The Six Triple Eight

The film tells the story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only battalion composed mainly of African-American women of the Women’s Army Corps, sent to Europe during World War II. The narrative is based on an article published in 2019 in WWII History Magazine, which helped to bring out the details of this historical event. Ill 6888th had previously faced many treacherous assignments when, in February 1945, he was deployed to Europe, narrowly escaping an attack by a German submarine during the voyage. Once he arrived, he is faced with a complex mission: to dispose of an immense backlog of undelivered mail destined for the American soldiers, essential to maintain the morale of the troops at the front. Although many African-American units are led by white officers, the 6888th is entirely run by black women, including in command positions. Led by Major Charity Adams, the first black woman to command a battalion overseas during the war. Arriving in England and then in France, the women of 6888th were faced with a backlog of 17 million letters to be sorted, with the expectation of completing the work in six months, creating an unceasing shift system and working under very hard conditions. In spite of everything, they complete the whole operation in only three months and, in addition, they independently created a canteen and a beauty salon.