The Six Triple Eight

Feb 5
2 min read

A True Story of the Black Woman

Battalion of World War II

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Women in WWII uniforms holding letters, set against a U.S. flag background. Text: The Six Triple Eight, written by Tonya Abari.

Harper

(HarperCollins)

(pub. 10.7.2025)

40 pages

Ages 4 - 8

Author: Tonya Abari

Illustrator: Lance Evans

Characters: The Black Woman Battalion of WWII

Overview:

"In 1944, the United States was facing a unique wartime crisis—too much mail! Millions of letters and packages, stacked from floor to ceiling, sat unsent in cold, dark warehouses, with no one to sort through the backlog and no way to deliver mail to the troops.

Enter the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.

Formed of Black women who had advocated fiercely for their right to enlist in the U.S. military, the “Six Triple Eight” battalion had one special task: sort and send the mail. It wasn’t easy, but the Six Triple Eight got to work!

Putting in long hours to send out each piece of mail in record time, they had a four-word motto that powered them through: “No mail, low morale!” As they helped deliver support to the soldiers on the frontlines, these women proved there was nothing they couldn’t do!

Tantalizing taste:

"There was mail everywhere! Bags of letters filled hangars and were piled from the floor to the ceiling. The mail room was cold, damp, and poorly lit. Could they get through this backlog in only six months?

The mighty battalion was determined. They wore layers of clothes beneath their uniforms and worked long hours, rotating three eight-hour shifts per day. An average of sixty-five thousand pieces of mail were processed each shift using special locator cards, unit numbers, and serial numbers.

The Six Triple Eight developed a motto to stay motivated: No mail, low morale. There was nothing that they couldn't do!"

And something more: The author, Tonya Abari, shares in a Dear Reader letter: "Although the topic of war is very complex, I wrote this book because I wanted to honor the brave women of the Six Triple Eight. I also did not want this vital part of history to be overlooked. The lasting impact of these women's contributions has ushered in significant strides for Black women and girls in the military and civilian life."