Only Black female WWII unit receives Congressional Gold Medal

[ad_1] The one Black, all-female unit serving in Europe throughout World Battle II obtained the Congressional Gold Medal on Tuesday at the US Capitol.

The 6888th Central Postal Listing Battalion, generally generally known as the "Six Triple Eight," addressed a backlog of roughly 17 million items of mail in three months earlier than serving in France and ultimately returning to the U.S.

Alongside Congressional bipartisan leaders, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) offered the consideration, which is the best civilian honor awarded by Congress, to the household of the unit commander, Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley. Over 300 descendants and relations of the Six Triple Eight battalion have been current for the ceremony, in keeping with Johnson in his speech.

"This exceptional story has brightly captured imaginations, it has now impressed books and films, stirred the consciousness of hundreds of thousands of People, who're simply now listening to and sharing this unbelievable story," Johnson stated.

Earley's kids, Stanley Earley III and Judith Earley, obtained the award from the Home and Senate leaders.

Speaker of the Home Mike Johnson presents the Congressional Gold Medal for the 6888th Central Postal Listing Battalion to Stanley Earley throughout a ceremony in Emancipation Corridor, April 29, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Photographs

Throughout their service in 1945, the 855-member battalion didn't acquire any fanfare or recognition for his or her feats. This medal comes after years of campaigning for the neglected battalion that many say set an instance for Black girls within the navy.

Congress voted 422-0 to award the 6888th with this honor again in 2022. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wisc.), who co-sponsored the laws, spoke on the ceremony, praising the "unsung heroes" receiving the acknowledgement 80 years later.

This honor marks the newest improvement within the unit's overdue recognition. A monument was erected in 2018 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, of their honor, and the 6888th was given the Meritorious Unit Commendation by the U.S. Military in 2019.

The 2024 Tyler Perry-directed Netflix movie concerning the unit, which starred Kerry Washington, earned an Oscar nomination for Greatest Unique Tune.

Retired Col. Edna Cummings, who shared just a few phrases of acceptance on the ceremony, directed a documentary on the unit in 2019.

"This historical past has now restored the eagerness of service, as evidenced by younger women who now costume up as members of the Six Triple Eight," she stated.

Home Democratic Chief Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) shared just a few phrases on the ceremony, emphasizing the significance of a bipartisan celebration in as we speak's political local weather.

"We collect right here as we speak to salute these mighty veterans. We salute the ingenuity with which they sprang into battle," Jeffries stated. "We salute the obstacles that they broke within the system designed to push them apart. We salute their trailblazing spirit and the highway that they paved for others."