Ohio will now officially recognize March 9 each year as 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Day, honoring the only all Black, all female unit to serve overseas during World War II.

State Representative Melanie Miller joined Governor Mike DeWine for the ceremonial signing of Senate Bill 17, bipartisan legislation establishing the annual day of recognition.

Known as the “Six Triple Eight,” the battalion included 855 women and was led by Major Charity Adams, the highest-ranking Black female officer in the U.S. Army during the war. Their mission was to clear massive mail backlogs for American troops in Europe. Working seven days a week in three shifts, they processed mail for more than four million military and civilian personnel, completing in three months what military leaders expected would take six.

Family members of Lieutenant Colonel Adams attended the signing, along with veterans, military leaders, and community advocates.

The battalion was disbanded on March 9, 1946, the date now designated in Ohio to honor their service and lasting legacy.