.

______________________________

Chief Clerk of the House