Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Historical Recognition topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
House designates March 9 to honor 6-688 Central Postal Directory Battalion
Summary
Lawmakers approved House Bill 68 to designate March 9 as a day to honor the 6-688 Central Postal Directory Battalion, the all-Black, all-women U.S. Army unit that cleared wartime mail during World War II.
Dover, March 26 — The Delaware House approved House Bill 68 to designate March 9 as the ‘6-688 Central Postal Directory Battalion Day,’ recognizing the all‑African American, all‑female unit that processed wartime mail during World War II.
Representative Johnson, sponsor of the bill, gave a floor statement recounting the battalion’s wartime service and its role clearing a multi‑year backlog of mail for U.S. military personnel overseas. He noted the unit processed as many as 65,000 pieces of mail per shift and cleared large backlogs that had accumulated for service members.
“The women of this battalion were tasked with clearing a multi year backlog of 7,000,000 pieces of mail,” Representative Johnson said on the floor, describing the unit’s work in Britain and France and the difficult conditions they faced.
Representative Johnson also identified several members of the battalion with Delaware connections and said descendants were traveling to Washington to receive medals. He noted the unit received a Congressional Gold Medal in 2022 and that descendants will receive the physical medals in a forthcoming ceremony.
The bill was read and a roll call was conducted on the floor. The transcript records the roll-call process and multiple “yes” responses; a final tally number was not specified in the recorded excerpt.
How this matters: The designation is a formal recognition of a historically significant military unit and calls attention to Delaware residents connected to that service.
Next steps: The bill will be transmitted to the Senate.
