Nationwide — Anna Mae Robertson, one of many final surviving members of the all-Black feminine navy unit referred to as the Six Triple Eight, died lately on the age of 101. Her unit performed a key position throughout World Warfare II by sorting huge backlogs of mail for U.S. troops in Europe, serving to increase soldier morale. Final 12 months, Tyler Perry launched a movie on Netflix referred to as Six Triple Eight starring Kerry Washington, telling their story.
Born in 1923 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Robertson labored as a instructor earlier than becoming a member of the Girls’s Military Corps in 1943. Two years later, she was deployed to Europe as a part of the 6888th Central Postal Listing Battalion, the one all-Black, all-female unit to serve abroad in the course of the conflict.
The battalion was tasked with sorting tens of millions of delayed letters and packages stacked in warehouses in England and France. They labored day and evening, processing over 17 million items of mail in only a few months. Their efforts helped join troopers with family members throughout wartime.
Regardless of their success, the ladies confronted discrimination each inside the navy and society. Their mission was largely ignored for many years, with their contributions going largely unacknowledged.
Recognition lastly got here later. In 2019, Robertson and her fellow unit members have been honored by the U.S. Military. In 2022, Congress awarded them the Congressional Gold Medal. A 2024 Netflix movie in regards to the unit, directed by Tyler Perry, introduced their story to a wider viewers.
In line with The Wall Avenue Journal, Robertson died on July 5 in Maplewood, Minnesota. She is survived by her two kids, three grandchildren, and a number of other great-grandchildren.
