WASHINGTON – A new exhibit commemorating a predominately Black, all-female, postal unit will launch April 26th, 2024, at Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia.
The U.S. Army Women’s Museum (AWM) and the Combined Arms Support Command will partner to host a ribbon cutting ceremony for the newest exhibit; Courage to Deliver: The Women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, as part of the first annual Fort Gregg-Adams Day.
Both the celebration and the exhibit are designed to continue military and civilian education about Lt. Col. Charity Adams and the “Six Triple Eight.”
Adams was the first Black officer commissioned in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (which eventually became known as the Women’s Army Corps) in World War II.
Last year, Adams was honored, along with Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg, during a ceremony redesignating Fort Lee to Fort Gregg-Adams, for contributions to sustainment and U.S. Army history.
“When the news of the redesignation was announced, we decided that it would be the perfect time to design an exhibit about the “Six Triple Eight,” AWM Curator, Tracy Bradford said in an interview.
This exhibit was created in partnership with descendants of the unit and features images and artifacts that capture the experiences of the battalion, while under the command of Major Charity Adams.
“We only had one artifact in the entire Army Museum Enterprise related to (the unit). So, we realized that to tell the story, we would really need to gather more of the history,” said Bradford.
“I was honored to work with families to let their wealth of experience and perspectives play a vital role in developing the exhibit. Their knowledge, input, and insight were critical in creating this space where history and culture are celebrated in a way that respects and engages.”
Funded through a partnership of federal and private support, the exhibit features twenty-one artifacts, forty-two images, and eleven graphic panels and is in the museum’s 720 square foot changing exhibit space. It highlights the women of the battalion who were credited with redirecting over seventeen million pieces of mail and packages in the European area of operation and boosting morale of Soldiers and overseas during the World War II.
Bradford said, “we discovered that a great way to look at the big picture of Army women’s history is to find those pivotal moments of change and explore why they occurred and then how they set the stage for future progress.”
The AWM serves as an educational institution, providing military history programming to Soldiers, veterans, and the civilian community. The mission of the museum is to conserve and preserve a repository of artifacts and archives pertaining to the service of women in the U.S. Army.
To find operating hours and directions for the Army Women’s Museum in Virginia, and Fort Gregg-Adams access information visit the museum website at https://history.army.mil/museums/awm/index.html
For more information about the Army Women’s Museum, the Army Museum Enterprise, the U.S. Army Center of Military History or for media queries please contact the CMH Public Affairs Officer, Mr. F. Lee Reynolds, at francis.l.reynolds.civ@army.mil.
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