World War II Honoree

Charity Adams Earley

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Columbia, South Carolina

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

Relationship

Relationship Not Determined

PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT SIGNED THE BILL ESTABLISHING THE WOMAN'S ARMY AUXILIARY CORPS (WAAC) IN MAY, 1942. SHE ENLISTED IN THE WAAC IN JULY, 1942, AND WAS STATIONED AT FORT DES MOINES, IOWA, WHICH WAS THE WAAC TRAINING CENTER. SHE ATTENDED WAAC OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL AT FORT DES MOINES ON AUGUST 29, 1942. SHE WAS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO BECOME AN OFFICER IN THE WAAC. THE WAAC BECAME THE WOMEN'S ARMY CORPS (WAC) AND PART OF THE REGULAR ARMY ON JULY 1, 1943, AND SHE WAS COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT. SHE AND OTHER WAC MEMBERS FORMED THE 6888TH ('SIX TRIPLE EIGHT') CENTRAL POSTAL DIRECTORY BATTALION, WHICH SHE COMMANDED. THE 6888TH WAS FORMED WITH 31 OFFICERS AND 824 ENLISTED SOLDIERS AUTHORIZED. MEMBERS OF THE BATTALION TRAINED AT FORT OGLETHORPE, GEORGIA, NEAR CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, WHICH WAS THE 3RD WAC TRAINING CENTER. ON FEBRUARY 3, 1945, THE FIRST BATTALION CONTINGENT SAILED ON THE CONVERTED LINER 'ILE DE FRANCE' OVERSEAS TO EUROPE. A SECOND CONTINGENT FOLLOWED SOME TWO MONTHS LATER. THE VOYAGE EXPERIENCED THE NORMAL ANTI-SUBMARINE DEFENSIVE MEASURES EN ROUTE AND LANDED AT GLASOW, SCOTLAND. THE CONTINGENT MOVED TO BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND WHERE THEY WERE QUARTERED AT THE KING EDWARD'S SCHOOL. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) DURING THE WAR. THE 6888TH WAS THE ONLY BATTALION OF WAC BLACK WOMEN SENT OVERSEAS DURING THE WAR. THEY WORKED IN WAREHOUSES IN BIRMINGHAM WITH THE MISSION OF DELIVERING MAIL TO SERVICEMEMBERS IN THE THEATER. THE MISSION WAS PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT DUE TO THE NUMBER OF MILITARY PERSONNEL IN THEATER, DIFFERENT SERVICES, FREQUENT MOVEMENT OF UNITS AND PERSONNEL WITHIN THE THEATER, DUPLICATION OF NAMES, CHANGES OF DUTY STATUS (E.G. KILLED, WOUNDED, MISSING), AND A MONUMENTAL BACKLOG OF UNDELIVERED MAIL DUE TO A SHORTAGE OF QUALIFIED POSTAL PERSONNEL. SHE ORGANIZED HER BATTALION INTO 3 DAILY SHIFTS, WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK, AND PROCESSING SOME 6,500 PIECES OF MAIL PER SHIFT. SHE ALSO FOUGHT AGAINST PREJUDICES TO UPGRADE LIVING AND WORKING FACILITIES, INCLUDING NOT LIVING IN SEGREGATED QUARTERS AND ESTABLISHING ITS OWN MESS HALL, HAIR SALON, AND A REFRESHMENT SITE. THE BATTALION WAS LATER MOVED TO ROUEN, FRANCE TO SOLVE DISTRIBUTION PROBLEMS THERE. THREE MEMBERS OF THE BATTALION DIED OVERSEAS DUE TO NON-BATTLE VEHICLE ACCIDENTS. SHE AND THE OTHER WOMEN OVERCAME ALL OBSTACLES TO PROVIDE SERVICE PERSONNEL A LETTER FROM HOME AND A BOOST TO THEIR MORALE. THE BATTALION WAS DISBANDED AT FORT DIX AT WRIGHTSTOWN, NEW JERSEY IN 1946. AWARDED THE WOMEN'S ARMY CORPS SERVICE MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL. ALSO AWARDED THE MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION FOR HER BATTALION'S EXCEPTIONALLY MERITORIOUS CONDUCT IN PERFORMANCE OF OUTSTANDING SERVICES. HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN MARCH, 1946, WITH THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL, AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON. 'SIX TRIPLE EIGHT' WOMEN PERFORMED MAGNIFICANTLY, WITHOUT SUFFICIENT RECOGNITION, WITH GREAT PERSONAL DEDICATION, ENERGY, AND SELFLESS LOYALTY.