WHEREAS, Maybelle Rutland Campbell, an honorable veteran whose service during World War II helped break down color and gender barriers in the United States Armed Forces, died on February 9, 2021; and

WHEREAS, born in Forsyth, Georgia, Maybelle Campbell served her country with valor and distinction from February 1945 to December 1946 as a private first class in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion of the Women's Auxiliary Corps of the United States Army, which was notably the only unit of African American women to serve overseas during World War II; and

WHEREAS, as part of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, often referred to as the Six Triple Eight, Maybelle Campbell and her fellow service members remarkably cleared a years-long backlog of letters and packages intended for military units in the European theatre in only a matter of months, boosting troop morale by connecting soldiers with loved ones back home; and

WHEREAS, the accomplishments of the Six Triple Eight have received greater recognition in recent years; along with parades and celebrations, a monument was erected in 2018 in the Buffalo Soldier Commemorative Area at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to commemorate the Six Triple Eight and the historic and invaluable contributions that Maybelle Campbell and others made to the Allied victory in World War II; and

WHEREAS, Maybelle Campbell will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by her children, Natalie and Melody, and their families; and by numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of Virginia hereby note with great sadness the loss of Maybelle Rutland Campbell, a distinguished veteran of World War II whose service is an inspiration to all Americans; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Maybelle Rutland Campbell as an expression of the Senate of Virginia's respect for her memory.