Seventy seven years ago, on the beaches of Normandy two women fell in combat. Dolores Brown and Mary J Barlow. Lest we forget. BTW, did you know they were members of the only all black, all female unit in World War Two? They came from Connecticut. They are interred at Normandy, their graves marked by crosses, alongside all the others. In death, all are equal. Or at least that is what one would believe. A third lady, PFC Mary Binkston died of injuries a few days after the first two.
I had never heard about any of that until a few years ago. These ladies were member of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. This battalion had been created in July of 1943 in response to a tremendous backlog of undelivered mail and packages. There were literally warehouses full of that. The Army command was not providing any soldiers to do the job, all needed for combat and so the Army at least relented and created this outfit. These ladies underwent a few weeks of training, including physical training in self defense. They were deployed to Europe, specifically England, to begin the task of mail distribution to the troops. As you can well imagine mail was an important component of morale. These ladies took the task very seriously and persevered despite prejudice from not only their race, but their gender.
I found an interesting article on the web that tells all about them. It's worth reading for certain. for me, It isn't because of their gender or color, but because of the service they provided. Having spent months deployed while in the Navy I can tell you from first hand experience just how important a card or letter from home can be. It is something very difficult to describe but they can be a lifeline to your sanity! The postal clerks rarely receive any attention at all until the mail isn't delivered or distributed quickly. They are not given medals often, barely recognized they toil in obscurity. Yet the postal clerks do perform a very important role. Those ladies had their lives taken from them in an attempt to deliver their mail, to discharge their mission.
"While in Rouen, the 6888th experienced a tragedy. On 8 July 1945, PFC Mary J. Barlow and PFC Mary H. Bankston were killed in a jeep accident, and Sergeant Dolores M. Browne died on 13 July from injuries resulting from the accident. Since the War Department did not provide funds for funerals, the women of the 6888th pooled their resources to honor their deceased members. First Lieutenant Dorothy Scott found three unit members who had experience with mortuary work to take care of the bodies, and unit members paid for caskets. Memorial services were organized and held for the deceased, and Major Adams wrote to inform their families in the United States of their fate. Sergeant Browne, PFC Barlow, and PFC Bankston were buried with honors in the Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer.14"
That is an excerpt from an article I found online describing this outfit and the job they performed. That paragraph was especially poignant to read. Their comrades in arms had to not only prepare the bodies but pay for all the expenses involved in interring them. How could that have been allowed to happen? Still, they were laid to rest with full honors in a place of honor. American soldiers in the American cemetery at Normandy. I salute their memory, their service and their legacy. Their story should be told.
Included here is the link to the article I referenced if you would like to read the whole article. I recommend that you do.
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