JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A hidden legacy was recently uncovered when a local family said they were surprised to learn their aunt was part of the legendary 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, known as “The Six Triple Eight.”
The battalion of all-female soldiers of color is now the subject of a top Netflix movie by the same name that was directed and written by Tyler Perry. The movie stars Kerry Washington, Ebony Obsidian and Oprah Winfrey.
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Thelma Ann Duncan Brown and Alma Marjorie Philpot were among the hundreds of women who made up the Six Triple Eight, a predominantly Black Women’s Army Corps Unit that sorted through millions of pieces of mail for troops in Europe during World War II.
“The Six Triple Eight was a last-minute thought by the government,” explained Commander Carlton G. Philpot, whose aunt was Alma Marjorie Philpot.
Initially unnamed, this unit was tasked with clearing a massive backlog of mail that had accumulated for two to three years. Philpot, with the Buffalo Soldier Educational and Historical Committee, learned about the unit in 1996 and began researching and tracking down surviving family members.
“When we first started, if you Googled 6888, you might get one or two hits,” he noted.
The women of the Six Triple Eight worked tirelessly, often more than eight hours a day, seven days a week, despite facing illnesses like pneumonia and the flu. They redirected mail, repaired vehicles, and maintained their living quarters with no help in England. And they did it all while designing a system that improved the U.S. Army’s mail operations.
“They broke all Army records redirecting mail, not delivering mail. They sent the mail. They repackaged mail. And every time they received a censored letter that had sad news on it, they prayed over it before they sent it out,” Philpot explained.
Though they were expected to fail, the 6888 completed everything in three months.
“They left England after 90 days. They were working three sections. They went to France toward the end of D-Day,” described Philpot. “In Royan, France they had 300 German prisoners assigned to work with them. And when they got to Paris, France, they had women assigned to them, and they succeeded in everything that they did.”
Despite their significant contributions, many of these women never spoke about their service, and their stories remained largely untold.
On November 30, 2018, a monument was dedicated to the unit in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
“It’s important that we must read what is written about us, and must write what would be read,” Philpot emphasized. “And that which is written is often written in invisible ink, because it’s not told truthfully. The truth is not there. It is either minimized or not told at all.”
Years later, Philpot discovered his aunt Alma Marjorie Philpot was part of this unit, as did Gwaltney, who expressed pride in her great aunt’s achievements.
“I got a phone call from you lovely people. I was totally surprised, as was everybody in my family,” she told News4JAX. “None of them knew, and they also didn’t believe me when I tried to convince them that this was her.”
Philpot provided photos to the Gwaltney family, sparking emotions and pride.
“Proud, proud that my women of color did such an amazing feat and that they’re finally getting recognition for it,” Gwaltney said.
Despite not having photos of Brown in the Six Triple Eight, her family cherishes the memories they do have.
“This just, it’s amazing. You felt like that piece of her life was just wiped out,” said Thelma, Brown’s other aunt. “I never seen a picture nowhere in my grandmama’s house or her house. Never like that. I don’t know whether she left them all in Philadelphia or what, but I know I never seen them because I had them all.”
This discovery has had a profound impact on Gwaltney’s family.
“For my kids and their generation, they can look at this and see we can do whatever we want to do,” said Gwaltney, who lives in Gainesville. “There’s no barriers holding us back.”
Philpot emphasized the importance of remembering the achievements of the Six Triple Eight.
“These women did something that no one else had done or could have done, and their achievements, they deserve the Congressional Gold Medal,” he stated.
Eighty years later, the legacy of these women remains as significant as it was in 1945.
“It doesn’t need to be forgotten, and I think more importantly it needs to be learned. ” Gwaltney said. “You can’t, for lack of better terms, ‘white wash’ our history.”
“African American history is history, and it needs to be taught. It’s a story of every Black person or Black unit, Buffalo Soldiers, the Tuskegee Airmen, the Black nurses, all of those individuals beating the odds,” Philpot said.
The legacy of the Black and brown women who defied all odds during World War II will live on forever as a part of American history.
Philpot and his organization continue to search and connect with surviving families of the women who were part of the Six Triple Eight.