♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> Renee: HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE SIX 888.

WE WILL LEARN ABOUT THE ONLY ALL BLACK FEMALE ARMY BATTALION TO SERVE OVERSEAS IN WORLD WAR II.

THE 688 BATTALION WAS THE ONLY ALL FEMALE ALL BLACK ARMY BATTALION SENT IN TO EUROPE TO CLEAR A BACKLOG OF MILLIONS OF PIECES OF MAIL.

LEARN THEIR IMPORTANCE IN HISTORY AND A FILM DOCUMENTING THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS NOW ON CONNECTIONS.

>> THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME FOR CONNECTIONS TODAY.

I'M RENEE SHAW.

TODAY I'M JOINED BY FILM PRODUCER AND VETERAN ELIZABETH HELM-FRAZIER TO TALK ABOUT A UNIQUE ARMY BATTALION WHO SERVED WITH DISTINCTION AND HONOR IN SPITE OF RACISM AND SEXISM TO HELP WITH THE LOW MORALE OF MILITARY SERVICEMEN DURING WORLD WAR II.

Ms. HELM-FRAZIER JOINS ME FROM MARYLAND BY SKYPE ABOUT A FILM THAT HOPPERS THEIR LEGACY AND SERVICE.

THANK YOU.

IT IS A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU AND TO TALK ABOUT THIS GREAT WORK.

>> THANK YOU, RENEE.

AND THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME ON TO THE SHOW TO TALK ABOUT THESE AMAZING 6888 WOMEN.

>> Renee: 6888 SOUNDS LIKE A CATCHY POP GROUP, BUT THESE WOMEN, HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF THEM, WERE COURAGEOUS IN WHAT THEY DID AND THEIR SERVICE TO MILITARY PERSONNEL DURING WORLD WAR II.

HOW MUCH HAD YOU KNOWN ABOUT THIS BATTALION BEFORE YOU STARTED ENDEAVORING IN THIS FILM?

>> WELL, BEFORE I WAS ON ACTIVE DUTY, I WAS IN THE ARMY AND I WOULD ALWAYS SEE THIS PHOTO OF THIS BLACK COMMAND ERR-- THIS BLACK COMMAND ERIN SPECTING BLACK WOMEN.

AND I WAS LIKE THAT'S THE UNIT THAT I WANT TO BE IN, BUT NOBODY REALLY KNEW WHO THEY WERE.

IT WASN'T UNTIL IN THE NINTH, PROBABLY ABOUT HID 90s I WAS AT AN EVENT.

I THINK IT WAS A BLACK HISTORY EVENT, AND I SAID OH THERE'S A PICTURE!

I SAID THAT IS THE UNIT I WANT TO BE IN.

SOMEONE SAID TO ME, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S A WORLD WAR II UNIT AND I WAS LIKE REALLY?

AND YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS WOULD SEE THE PICTURE, NEVER KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT WHO THEY WERE.

IT WASN'T UNTIL JANUARY OF, I THINK IT WAS 2002 OR 2003, I HAD LEARNED THE DEATH OF THE COMMANDER CHARITY ADAMS EARLY.

SHE HAD GOTTEN MARRIED.

AND ONE OF THE LADIES THAT THIS GROUP THAT I WAS IN, THE NORTHERN VIRGINIA CHAPTER 33 WOMEN'S ARMY CORPS, HANDED ME A BOOK.

AND THE BOOK WAS CALLED ONE WOMAN'S ARMY.

AND IT WAS CHARITY ADAMS EARLY'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY.

AND I READ IT AND I WAS JUST LIKE, WOW!

AND IT IS A GREAT BOOK TO READ.

AND IT IS A GREAT BOOK THAT I THINK ALL MILITARY WOMEN SHOULD READ.

AND SO I LEARNED ABOUT THE UNIT THROUGH HER BOOK.

AND THEN I READ ANOTHER BOOK CALLED "TO SERVE MY COUNTRY TO SERVE MY RACE" AND IT'S BY Dr. BRENDA L. MOORE, AND SHE ACTUALLY WROTE ABOUT THE UNIT, THE 68988 CENTRAL POSTAL DIRECTORY BATTALION.

HER BOOK IS MORE ABOUT THE UNIT.

AND IN THE BACK OF HER BOOK, SHE LISTS ALL 855 MEMBERS OF THE 6888.

BOTH ARE REALLY GREAT BOOKS TO READ.

I WOULD RECOMMEND EVERYONE GO OUT AND GET THESE BOOKS AND LEARN ABOUT THIS UNIT.

SO THAT'S HOW I LEARNED ABOUT THEM IS THROUGH READING THESE BOOKS.

>> Renee: AND THESE ARE UNSUNG HEROES WHOSE CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE GONE RELATIVELY UNKNOWN EXCEPT FOR THESE TWO BOOKS THAT WERE WRITTEN.

AND MAYBE WITHOUT A LOT OF FANFARE.

AND I WANT TO REVISIT SOMETHING YOU SAID.

YOU JUST NAMED OFF THE HUNDREDS OF WOMEN THAT SERVED IN THE 6888.

REPEAT THAT NUMBER AGAIN.

>> 855.

>> Renee: WERE YOU SURPRISED BY THE LARGE, THE VAST NUMBER WHO SERVED IN THAT UNIT?

>> NO.

>> Renee: WHY NOT?

>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL.

IT'S A BATTALION, SO A BATTALION IS THAT SIZE.

AND I WASN'T SURPRISED BY THE NUMBERS BECAUSE BLACK WOMEN WANTED TO SERVE ALSO.

THIS WAS WORLD WAR II MEN, BLACK MEN, WERE GOING, SERVING THERE I COUNTRY.

AND JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, BLACK WOMEN WANTED TO SERVE, TOO.

AND YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO REMEMBER WHAT WAS GOING ON IN OUR COUNTRY AT THIS TIME DURING WORLD WAR II.

SO BLACK WOMEN WANTED TO SERVE.

SOME OF THEM, I KNOW YOU HAVE HEARD OF ROSIE THE RIVETERS.

THERE WERE BLACK WOMEN THAT WERE ROSIE THE RIVETERS.

THEY WERE DOING THEIR PART BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY COULD GO IN THE MILITARY.

BUT BLACK WOMEN WANTED TO SERVE AND THESE 855 WERE SELECTED TO GO OVER AND DO THEIR PART.

SO, YES, I WAS NOT SURPRISED AT THE NUMBER.

>> Renee: AND THIS WAS DURING, YOU KNOW, THE JIM CROW AND WE KNOW THAT EVEN THE NUMBERS THAT WERE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE AND ENLIST WERE BASED OFF THE POPULATION, A PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION, 10%?

>> YO'.

>> AND MANY MORE HAD INTEREST BUT WERE DENIED.

I WANT TO SHOW FOLKS A CLIP, A TRAILER OF THIS FILM CALLED 6888.

LET'S LOOK AT IT AND WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT IT ON THE OTHER SIDE.

>> 6888 STARTED IN GEORGIA.

>> WE CALL IT 6888 CPD.

>> I WAS OVERSEAS IN 6888.

>> WE CALL IT THE 6888.

>> THE ENTIRE COUNTRY WAS MOBILIZED IN SUPPORT OF THE WORLD WAR.

>> GENERALIZE HOUR-- GENERAL EISENHOWER ASKED FOR WOMEN TO BE SENT TO HIM AND AUXILLARIES WERE NOT ALLOWED TO BE SENT OVERSEAS.

AT THAT TIME THEY STARTED TO CREATE THE WAC BILL, THE WOMEN'S ARMY CORP BILL.

>> I HAD A COUSIN WHO WAS A WAC.

I SAID REALLY?

>> MANY WERE RECRUITED BECAUSE OF THEIR SKILLS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME I WONDER THEY DON'T REALIZE WHAT ROLE MODELS THEY ARE TO THE GENERATIONS THAT CAME AFTER THEM.

>> WHEN YOU GOT OUT THERE AND DID SOMETHING THAT WAS EXTRAORDINARY, THEY SAID SOMEBODY ELSE MUST HAVE DONE THAT.

>> WHILE TELLING THAT STORY AND DOCUMENTING, DOCUMENTING THE MILITARY UNS, THEY WERE ALL BLACK AND MOST HAD A WHITE COMMANDER BUT THOSE SOLDIERS STILL PERFORMED AT THE SAME LEVEL AS THEIR WHITE COUNTERPARTS IN TERMS OF THE PROVIDING FOR THE DEMOCRACY OF THIS COUNTRY AND DEFENDING THE DEMOCRACY OF THIS COUNTRY.

>> Renee: THESE WOMEN, ULTIMATE PATRIOTS, YOU WOULD SAY, CORRECT?

AT THE TIME FACED RACISM, SEXISM AND THE NAZIS, AND TO STILL SERVE AND TO BE UNNOTICED AND TO DEAL WITH WHAT THEY DEALT WITH AND NOT REALLY KNOWING THAT THET WERE MAKING THE DIFFERENCE THAT THEY WERE MAKING.

DO YOU BELIEVE THEY UNDERSTOOD THE GRAVITY OF THEIR WORK?

AT THE TIME?

>> NO, BECAUSE I THINK, LIKE THEY SAID IT WAS A JOB AND THEY JUST HAD TO DO THE JOB.

THE MISSION WAS TO REDUCE THE OVER TWO-YEAR BACKLOG THAT HAD BUILT UP OF MAIL, LETTERS, PACKAGES IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER.

THE ARMY GAVE THEM SIX MONTHS TO DO IT.

AND SO THEY JUST SET OUT TO DO THEIR JOB.

THEY WERE NOT THINKING THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE HISTORY OR THEY WERE-- THAT THEY WERE GOING TO BE TRAIL BLAZERS.

THEY WEREN'T THINKING LIKE THAT.

THESE WOMEN WERE IN THE ARMY.

THEY HAD A MISSION TO DO.

THEY WERE SOLDIERS.

AND THEY WERE SERVING THEIR COUNTRY.

THAT'S WHAT THEY THOUGHT OF THAT.

>> Renee: AND THEY HELPED WITH MORALE, ISN'T THAT RIGHT?

BECAUSE SO MANY AT THAT TIME MAYBE WERE, OF COURSE MISSING HOME AND THEIR ONLY CONNECTION TO HOME WERE THOSE LESSER, WERE THOSE-- WERE THOSE LETTERS AND PIECES OF MAIL.

HOW THIS WAS MORE THAN A MORALE BOOSTER.

THIS WAS HELPING AMERICA FURTHER DEMOCRACY BY THIS MAYBE SEEMINGLY SIMPLE GESTURE THAT THEY WERE DOING AND THIS WORK THAT THEY WERE PERFORMING.

>> I OFTEN TELL PEOPLE THAT I AM RETIRED ARMY.

WE DIDN'T HAVE THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM THAT WE HAVE NOW.

YOU WERE CONNECTED OR YOU STAY CONNECTED WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS BY LETTER AND CARDS.

MILITARY PEOPLE, WHEN I WAS IN THE SERVICE, WOULD TELL YOU THERE WERE THREE IMPORTANT THINGS: THERE WAS GETTING PAID, MOST OF US GETTING PAID.

FOOD AND SHELTER AND MAIL.

LET ONE OF THOSE THREE BE MESSED UP OR YOU DON'T GET ANY MAIL?

IT'S A BAD DAY, OKAY?

MAIL KEPT YOU CONNECTED.

MAIL, WHETHER IT WAS GOOD NEWS OR BAD NEWS, MAIL KEPT A SERVICE MEMBER CONNECTED TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND KEPT THAT SERVICE MEMBER KNOWING THAT, HEY, I AM THOUGHT ABOUT.

SOMEBODY CARES ABOUT ME.

PACKAGES, YOU KNOW, BIRTHDAYS, CHRISTMAS, YOU KNOW, THOSE WERE BIG WITH SERVICE MEMBERS BECAUSE SOMEBODY TOOK THE TIME TO SEND ME A PACKAGE OF COOKIES OR CAKES OR CARDS AND LETTERS.

I KNOW MY BIRTHDAY WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME WHEN I WAS OVERSEAS.

IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT, BUT WHEN I WAS OVERSEAS, IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE I WAS OVER THERE NOT NEAR FAMILY.

AND WHEN I GOT LETTERS, CARDS, FOR MY BIRTHDAY, THAT, IN ITSELF, WAS A HOLIDAY.

AND SO THINK ABOUT WORLD WAR II.

WE DIDN'T HAVE FACEBOOK, TWITTER, NONE OF THIS SOCIAL MEDIA STUFF.

AND PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE TELEPHONES.

AND IF YOU DID HAVE A TELEPHONE, YOU CERTAINLY DID NOT CALL OVERSEAS BECAUSE IT WAS REALLY EXPENSIVE.

>> Renee: RIGHT.

>> TO GET A LETTER FROM YOUR MOTHER, YOUR DAD WROTE OR WIFE OR HUSBAND OR BROTHER, SISTER, FRIENDS, YOU GOT A LETTER AND HERE YOU ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF FIGHTING A WAR, YOU GOT A LETTER.

FOR THAT MOMENT, FOR THAT TWO OR THREE MOMENTS THAT IT TOOK YOU TO READ THIS LETTER, THAT MADE YOU FORGET ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON AND YOU WERE CONNECTED TO HOME.

YOU WERE CONNECTED BACK TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

>> Renee: WE KNOW, ELIZABETH, THAT MORE THAN A DOZEN KENTUCKY WOMEN ARE STILL ALIVE PERHAPS, WHO SERVED IN THIS PARTICULAR BATTALION.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THOSE REMAINING?

HOW MANY ARE REMAINING AND WHERE DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THEIR WHEREABOUTS?

>> OKAY, WELL, THERE WERE 18 BLACK WOMEN FROM KENTUCKY ASSIGNED TO THE SIX TRIPLE 8.

I DON'T KNOW OF, RIGHT NOW, OF ANY OF THOSE MEMBERS THAT ARE STILL LIVING.

CURRENTLY, I KNOW OF SEVEN LIVING MEMBERS OF THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT.

ONE LIVES IN ARIZONA.

THAT'S Mrs. FANNY GRIFFIN Mc MCCLENDON.

SHE WILL BE 101 IN SEPTEMBER AND SHE IS A MAJOR RETIRED BECAUSE AFTER SHE LEFT THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT, SHE TRANSFERRED OVER TO THE AIR FORCE.

SHE LIVES OUT IN ARIZONA.

Mrs. KING, LENA BELL KING, WHO WAS A CORPORAL IN THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT, SHE LIVES OUT IN LOS ANGELES LOSS AND SHE IS 98.

LIKE Mrs. McCOLLEGE DONE, SHE DRUG OF CHOICE AND LIVES BY HERSELF.

Ms. ANNA MAE ROBERTS LIVES UP IN WISCONSIN AND SHE IS THE YOUNGEST OF THE GROUP.

SHE IS 96.

YOU HAVE Mrs. HILDA GRIMES AND Mrs. GRIMES WAS A SERGEANT IN THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT.

SHE LIVES DOWN IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.

SHE IS 97.

YOU HAVE Mrs. SILVER EATON.

SHE LIVES IN NORTH CAROLINA AND I THINK SHE IS LIKE 100.

YOU HAVE Mrs. ROMAY JOHNSON.

SHE LIVES IN MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, AND SHE IS 100 OR 101.

AND THEN THERE IS ANOTHER LADY THAT LIVES UP IN UPSTATE NEW YORK.

I HAVE NOT MET HER.

I HAVE NOT TALKED TO HER, BUT IT IS SEVEN KNOWN LIVING MEMBERS.

>> Renee: AND THINK ABOUT, I MEAN, YOU MENTIONED THE YOUNGEST BEING 96.

IN A FEW YEARS, YOU KNOW, WE WILL HAVE LOST THESE BRAVE SOLDIERS, THESE COURAGEOUS WOMEN WHO, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS THE SAYING THAT SOLDIERS DON'T DIE, THEY JUST FADE AWAY.

AND FOR YOU, WHO HAS SERVED AND YOU HAVE COMMITTED TO THIS COUNTRY BY SERVING THIS COUNTRY IN THE MILITARY, AND YOU HAD A CHANCE TO INTERACT WITH SOME OF THESE SURVIVORS, I MEAN, HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR YOU-- HOW AFFIRMING IS IT TO YOU FOR EVEN YOUR OWN CONTRIBUTION?

>> WELL, IT'S AFFIRMING TO ME BECAUSE FOR ONE I WAS IN THE ARMY AND I SERVED MY COUNTRY.

AND THEY BE THESE WOMEN-- AND THEN THESE WOMEN LOOKED LIKE ME.

THIS WAS AN ALL BLACK FEMALE UNIT.

AND THERE WERE OTHER WOMEN SERVING IN THE EUROPEAN COMMAND, SIX TRIPLE EIGHT WAS NOT THE ONLY WOMEN.

THERE WERE THE NURSES, BAND PLAYERS, THERE WERE WOMEN STATIONED OVER THERE.

BUT WHAT MAKES THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT SO UNIQUE IS THAT THIS WAS AN ALL FEMALE, ALL BLACK BATTALION THAT DEPLOYED OVER TO THE EUROPEAN THEATER TOGETHER AS A BATTALION.

THAT IS WHAT MAKES THEM SO UNIQUE.

AND THESE WOMEN WERE NOT ONLY SKILLED, A LOT OF THEM HAD CAREERS, ACTUALLY BEFORE THEY CAME IN THE ARMY.

>> Renee: I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU THAT, ELIZABETH, WHAT WERE SOME OF THEIR SKILLS?

>> SOME OF THEIR SKILLS WERE BEAUTICIAN BECAUSE THAT WAS A CONCERN WITH BLACK WOMEN, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, BLACK WOMEN THEY CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR HAIR.

WHAT IS GOING TO DO OUR HAIR?

THERE WERE BLACK WOMEN, THERE WERE TEACHERS, THERE WERE EVEN WOMEN THAT HAD MORTUARY EXPERIENCE BECAUSE THERE WERE THREE WOMEN THAT GOT INTO A JEEP SCENT AND ACCIDENT AND DIED AND THE ARMY DID NOT SEND THEIR BODIES BACK TO THE STATES.

SO THE WOMEN THAT HAD THE MORTUARY EXPERIENCE, PREPARED THE BODIES AND THE WOMEN IN THE UNIT GOT TOGETHER AND GOT MONEY TOGETHER AND HAD A SERVICE FOR THESE WOMEN.

THESE WOMEN, THE THREE THAT GOT KILLED IN THE JEEP ACCIDENT ALONG WITH ANOTHER WOMAN THAT WORKED FOR THE RED CROSS, ARE THE ONLY WOMEN BURIED IN NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY IN NORMANDY FRANCE.

THERE ARE FOUR WOMEN BURIED THERE AND THREE OF THOSE WOMEN BELONG TO THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT.

THESE WOMEN WERE TRULY AMAZING BECAUSE NOT ONLY THE GILLS THEY HAD COMING INTO THE ARMY BUT THIS MAIL PROCESS, JUST THINK ABOUT AN AIRCRAFT HANGAR.

GO AND STAND IN AN AIRCRAFT HANGAR, LOOK AT THE FLOOR AND LOOK AT THE CEILING AND IMAGINE MAIL PACKAGES STUFFED FROM THE CEILING ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND HAD BEEN THERE FOR OVER TWO YEARS.

>> Renee: AND OTHER UNITS HAD TRIED AND COULDN'T SUCCESSFULLY MAKE THIS WORK, RIGHT?

>> OTHER UNITS HAD TRIED.

AND THEY JUST COULDN'T KEEP UP WITH THE MAIL BECAUSE THE MAIL KEPT COMING.

AND BECAUSE IT'S A WAR, SERVICE MEMBERS KEPT MOVING AROUND.

SO WHEN I WAS IN THE SERVICE, YOU USED TO FILL OUT THESE LOCATOR CARDS AND IT WAS LIKE A 5 X 8 CARD.

SO EVERY TIME YOU MOVED, YOU FILLED OUT A LOCATOR CARD.

SO ONE SERVICE MEMBER COULD HAVE ANYWHERE FROM EIGHT TO 10 ON EVEN A DOZEN OR SO LOCATOR CARDS BECAUSE EVERY TIME THEY MOVED, HE OR SHE MOVED, THEY HAD TO DO A LOCATOR CARD.

>> Renee: IT IS FASCINATING TO THINK THAT, AS WE MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THE THOUGHT THAT THEY WOULD MAKE THIS DEADLINE SIX MONTHS, BUT THEY ACTUALLY WERE ABLE TO FINISH THEIR TASK, GET THE BACKLOG TAKEN CARE OF IN THREE MONTHS.

AND SO THEN WHAT BECAME OF THEIR SERVICE?

THEY JUST MAINTAINED OR HOW DID THEIR WORK EVOLVE?

>> OKAY, WELL, THE ARMY, THINKING THAT THEY PROBABLY WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS, GAVE THEM SIX MONTHS.

THE COMMANDER, CHARITY ADAMS, AND HER STAFF, CAME UP WITH THIS PLAN IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE BACKLOG, IN ORDER TO GET THE MAIL REDUCED, GET IT REDIRECTED, WE NEED A 24-HOUR SEVEN DAY A WEEK MISSION.

AND THAT'S WHAT IT WAS.

SHE STRATEGIZED AND THEY WORKED THREE SHIFTS.

SO THERE WAS A SHIFT THAT WAS DOING THE MAIL, A SHIFT THAT WAS DOING OTHER ARMY STUFF, BECAUSE KEEP IN MIND, THIS WAS AN ARMY UNIT.

>> Renee: RIGHT.

>> THEY HAD OTHER ARMY STUFF TO DO.

AND A SHIFT WAS SLEEPING.

AND THEY WORKED AROUND THE CLOCK SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

THIS WAS IN BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, AND THEY FINISHED THAT MISSION-- REDUCED THAT BACKLOG OF OVER TWO YEARS IN THREE MONTHS.

AND THEN THE ARMY WAS LIKE, OH, WELL, WE ARE GOING TO SEND YOU TO FRANCE TO SEE IF YOU CAN DO THE SAME THING BECAUSE MAIL WAS GOING TO FRANCE ALSO.

ALSO HAD BEEN OVER TWO-YEAR BACKLOG, ALSO WAS IN THIS HANGAR JUST SITTING THERE.

AND THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT THEN LEFT BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND AND WENT OVER TO LYON, FRANCE, BASED WITH SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES AND AGAIN, THEIR MISSION, TO REDUCE THE BACKLOG, REDIRECT MAIL AND GET IT OUT TO SERVICE MEMBERS AND THEY DID IT AGAIN.

IN THREE MONTHS.

>> Renee: AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT AT THAT TIME DURING WORLD WAR II, THE ARMY WAS THE FIRST TO REALLY EMBRACE BLACK WOMEN IN THE SERVICE.

IS THAT CORRECT?

WERE THEY THE FIRST BRANCH OF THE ARMED SERVICES TO DO SO?

>> I THINK SO BECAUSE FIRST LADY ELEANOR ROOSEVELT AND Dr. MARY BATHOON WAS THE ADVOCATES.

THEY WERE ADVOCATING NOT ONLY FOR BLACK MEN BUT FOR BLACK WOMEN TO BE ALLOWED TO COME IN THE SERVICE BECAUSE AGAIN, BLACK WOMEN WANTED TO SERVE, TOO.

SO THE ARMY, I THINK PROBABLY WAS THE FIRST ONES AND THIS UNIT DID AN AMAZING THING.

>> Renee: HOW MANY OF YOUR PEERS, PARTICULARLY BLACK WOMEN, KNOW ABOUT THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT?

I'M SURE THEY DO NOW.

BUT.

>> THEY DO NOW.

BUT COMING UP THROUGH WHAT-- I CAME IN THE ARMY AUGUST OF 1981 VERY FEW, BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, I WAS WALKING AROUND SAYING WHAT UNIT IS THAT BECAUSE THAT'S THE UNIT I WANT TO BE IN BECAUSE THEY LOOK LIKE ME.

SO THERE WERE VERY FEW WOMEN, THERE WERE VERY FEW PEOPLE THAT KNEW THE HISTORY HIP THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT.

THEY KNEW THE PICTURE N. FACT WHEN I WOULD SHOW PEOPLE THE PICTURE, THEY WOULD BE LIKE, YEAH, I KNOW THAT PICTURE BUT THAT WAS THE EXTENT OF IT.

THEY DID NOT KNOW THE MISSION, DID NOT KNOW THE HISTORY, DID NOT KNOW THAT THEY WERE OVERSEAS, ANYTHING.

THEY JUST DID NOT KNOW THAT.

>> Renee: I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE HISTORIANS I THINK THAT ARE FEATURED IN THE FILM HAS BEEN A BIG ADVOCATE FOR GETTING A CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR FOR THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT.

WHERE DOES THAT STAND AND WHY WOULD THAT HOLD ADDED SIGNIFICANCE TO THEIR LEGACY?

>> OKAY, WELL FIRST OF ALL, THEY DON'T HAVE THE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL YET.

WE ARE WORKING ON THAT.

MY FILM TEAMMATE CUMMINGS WHO LIVES HERE IN LAUREL WITH ME, WE ARE WORKING ON THAT ALONG WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE FILM, THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT FILM YOU JUST SAW, IT'S DONE BY A MAN NAMED JAMES, HE WORKS AT V.A.

WITH ME, AND HE AND I AND WHATEVER SUPPORT THAT WE CAN GET IS TRYING TO GET THE U.S. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL FOR THE UNIT.

THE U.S. SENATE HAS ALREADY PASSED THEIR VERSION OF THE BILL, AND NOW WE ARE WORKING, TRYING TO GET THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO PASS THEIR VERSION OF THE BILL THE U.S. HOUSE MEANS NEEDS 290 TO GO TO A VOTE AND AS OF YESTERDAY, WE HAD 161.

I WILL TELL YOU, I WAS OUT IN KENTUCKY ABOUT A MONTH AGO, AND REPRESENTATIVE BARR CAME, CO-SIGNED THE BILL WHILE I WAS OUT THERE OR CO-SPONSORED THE BILL WHILE I WAS OUT THERE.

THANKS TO SOME HARD WORKING FOLKS OUT THERE, BARBARA KIT REPRESENTATIVE BARR EXECUTIVE TATUM, OUTSTANDING GROUP AND THEY GOT HIM TO SIGN, CO-SIGN IT.

WE STILL NEED THOSE OTHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM KENTUCKY TO COME ON BOARD AND CO-SIGN THIS.

IF NOTHING ELSE, BECAUSE KENTUCKY HAD 18 WOMEN ASSIGNED TO THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT.

HOW AMAZING IS THAT?

>> Renee: ABSOLUTELY.

ARE YOU OPTIMISTIC THAT IT CAN GET DONE IN THIS SESSION OF CONGRESS?

>> YES.

>> Renee: YES.

THAT'S THE END OF THAT.

JUST NAME IT AND CLAIM IT, RIGHT?

>> YEAH.

>> Renee: IS THIS THE FIRST TIME THAT YOU... >> I'M GOING TO WRITE A WHOLE BUNCH OF LETTERS.

I DON'T KNOW WHY THE POST OFFICE IS SHORT OF FUNDS BECAUSE I KEEP SENDING LETTERS ALL OF THE TIME, OKAY.

AND ETMA CUMMINGS IS THE SOCIAL MEDIA PERSON, SHE IS ON THERE GETTING THE WORD OUT BETWEEN THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND ME WRITING LETTERS AND GETTING EVERYBODY ELSE TO WRITE LETTERS, I HAVE NO DOUBT, YES.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT DONE BY SEPTEMBER 22, WHICH IS Mrs. MCCLENDON'S 101st BIRTHDAY.

I WOULD LIKE IT DONE BY THEN, SO KENTUCKY, I NEED TO YOU GET OUT THERE AND GET THOSE OTHERS REPRESENTATIVES TO COME ON BOARD.

ALL THEY GOT TO DO IS GO IN AND SAY YES.

IF NOT BY SEPTEMBER, THEN AT LEAST BY VETERANS DAY.

>> Renee: AND THAT'S NOVEMBER 11.

SO THAT GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME.

LET'S AIM FOR THE SEPTEMBER MARK.

I UNDERSTAND YOU ARE CREATING YOUR OWN BACKLOG THERE WITH THE MAIL IT SOUNDS LIKE BUT FOR A VERY GOOD CAUSE.

IN 30 SECONDS, TELL US WHY-- WHAT YOU LEARNED FROM THIS FILM, NOT JUST AS A SERVICE MEMBER, BUT WHAT YOU HOPE OTHER AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN WILL LEARN AND OTHERS TO APPRECIATE THE SERVICE AND SACRIFICE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT.

>> THIS IS TO LET THE GENERATIONS KNOW THAT THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT CENTRAL POSTAL DIRECTORY BATTALION, THE ALL BLACK FEMALE UNIT ALSO GUARANTEED THEIR FREEDOM.

>> Renee: GOOD WORDS TO END ON.

ELIZABETH HELM-FRAZIER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS WELL.

AND THANK YOU FOR HONORING THESE BRAVE SOLDIERS AND WOMEN, SOME OF WHOM ARE STILL AMONGST US AND WE THANK GOD FOR.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Renee: SIX TRIPLE EIGHT, LOOK FOR IT.

IT COULD BE NEAR YOU.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING THIS SPECIAL EDITION OF CONNECTIONS.

I HOPE YOU LEARNED SOMETHING TODAY.

I DID.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER AND WATCH PREVIOUS