traveled to Rouen, France, later in May 1945 and worked through a separate backlog of undelivered mail dating back as far as 3 years. (10) At the completion of their mission, the entire unit returned to the United States. The 6888th was discontinued on March 9, 1946, at Fort Dix, New Jersey. (11) These women faced racism and sexism, and worked in austere conditions, but were able to clear more than 18,000,000 pieces of backlog mail for Americans in the ETO. Three died in France and are buried in Normandy, France, while three others were beaten in a bus station in Kentucky. (12) According to the Department of Defense, during the period between February 1945 and February 1946, the members of the Six Triple Eight displayed meritorious service while deployed to England and France and conducted combat support operation which impacted the morale and welfare of U.S. servicemembers fighting across the European continent . (13) The Department of the Army awarded its Meritorious Unit Commendation award to the members of the Six Triple Eight noting that their professionalism and dedication are in keeping with the finest tradition of military service and reflect great credit upon themselves, the Women’s Army Corps, and the U.S. Army . (14) The accomplishments of the 6888th in Europe encouraged the General Board, United States Forces, European Theater of Operations to adopt the following premise in their study of the WAC issued in December 1945: [T]he national security program is the joint responsibility of all Americans irrespective of color or sex and the continued use of colored, along with white, female military personnel is required in such strength as is proportionately appropriate to the relative population distribution between colored and white races . (15) The members of the Six Triple Eight received the European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Women’s Army Corps Service Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal for their service. (16) While over 850 African-American women from across the United States