Bill Text: DE SCR58 | 2019-2020 | 150th General Assembly | Draft
Bill Title: Honoring The Contributions Of The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Of The Women's Army Corps.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-06-27 - Passed In House by Voice Vote [SCR58 Detail]
Download: Delaware-2019-SCR58-Draft.html
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SPONSOR: |
Sen. McBride & Rep. K. Johnson |
DELAWARE STATE SENATE
150th GENERAL ASSEMBLY
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 58
HONORING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE 6888TH CENTRAL POSTAL DIRECTORY BATTALION OF THE WOMEN'S ARMY CORPS.
WHEREAS, in November 1944, the U.S. War Department lifted the ban on African-American women in the Women’s Army Corps (WACs), leading to the formation of the 6888 th Central Postal Directory Battalion; and
WHEREAS, the 6888 th Central Postal Directory Battalion was a unique U.S. Army unit that had the distinction of being the only all African-American, all-female battalion to be deployed to the European Theater of Operations (ETO) during World War II; and
WHEREAS, 855 African-American women - 824 enlisted and 31 officers - served in the 6888 th Central Postal Directory Battalion (nicknamed the “Six Triple Eight”), and the 6888 th Battalion was commissioned from February 1945 to March 1946; and
WHEREAS, the specific mission of the 6888 th Battalion in World War II was to sort and clear a multi-year backlog of mail for American Army, Navy, Air Force, Red Cross and uniformed civilian specialists who were stationed in Europe, and this represented seven million people awaiting mail; and
WHEREAS, the 6888 th Battalion trained at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia and learned to identify enemy aircraft, ships and weapons; to climb ropes, jump trenches and crawl under logs wearing gas masks; to board and evacuate ships; and to do long marches with rucksacks; and
WHEREAS, in February 1945, the first contingent of the 6888 th embarked from Camp Shank, New York to sail for Britain, and their ship, the Ile de France , survived close encounters with Nazi U-boats and arrived in Glasgow, Scotland, where a German V-1 rocket exploded near the dock, causing the women to run for cover; and
WHEREAS, upon arrival by train in Birmingham, England, the Battalion confronted warehouses stacked to the ceiling with letters and packages; and
WHEREAS, despite enduring inhumane working conditions (dark, unheated, rat-infested aircraft hangars with broken windows) and air raids, the Battalion created a new mail tracking system, worked 3 separate 8-hour shifts, 7 days per week to process an average of 65,000 parcels per shift (195,000 daily) and cleared the six-month backlog of mail in 3 months; and
WHEREAS, having resolved the immense mail backlog in Birmingham, the 6888 th Battalion sailed to France for their next assignment in Rouen, where they encountered undelivered mail dating back two to three years, which the Battalion successfully processed and cleared in 3 months; and
WHEREAS, after concluding their final assignment in Paris, the last of the Battalion returned to the United States aboard the ship Claymont Victory and was disbanded in March 1946 at Fort Dix, New Jersey, with no parades, public appreciation or official recognition of their accomplishments; and
WHEREAS, the Battalion adhered to the motto “No mail, low morale” and provided essential support to the U.S. military in the European Theater by linking service members to their loved ones back home, thereby achieving unprecedented success and efficiency in solving the military’s postal problems; and
WHERAS, the 6888 th Battalion was the largest contingent of African-American women to ever serve overseas, dispelled stereotypes and represented a change in racial and gender roles in the military; and
WHEREAS, on February 25, 2009, the 6888 th Central Postal Directory Battalion was honored by President Barack Obama at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery; and
WHEREAS, on November 30, 2018, a monument, inscribed “Women of Determination, Dedication and Distinction” was dedicated to the 6888 th Battalion at the Buffalo Soldier Memorial Park at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; and
WHEREAS, the 6888 th Battalion was awarded the Women’s Army Corps Service Medal, the European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal and the World War II Victory Medal; and
WHEREAS, four members of the 6888 th Battalion were residents of the State of Delaware at the time of enlistment: CPL Grace Evelyn Bryant (Elbert), 1917-2000; CPL Edith Marguerete Carter, 1918-2000; PVT Mary Crawford (Ragland), 1922-2010; and PVT Evelina Rachel Griffin, 1917-1988.
NOW, THEREFORE:
BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the 150th General assembly of the State of Delaware, the House of Representatives concurring therein, recognizes the contributions that the 6888 th Central Postal Directory Battalion made to the United States and offers gratitude for their outstanding efforts during World War II.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that members do hereby acknowledge the service of then-Delaware residents CPL Grace Evelyn Bryant (Elbert), CPL Edith Marguerete Carter, PVT Mary Crawford (Ragland) and PVT Evelina Rachel Griffin.
SYNOPSIS
This Resolution honors the contributions of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion of the Women's Army Corps.
Author: Senator McBride
