Connecticut honors WWII's Six Triple Eight and the women who made history

Connecticut on Wednesday honored the legacy of the Six Triple Eight Central postal Directory Battalion.

The Black and female unit cleared a massive backlog of 17 million pieces of mail in wartime France and the United Kingdom. It was a task that others had been unsuccessful in completing.  

At an event at the State Capitol in Hartford, officials recognized the ten Connecticut women who served in the unit with a statement from Gov. Ned Lamont.

Dr. Sheila M. Kearney said her aunt, Maj. Mary Frances Kearney was the battalion’s chief of mail and a commanding officer.

“They were courageous in stepping up to join the military when it was still male-centered,” Kearney said.

Kearney said the women of the Six Triple Eight confronted multiple forms of discrimination. She said for people of color, there were two battles: one against fascism and one against Jim Crow and racism.

For women in uniform, Kearney said, sexism made their service even more difficult.

“They were determined to succeed,” Kearney said.

State Rep. Jaime Foster said the stories of women who served in the military are often overlooked.

“One of the things I’ve learned since being the chair of the Veterans and Military Affairs, is that particularly women in the military feel like their stories are brushed over or ignored,” Foster said.

The chair said that any effort to correct historical neglect is deeply meaningful, and efforts to ensure women’s stories are taught and formally honored are important.

“I feel like very easily history forgets them,” Foster said.

Veteran Bridgitte Prince attended Wednesday’s event and said it was meaningful to hear more about a group that she saw herself within.

Prince also processed mail during two tours in Germany. She said she grew up in Hartford’s Bellevue Square housing complex, the same place where Pfc. Mary Barlow once lived.

“They did it in a time frame that is still, to this day, unbelievable. I don’t know how anybody could process that piece of mail in three months,” Prince said.

Lisa Boone said her family only recently learned of their connection to one of the women who served.

“My Dad and Aunt grew up with her, but they had no idea she was ever in the military,” Boone said.

In the days leading up to the event, she was contacted online and asked whether she was the great‑great niece of Pfc. Elizabeth McNare. After reviewing photos and other documentation, she confirmed the connection.

She said that was only possible because of the state’s effort to recognize the battalion.

State Rep. Andre Baker Jr. encouraged other families to come forward.

“Reach out to us so we can find out about the descendants, their lives, so we can honor them,” Baker said.

The Six Triple Eight’s motto was “No mail, low morale.” Their work ensured neither happened.

“It wasn’t just the guys on the battlefield. It was really the support that they got in the background,” Baker said. “These women helped to do that.”

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