United States Office Of War Information, Smith, Roger, photographer. New recruits of WAACS sworn in. Part of a class of sixteen young women sworn into the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps by Major Ina M. McFadden, recruiting officer for the Washington Military District, Thursday evening, January 7, at a public ceremony at the Cordoza High School. Those sworn into the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps and now awaiting call to active duty are: Misses Neppie Stoker Anderson, Joye Pamela Arnold, Elizabeth Orlean Garrett, Juanita Greene, Elsie Givens, Farieta Hall, Lillie B. Harrison, Marie Humphrey, Nancy McCall, Evelyn F. Overton, Isabelle Peterson, Mittie Lee Thomas, Grace Elizabeth Thompson, Jeanne Cecelia Webster, Catherine Geneva Brown and Ernestine Louise Woods. A drive for 150 Negro recruits from the Military District of Washington is now in progress, Major McFadden announced. Photograph. Washington, D.C. 1943, Jan. 7. https://www.loc.gov/item/2017695726/
The Six Triple Eight is a 2024 movie directed by Tyler Perry based on the true story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion that served in World War II. This photograph, along with other Library of Congress items related to the WAAC and the 6888 Battalion, shows students the actual women who served in WWII and features their stories. By connecting these primary sources to a current feature film garnering critical acclaim, students are able to learn more about the history of women, specifically women of Color, serving in the United States military.
The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, part of the WAAC, was composed primarily of African American women and women of Color. After heavy pressure by civic organizations and political leaders, the 6888th Battalion was deployed to the British Isles and later to France and assigned the task to clear a huge backlog—18 million parcels—of undelivered mail to soldiers serving in World War II. The women completed the task in record time. While serving, the women were often targets of racism and sexism, but they proved to be both capable and integral to the war effort. This photograph at the Library of Congress shows a group of women being sworn in to serve in the WAAC.
The Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) was established in March, 1942, as part of the United States government's efforts to fight in World War II. African American civic organizations and political leaders convinced the War Department to open the WAAC—later designated as the Women's Army Corps (WAC) in July 1943—to African American women. The War Department mandated that African American women be segregated into separate units and be assigned segregated quarters and facilities on Army bases. The civil rights and political leaders continued to pressure the War Department to give the WAAC the opportunity to deploy to a combat theater. In December, 1944, the War Department formed an African American battalion to go to the European Theater as a postal directory unit: the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. The 6888th Battalion was issued a Congressional Gold Medal in 2022.
- Anna Tarryk, a 6888th veteran, recalled that, “We had to fight the war on three fronts: first we had to fight segregation, second was the war, and third were the men.” How might the experiences of women in the military, specifically women of Color, be complicated by both race and gender?
- Although the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion served in 1945, it was not awarded the Congressional Gold Medal until 2022. Why would it take so long for this battalion to be recognized for its service?
- In looking at the photograph, what do you notice about the women? What commonalities exist?
- Why might these women have enlisted in the military during WWII?
- The caption to the photo states that this signing ceremony took place in a high school. What role does public education play in recruitment for the military?
NCTE Standards and Michigan K–12 Standards for Social Studies
NCTE Standard 7: Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
- Students will be able to conduct research on WWII, the WAAC, and the roles of women in the military by investigating primary sources and data, including this photograph.
P1.2: Interpret primary and secondary source documents for point of view, context, bias, and frame of reference or perspective.
- Students will be able to use the Library of Congress Primary Source Analysis Tool to investigate what they see in the photograph and interpret their noticings and wonderings.
P2.4: Use relevant information from multiple credible sources representing a wide range of views, considering the origin, authority, structure, and context, to answer a compelling or supporting question.
- Students will be able to include this photograph and other primary sources from the Library of Congress to conduct research on WWII, the WAAC, and the roles of women in the military, as well as to investigate the history of segregation and racism in the United States military.
In a unit on WWII or on women in the military, this photograph and other sources at the Library of Congress provide students the opportunity to see the actual women who served in the military and investigate their stories and experiences as representative of the WAAC and WAC women who served during WWII. This photograph pairs well with The Six Triple Eight (2024) and adds context to the film.
- Women serving in the military can often be seen as controversial and political. Some families might not be comfortable centering discussion on the experiences specifically of women of Color in the military. Current political debates surrounding the role of women in the military might interfere with classroom activities and conflict with political beliefs and ideological views of students’ families.
- It is impossible to investigate the role of the WAAC and of the 6888th Battalion without a straightforward discussion of segregation, racism, and sexism in the military, which might contradict or conflict with family beliefs.
- Military families might strongly object with information they may deem as one-sided or lacking context.
- A Library of Congress section specifically on the 6888th Battalion: 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion: A Guide to First-Person Narratives in the Veterans History Project: Introduction
- A Library of Congress introduction to research guides specifically on African American Women in the military: Introduction - African American Women in the Military and at War - Research Guides at Library of Congress
- The article by Kevin M. Hymel that inspired The Six Triple Eight, originally published in the February 2019 edition of World War II History: WAC Corporal Lena Derriecott and the 6888th Central Postal Battalion
- A shorter and lower-lexile article from Kevin M. Hymel discussing the 6888th Battalion: 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion - National Museum of the U.S. Army
- An article on the Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the 6888th battalion in 2022, originally published at va.gov: The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion and the Congressional Gold Medal - VA News
- A website dedicated to the 6888th Battalion: Women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion
- A National Archives article on the 6888th Battalion: No Mail, Low Morale: The 6888th Central Postal Battalion
- A National Archives article on African American Women in the military during WWII: African American Women in the Military During WWII
- An article from the National World War II museum: The SixTripleEight: No Mail, Low Morale