Doctor Curmudgeon® And We Never Even Said, ‘Thank You’
By Diane Batshaw Eisman, M.D. FAAP Doctor Eisman, is in Family Practice in Aventura, Florida with her partner, Dr. Eugene Eisman, an internist/cardiologist
They were called the “Six Triple Eight.”
The all served in World War II
Some of them were officers.
Some of them were enlisted.
All of them were women.
All of them were Black.
All served overseas.
The “Six Triple Eight” was the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-black battalion of the WACs (Women’s Army Corps).
The word “postal” does not express the bravery of these women and the courage it took to volunteer and travel overseas in wartime.
These valiant women were sent to Birmingham, England with the mission of getting mail to our fighting troops.
Our service men and women were desperate for mail from home. Tremendous backlogs remained undelivered. Troops faced the danger and hardships of war, while hearing nothing from their loved ones. These incredible women managed to clear about seventeen million pieces of mail. They accomplished this feat in only three months. The projected timeframe had been six months….if all went well! On their way overseas, the “Six Triple Eight” travelled through dangerous waters. Crossing the Atlantic Ocean during wartime meant steering clear of German U-Boats. When the unit finally arrived in England, their harsh welcome consisted of a German V-1 rocket, which plummeted down upon them. The women ran for cover and all managed to survive the attack. On arrival at their facility, they found themselves in damp, unheated, old airplane hangars that were used as warehouses for mountains of undelivered mail and packages. The hangars were crammed from floor to the ceiling. Some of the undelivered mail had been languishing for two years. In addition to the freezing cold and damp weather, huge rats awaited the battalion. Many items had to be repackaged. Sometimes, only a last name was visible. Undaunted, the women created a system to be sure that each soldier received his/her mail. They used locator cards and searched for unit numbers to get the mail to the correct man or woman.
The “Six Triple Eight” was a complete battalion; they were not attached to any male unit. They had their own record keeping, communications, motor pool and military police. They provided diversions for other troops by travelling into Army hospitals in England to put on dances and provide recreation for the recovering soldiers. The commander of the “Six Triple Eight” was Major Charity Adams. When a general tried to turn her command over to a white officer, she responded, “Over my dead body, sir.” Finally, in March of this year, the House voted 422-0 to recognize the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion with the Congressional Gold Medal. Doris Moore was a member of the battalion, and later became the first Black Social Worker in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire Democratic Representative Chris Pappas said, “This is a long-overdue honor and recognition for the women of the ‘Six Triple Eight,’ including New Hampshire’s own Doris Moore. Doris and her sisters in arms were trailblazers and patriots who answered the call to service. It’s even more remarkable that their sacrifice and service in defense of freedom came at a time when many of the very freedoms they fought for were not yet available to them.” Indeed!
And so it is time to say ‘thank you’ to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion! Dr. Curmudgeon suggests “Bitter Medicine”, Dr. Eugene Eisman’s story of his experiences–from the humorous to the intense—as a young army doctor serving in the Vietnam War.
Bitter Medicine by Eugene H. Eisman, M.D. –on Amazon
Doctor Curmudgeon® is Diane Batshaw Eisman, M.D., a physician-satirist. This column originally appeared on SERMO, the leading global social network for doctors.