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Senators introduce bill to designate March 9 as 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Day
Summary
Senator Cyndre Reynolds and joint sponsor Senator Herschel Craig gave sponsor testimony at a first hearing for Senate Bill 17 to designate March 9 as 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Day, honoring the all-Black, all-female battalion that processed wartime mail; committee took no vote.
Chairman Johnson on behalf of the Senate Armed Services, Veterans Affairs, and Public Safety Committee heard sponsor testimony on Senate Bill 17, which would designate March 9 as 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Day in Ohio. The bill’s sponsor, Senator Cyndre Reynolds, and joint sponsor, Senator Herschel Craig, presented the measure during a first hearing; the committee took no vote.
The bill, Reynolds said, would “recognize the extraordinary service and sacrifice of the only all black, all female battalion to serve overseas during World War II.” Reynolds told the committee the unit deployed to Birmingham, England, to process a backlog of mail and that the battalion handled “approximately 17,000,000 letters and packages,” work she said was vital to troop morale. She also noted that Major Charity Adams, commander of the battalion, was raised in Dayton, Ohio.
The nut graf: The proposal is ceremonial and commemorative in nature, aimed at preserving state-level recognition of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion’s service and to provide an educational marker for future generations. Reynolds and Craig emphasized the battalion’s wartime role, its record of around-the-clock shifts, and the unit’s historical significance for African American women in the armed forces.
Reynolds told the committee the designation would “ensure that Ohioans never forget the legacy of these extraordinary women,” and she cited recent national recognition: members of the 6888th were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. Craig said the battalion completed missions faster than initially expected and that their work “helped solve a serious problem during a critical time for the allied powers.”
There was no debate or questions from committee members during the hearing, and Chairman Johnson closed the item after testimony. The measure will remain at first hearing status with no committee action recorded.
Ending: The committee did not vote on the bill at the hearing. Sponsors urged committee support; next steps were not announced during the session.
