[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5281]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING SACRIFICES OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN DURING WORLD WAR II

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Lee) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, each year during Women's History Month, we 
pause to commemorate the contributions women have made to this country, 
but we should really commemorate women every day. So I am here today in 
April to amplify the contributions of women of color, particularly 
African-American women. Far too often, the blood, sweat, and tears sown 
by women of color goes unrecognized. So many are truly hidden figures.
  Mr. Speaker, this morning, I want to honor the sacrifices African-
American women made for this country during World War II. Sadly, to 
this day, their sacrifices have gone unacknowledged, and as the 
daughter of a World War II veteran and a Korean veteran, I am honored 
to shed light on a few of the tremendous contributions of African-
American women during World War II. I want to rise to highlight the 
courageous efforts of more than 800 African-American women from the 
6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, which was the first all-
women, all-Black unit deployed in World War II.
  The 6888th, its nickname ``Six Triple Eight'', was an all-women, all-
Black unit that helped boost morale among Allied troops by working 
through major mail backlogs in Europe during World War II.

                              {time}  1030

  To sort through the major backlog of mail in Europe, the women were 
divided into three subunits that allowed them to run the postal service 
24 hours a day, 7 days a week, processing 65,000 pieces of mail per 8-
hour shift.
  The battalion endured the harsh winter of Europe, dimly lit rooms, 
and rat-infested headquarters to carry out their mission. Adding insult 
to injury, these courageous women also faced segregation and 
discrimination from the very country they were working to defend. The 
women were forced to run their own mess halls, hair salon, refreshment 
bar, and other facilities because of segregationist Department of 
Defense policies.
  Yet despite the harsh conditions of war and unequal treatment, the 
women of the 6888th Battalion cleared a 6-month backlog of mail in just 
3 months while posted in Britain. In France, they cleared a 3-year mail 
backlog in just 6 months. Thanks to their tireless efforts, United 
States soldiers were finally able to receive lost letters from loved 
ones during the war.
  The courage exhibited by the 6888th proved once again that senseless 
acts of cruelty are no match for the will and determination of African-
American women.
  But in July 1945, tragedy struck Private First Class Mary J. Barlow, 
Private First Class Mary H. Bankston, and Sergeant Dolores M. Browne, 
who lost their lives in a Jeep accident. Recognizing their fellow 
comrades' sacrifices, the women of the 6888th pooled their personal 
resources to properly bury these women. These women who tragically lost 
their lives while serving in Europe are buried at the Normandy American 
Cemetery, which I was privileged to visit a couple of years ago.
  Their contributions and sacrifices deserve to be celebrated. These 
Black women proudly sacrificed their lives for a country that did not 
value them due to racial discrimination and bigotry. So it is with 
great pride that I speak their names today, hoping that more people 
will come to acknowledge their sacrifice and the sacrifices of their 
fellow sisters during World War II.
  I want to thank our Military Construction, Veteran Affairs 
Appropriations Chair Congressman Charlie Dent, then-Ranking Member 
Sanford Bishop, as well as our full committee Chair Rogers and Ranking 
Member Lowey for their support in the Appropriations Committee to help 
us uncover this great history, and also the American Battle Monuments 
Commission.
  These great sheroes need to be brought to the attention of the 
American people so that they can properly be recognized for their 
sacrifices and their legacies.
  It is my hope that the United States will no longer be shy about 
recognizing the value, accomplishments, and sacrifices of Black women 
in history. I am hopeful that we will come to know the many nameless 
sheroes of the Black community. These hidden figures have fought many 
battles, have sacrificed so much, and have paved the way for Black 
women to move forward in spite of the barriers which we are still 
trying to break.
  On today, Equal Pay Day, I am reminded that African-American women 
earn 63 cents on the dollar. We are still at the bottom of the economic 
ladder. I urge my colleagues to fight for pay equality and gender 
equality as we continue to honor the lives and legacies of so many 
African-American women who truly are hidden figures but who have done 
so much to make this a better country.

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