Groundbreaking World War II unit of black women honored decades after their service
MILWAUKEE - When Anna Mae Robertson and her fellow soldiers arrived in England early in 1945, millions of pieces of mail and parcels destined for homesick American troops gathered dust in postal bags piled high in warehouses.
Knowing the importance to morale of letters and packages from home, commanders gave the difficult task of sorting through a months-long backlog of mail to the Women's Army Corps 6888 Central Postal Directory Battalion. The women devised a system, rolled up their sleeves and got to work.
"We worked in shifts around the clock. You had to find the right name and address," Robertson, 95, recalled in a recent interview at her Milwaukee home. "You just managed."
The hard work and critical role played by the battalion of African-American women during World War II is spotlighted in a new documentary by a filmmaker from Wisconsin. Jim Theres filmed interviews with the last seven survivors of the unit for his documentary, "The Six Triple Eight," which will be shown at the War Memorial Center in Milwaukee on June 6.
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