Black female WWII unit, 'Six Triple Eight,' receives congressional medal

WASHINGTON (AP) — The only Black, all-female unit to serve in Europe during World War II, known as the “Six Triple Eight,” was honored Tuesday with the Congressional Gold Medal, following a long-running campaign to recognize their efforts.

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was credited with solving a growing mail crisis during its stint in England and, upon their return, serving as a role model to generations of Black women who joined the military.

They cleared out a backlog of about 17 million pieces of mail in three months, twice as fast as projected. The battalion would go on to serve in France before returning home. And like many Black units during World War II, their exploits never got the attention afforded their white counterparts — until now.

House Speaker Mike Johnson presented the medal to the family of the unit commander, Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley, during a ceremony in Emancipation Hall at the Capitol Visitor Center. More than 300 descendants of the women who served in the battalion were in attendance.

“This ceremony reflects one of the highest and most cherished traditions of our republic, one that's roots stretch back all the way to General George Washington,” Johnson said.

“The Six Triple Eight are great American patriots, loyal to a nation that, for far too long, failed to return the favor. And I’m glad to say that’s changing, and we’re doing that here today," he said.

Stanley Earley III, the son of the battalion’s commander, was among the speakers at the ceremony. He called the women who served “true examples of American excellence.”

“These soldiers exemplified determination in the face of adversity and demonstrated the ability to go beyond what was thought to be possible," Earley said.

The 6888th was sent overseas in 1945, a time when there was growing pressure from African American organizations to include Black women in what was called the Women’s Army Corps, and allow them to join their white counterparts overseas.

The 6888th toiled around the clock, processing about 65,000 pieces of mail in each of the three shifts. They created a system using locator cards with service members’ names and unit numbers to ensure mail was delivered.

“I don’t know if any of the letters between my mom and dad passed through the hands of the Six Triple Eight, but I do know that the work they did made it possible for millions of young men like my dad to keep up the fight,” said Sen. Jerry Moran, who recounted meeting five of the battalion members in 2018. Moran, a Republican from Kansas, co-sponsored the medal legislation in the Senate.

“When these women returned home, there was no parade to greet them. No one lined the streets to thank them for their service. That ain’t right. And we’re trying to correct it today,” Moran said.

The unit’s story has gained wider recognition in recent years. A monument was erected in 2018 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to honor them, and the 6888th was given the Meritorious Unit Commendation in 2019. A documentary “The Six Triple Eight” was made about their exploits. In 2024, Tyler Perry directed a movie for Netflix about the unit, starring Kerry Washington.

The Senate voted to bestow the Congressional Gold Medal, its highest honor, on the 6888th in 2021, and the House followed in early 2022. Reflecting wide bipartisan support, leaders of both parties spoke at Tuesday's ceremony.

Wisconsin Democratic Rep. Gwen Moore, who co-sponsored the legislation to award the medal, called the recognition long overdue.

“This ceremony is a fitting end to a long journey to make sure that we do not forget their service," said Moore, who represents one of the two living members of the battalion.

“They did it for the love of country. And the story reminds us so much that while there’s much that divides our country today, there’s even more than joins us together, like a commitment to service, a commitment to doing something bigger than yourself, to live and volunteer, to go into service in a war zone, even in the face of segregation at home,” Moore said.

The AP spoke with one of the women who served in the battalion, Maj. Fannie Griffin McClendon, after the congressional vote in 2022. McClendon joined the Air Force after the military was integrated and retired in 1971. She was the first female to command an all-male squadron with the Strategic Air Command.

“It’s overwhelming,” McClendon said of the medal. “It’s something I never even thought about it.”

Associated Press writer Michael Casey contributed to this report.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., right, presents the Congressional Gold Medal to Stanley Earley III, son of Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley, second from right, as Judith Earley, second from left, and retired Amy Col. Edna W. Cummings, left, watch during a ceremony honoring the Six Triple Eight, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., right, presents the Congressional Gold Medal to Stanley Earley III, son of Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley, left, during a ceremony honoring the Six Triple Eight, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Washington. The U.S. Army's 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, also known as the Six Triple Eight, was a group of Black servicewomen, serving overseas, to sort millions of pieces of mail and deliver them to the troops in the field of battle during World War II. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., right, presents the Congressional Gold Medal to Stanley Earley III, son of Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley, second from right, as Judith Earley, second from left, and retired Amy Col. Edna W. Cummings, left, watch during a ceremony honoring the Six Triple Eight, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

FILE - World War II veteran Maj. Fannie Griffin McClendon, a member of the World War II 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, poses for a photo at her home on June 10, 2021, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

FILE - In this image provided by the National Archives, members of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-female, all-Black unit formed during World War II, are shown in an undated Department of Defense photo. (National Archives via AP, File)

PARIS (AP) — A top-level U.N. conference on a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians scheduled for next week has been postponed amid surging tensions in the Middle East, French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday.

France and Saudi Arabia were due to co-chair the conference hosted by the U.N. General Assembly in New York on June 17-20, and Macron had been among leaders scheduled to attend. The Palestinian Authority hoped the conference would revive the long-defunct peace process.

Macron expressed his “determination to recognize the state of Palestine” at some point, despite the postponement. France has pushed for a broader movement toward recognizing a Palestinian state in parallel with recognition of Israel and its right to defend itself.

After Israel's strikes on Iran on Friday, Macron said that France’s military forces around the Middle East are ready to help protect partners in the region, including Israel, but wouldn't take part in any attacks on Iran.

Macron told reporters that the two-state conference was postponed for logistical and security reasons, and because some Palestinian representatives couldn’t come to the event. He insisted that it would be held “as soon as possible” and that he was in discussion with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about a new date.

The U.N. ambassadors from France and Saudi Arabia said in a letter to the 193 U.N. member nations that the delay is “due to the current circumstances in the Middle East that prevent regional leaders from attending the conference in New York.”

France’s Jerome Bonnafont and Saudi Arabia’s Abdulaziz Alwasil said the conference will open on June 17 in the General Assembly hall, but only to propose and agree to its suspension. They invited all countries to attend the opening.

“We are determined to resume the conference at the earliest possible date,” the two ambassadors said.

Macron said the aim of the conference "is a demilitarized Palestinian state recognizing the existence and the security of Israel.” Any such state would exclude any Hamas leaders, he said.

Macron said that the Israel-Iran conflict, the war in Gaza and the situation for Palestinians around the region are all “interlinked.”

Macron spoke on Friday with 10 world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, about the Israeli strikes on Iran and consequences.

One of the aims at the U.N. conference was to increase the number of countries recognizing Palestinian territories as an independent state. So far, more than 145 of the 193 U.N. member nations have done so. The Palestinians view their state as encompassing Gaza and the West Bank with east Jerusalem as the capital.

Netanyahu has rejected the creation of a Palestinian state, and Israel refused to participate in the conference.

French President Emmanuel Macron holds a news conference at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, Pool)

French President Emmanuel Macron holds a news conference at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, Pool)

French President Emmanuel Macron arrives to hold a press conference at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, Friday, June 13, 2025.. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, Pool)