Hollywood star Blair Underwood is to executive producer a musical inspired by the only all-Black, female Army battalion to serve overseas in World War II.
The new musical “6888: The Musical (working title),” focuses on the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.
The battalion sorted and routed a backlog of more than 17 million pieces of mail intended for members of the U.S. military, U.S. Government personnel, and Red Cross workers serving in the European Theater. Oftentimes, the mail was simply labeled “Junior, U.S. Army” or “Buster, U.S. Army.” Other soldiers shared similar names or initials, making mail delivery near impossible.
But the 6888 battalion got the job done.
“The women of the 6888 are true American patriots, who are long overdue to have their story told. I am honored to be part of a team bringing their story to the stage,” Underwood said in a statement.
Under the leadership of Major Charity Adams, their motto was “No Mail, Low Morale.” The unit was active from 1945 to 1946 and consisted of 855 women.
“After reading about the 6888 in the N.Y. Times back in September 2020, we immediately knew that the story of these incredible women had to be brought to the stage. It is thrilling that the 6888 are finally being awarded Congressional Gold Medals at the exact moment that our creative team came together this year,” said producer and co-creator Holly Garman.
“We’re truly honored to help bring this piece of hidden U.S. history to life and celebrate the remarkable achievements of these extraordinary women,” adds producer, co-creator Joe Trentacosta.
Last month, the House voted to award the battalion the Congressional Gold Medal.
“The Six Triple Eight was a trailblazing group of heroes who were the only all-Black, Women Army Corps Battalion to serve overseas during World War II,” said Wisconsin Rep. Gwen Moore at the time.
“Facing both racism and sexism in a warzone, these women sorted millions of pieces of mail, closing massive mail backlogs, and ensuring service members received letters from their loved ones,” she continued. “A Congressional Gold Medal is only fitting for these veterans who received little recognition for their service after returning home.”
