Back in World War II, the only means of communication was through the mail.
Millions upon millions of letters and parcels were sent out from the motherland to Europe in the hopes of connecting the troops on the frontline with their families and friends back home.
However, there were times when the parcels and letters were not delivered since they were backlogged in warehouses due to ongoing battles.
Then, the Postal Directory Batallion arose.
The PDB was made to assist in sorting the letters.
Meet Romay Davis.
Romay Davis is a 102-year-old Veteran from the Postal Directory Batallion who was recently honored for her service during World War II.
Joe Biden signed a bill to authorize the Congressional Gold medal for the unit, which is known as the “Six Triple Eight.”
She was recognized at an event at Montgomery City Hall.
She was glad to participate and be present on behalf of the other members who already passed since the Unit was due for recognition.
“I think it’s an exciting event, and it’s something for families to remember,” Davis said. “It isn’t mine, just mine. No. It’s everybody’s.”
6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion
She was part of an all-black, all-female battalion (the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion) whose main role was to sort out letters and packages from the warehouses in Europe that had been backlogged for months.
Her battalion worked ’round the clock.
The unit worked 24/7, sorting all letters and packages in warehouses.
These were sent from families, relatives, and friends back home during the war to the troops in Europe.
The women spent hours processing almost 65,000 different letters and items per shift.
This allowed them to clear out six months’ worth of backlogs in just under three months.
“We all had to be broken in, so to speak, to do what had to be done,” Davis told a news agency.
They proved their naysayers wrong.
“The mail situation was in such horrid shape they didn’t think the girls could do it. But they proved a point,” she explained.
The war ended. Their work didn’t.
A month after the war ended, the unit was sent to France to begin the additional sorting of mail and parcels.
To their surprise, they received better treatment from the people in the area than they would have under the Jim Crow regime back home.
Some members were praised during a victory parade in Rouen and got invited for dinner, Davis shared.
“I didn’t find any Europeans against us. They were glad to have us,” she said.
The honors continued.
A monument was also raised in dedication to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.
This was initiated on November 30, 2018, at the Buffalo Soldier Monument Park at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
They worked against the odds and won.
US Senator Jerry Moran said in a statement, “Though the odds were set against them, the women of the Six Triple Eight processed millions of letters and packages during their deployment in Europe, helping connect WWII soldiers with their loved ones back home, like my father and mother.”
He helped with the bill to present the Congressional Gold Medal to the members of the unit.
Today, Davis is the oldest living member of the battalion.
Watch the video to learn more about Romay Davis!
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