SE Kansas News

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, representing Kansas, has led a group of 15 senators in urging House Speaker Mike Johnson to authorize a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony for the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. This Women's Army Corps unit, known as the "Six Triple Eight," was an all-Black, all-female group serving overseas during World War II.

In 2022, legislation initiated by Sen. Moran to award this battalion the Congressional Gold Medal was signed into law. The unit's task during the war involved clearing a three-year backlog of 17 million pieces of mail sent to American servicemembers. Their motto was "no mail, low morale."

Currently, only two members of this battalion are known to be alive. Sen. Moran emphasized that these surviving members should not have to wait any longer for their deserved recognition and urged for a ceremony to honor their service.

The effort was supported by Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo from Idaho, Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen from Nevada, Mark Kelly from Arizona, Chris Van Hollen from Maryland, Michael Bennet from Colorado, Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota, Cory Booker from New Jersey, Angus King from Maine, Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin, Andy Kim also from New Jersey, Jack Reed from Rhode Island, Jeanne Shaheen from New Hampshire and Ruben Gallego again from Arizona.