The 6888th Postal Battalion

You may have heard of the 6888 Postal Batallion.  During WW2, this troop of all Black Women was sent to Europe and assigned the monumental task of sorting a backlog of mail that was intended for front line troops and for the folks back home. In that era, with no cell phone technology, and no internet, snail mail was the only way that people could determine the status of their loved ones.

The women who were sent to straighten out the mess worked around the clock, sorting mail.  They managed to clear out a backlog of 6 months of mail - 17 million individual pieces of mail - by working around the clock, 7 days a week. The job was completed in 3 months.  After cleaning up this backlog in Buckingham, England, they were sent on to Rouen and Paris, France where they cleared up even more backlogged mail.

When the war was over, the women quietly disappeared back into their lives.  While friendships remained, their work was largely forgotten by not only the people who sent them there, but also by the people who direcly beneffited from their work. Their own families did not know what they did in the war.

This past summer, I visited the 6888 Memorial at Leavenworth Army Base.  I wanted to pay my respects to these remarakable women who made such a difference in the lives of so many with basically no recognition until they were honored with Congressional Gold Medal in 2022. The actual medal presentation took place on April 29, 2025. (That's 80 years after the fact.)  

If you want to find out more about the 6888 Postal Battalion, I have included several links at the bottom of this post.

In the meantime, a handful of pictures from the 6888 Memorial:

The front of the Monument.
On the back is the list of every woman who served in the 6888.

A little closer up view of the words on the right.

And of the words on the left.

The actual Congressional Gold Medal.
I got to see it in person (and even hold it) when I met the daughter
of Indiana Hunt Martin (6888 Member) earlier this year.
What an absolute honor to have met her and heard the stories
that her mother had shared with her.

Resources:

Truman Library Institute: https://www.trumanlibraryinstitute.org/6888th-battalion/

The National Archives: https://unwritten-record.blogs.archives.gov/2022/02/08/no-mail-low-morale-the-6888th-central-postal-battalion/

The National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/6888th.htm

The VA News: https://news.va.gov/102004/six-triple-eight-women-to-receive-congressional-gold-medal/

Arlington National Cemetery: https://education.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Search/Post/11048

Book: No Better Time, by Shelia Williams

Movie: The 6888, a Netflix Original.

Book Review: Empire of Tea, The Asian Leaf That Conquered the World

www.amazon.com

Tea Time.  Nothing brings to mind such a peaceful scene as the thought of an English Tea.  I've been to my fair share of formal and informal teas here in the United States, but one of my dreams is to someday have a high tea - in England, and a cozy tea in some wonderful little country inn somewhere in the countryside.

Think about those tiny little leaves.  Dried leaves, that we steep in hot water and drink.  You can pick some up at the supermarket, or, if you know what you're doing, you can blend your own combination from leaves you pick yourself.  It all seems so idyllic and simple, doesn't it?

But is it really?

The history of the tea leaf is a fascinating look at the history of the world.  While I was reading this book, I was reminded in many ways of the Spice Empire in the Dune books written by Frank Herbert.  The politics surrounding tea are fascinating.

From the simple leaf that was cultivated, steamed, dried, and then eventually brewed into a warm concoction in Ancient China to the powerhouse that drove the East India Company.  The "discovery" of the New World by the Europeans was driven by the desire to find a shorter route to the East, ostensibly for the spice trade.

Tea is featured prominently in so much of World History, but it has become such an ordinary staple on our tables now that we tend to forget what a powerful geopolitical force tea has been.

Come, be reminded of the power of the tea leaves.  Renew your acquaintance with the history of a simple little leaf - and how that little leaf has driven the course of history.