Stories

Virginia Marcelline Lane was born to be a trailblazer.  Her maternal grandmother, Ophelia Young Rice left the oppression and bondage of slavery in Mississippi and fled to Minnesota via the Underground Railway seeking work opportunities and a better life.  Ophelia was a founder of the Bethesda Baptist church and the Dorcas Society there. She was very active in the State Federation of Afro-American Women’s Club and vigorously supported all levels of education even though she had only 4 years of formal education herself.   Virginia grew up in that same Black community of Minneapolis as her grandmother and attended the church that her Grandmother Ophelia helped to establish.  

Crescencia Garcia was a member of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.  For years it was called the “All Black 68888th.  This was not completely accurate.  There were at least 10 women who joined the 6888th who were born in other countries or at least one of their parents were.   However, most of them were listed on their U. S. Army Enlistments as being “Black” or “Negro” so it’s no surprise the unit became known as the “All Black 6888th.”

Crescencia was born in Puerto Rico and considered herself to be a “Black Hispanic”.  She insisted that her Enlistment record be noted as such.  She was born into a family so poor it was a struggle for her to stay in school.  She had to drop out of high school after only 2 years.  She decided to go to New York where she had heard there were good job opportunities.  At the age of 18, she left her family and Puerto Rico behind and sailed to the United States.  She found work in a sewing factory and was able to help her mother and sister join her in the U.S.

Crescencia was working as an orderly at a hospital in New York in 1944, but with the war raging, she wanted to help her adopted country in the war effort.  She enlisted with the U.S. Army and was first assigned to the 6810th Hospital Unit, working in a hospital burn unit in Whitchurch, England before she joined the 6888th Postal Battalion in Birmingham.  

Years later, her granddaughter talked about the prejudice and segregation Crescencia experienced during her Army training.   “It was disgraceful” Crescencia had told her.  “I had to give my seat to the whites and the blacks didn’t like me because I was not as black as they were.”  She was told to ‘go with the flow’ and accept the segregation.  “So, I kept to myself”.  (Quoted from “Mi Abuela, the World War II Hero” Interview by Adriana V. Lopez, published 4 July 2022 on  www.oprahdaily.com  Crescencia didn’t like to relive that part of her experience.  Years later she recalled that the British treated her better than her fellow Americans. 

After the war, Crescencia married Esteban Garcia, also a veteran of WWII, and together they had 3 children.  Crescencia retired in 1990.  Esteban passed away in 1994, after 47 years of marriage.  In 2020, Crescencia was living in a care facility when she contracted Covid, just before her 100th birthday.  Amazingly, she survived.  

On Veteran’s Day in 2021 Crescencia was honored at a Veteran’s Day celebration at Carnegie Hall.  She was accompanied by her granddaughter. When her name was called, Cresencia received a standing ovation.   She asked her granddaughter what the fuss was all about!  Crescencia Garcia died in August 2023 at the age of 103 and is buried at St. Michael’s Cemetery in Queens, New York.   

                                                                                              LL2024             

Mrs. Erma Lee Fifer, of Chicago, Illinois, probably didn’t know it at the time, but when she enlisted in the WACs, she was making headlines. The newspapers heard about it when she was shipped to England along with over 600 other black women in the first all-black women battalion to serve overseas, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.  Several articles were published during that time about the 6888th, many of them pointing out that Erma Fifer, at the age of 51, was the oldest woman in the unit.  She told one reporter that she had gotten into the WACs “just under the wire”. 

What motivated Erma to enlist?  Or should we ask, who?  She related to one reporter that her 6-year-old grandson wanted at least one member of their family to represent them in the military.  Erma decided to be that one family member.  And represent them she did! 

Erma was discharged from the Army in December of 1945.  The 6888th had finished their assignments and performed admirably.  There is not much information on Erma’s life after the Army.   She lived 40 more years in the same

city she lived in when she enlisted.   One last article appeared about Erma in 1976:

One last award came after Erma’s death.  President Joe Biden awarded the Congressional Medal to the 6888th

Her grandson would have been proud!

Jennie Dee Moton was born into a family of community activists working to improve the lives of people of their race, through education and employment opportunities, and to bring white and black people together.  George Washington Carver was a family friend.  Jennie’s father, Dr. Robert Russa Moton, who was the son of a former slave, graduated from the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute and became an executive officer of that school.   He then served as the second President of the Tuskegee Institute, following Booker T. Washington.  

 Jennie’s mother was Jennie Dee Booth Moton. She was the director of the women’s industries at Tuskegee; in addition, she served as the president of the National Federation of Colored Women’s Club and was a representative of the Agricultural Extension Agents (AAA) for the state of Alabama, helping to improve the lives of women and farm workers.  In what turned out to be her final address at the annual meeting of the AAA in 1942 before she died a month later, Jennie’s mother implored black people to do their patriotic duty and help in the war effort both at home and on the front lines.

 We don’t know if her daughter Jennie was at that annual Agricultural meeting in November of 1942 to hear her mother’s speech, but by June of 1943 daughter Jennie Dee had enlisted in the Women’s Army Corp, whose enlistments had recently opened to women of color.   Jennie had graduated from the Hampton Institute with degrees in English and Music and was a research assistant for a professor there.  Now, Jennie Dee Moton was on her way to doing her patriotic duty just as her mother had asked.

Jennie was first assigned to Fort Des Moines, Iowa for Basic Training in June 1943. In December of that year, she was transferred to Walla Walla Army Air Base in Washington, and a few months later she was sent to Wendover Air Force Base in Utah.  By October of 1944, she was stationed at the Sioux City Army Air Base where she was a member of the public relations staff and then assigned to be the base Librarian.   In addition to her regular duties, she also planned the musical programs for her section.   She was quoted in a newspaper article, saying “that every woman, when given a chance, can carve out her own destiny”.   That statement was prophetic!

After her training, Jennie joined 727 of her fellow WACs on the SS Ile De France ocean liner and set sail for England.  The ship was loaded with troops and war material.  They were accompanied by an armed convoy to protect them.

The ocean voyage was not an easy trip.  The captain had to take evasive action at times to avoid German U-boat torpedoes that were fired at them.  Many of the women were seasick.   But overall, most of the women remembered the trip as enjoyable and exciting.  

Their housing was the abandoned King Edward’s School in Edgbaston, Birmingham.  The buildings were poorly heated, (at least to the women who were used to warmer and dryer climates!), and windows were boarded up due to the threat of German bombs. The showers were located outdoors.  But the women quickly adapted to their new housing and went to work. 

The women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion were tasked with processing a 2-year backlog of mail intended for American servicemen and women all over Europe who were not getting their letters and packages from home. It was affecting troop morale.   The motto of the 6888th was “No mail, Low morale.” 

Working in 8-hour shifts around the clock, seven days a week, the 6888th emptied airplane hangars full of mail in 3 months, less than half the time expected. 

When off duty, the women had ping-pong, softball, volleyball and basketball teams that competed with other units in the area.  They enjoyed touring other parts of England.   Often, they were invited to the homes of local residents for tea or a meal.  Many of the women later said they were treated better in Europe than they had been at home in the United States. There was also entertainment and performances put on by the women and the residents and other troops were often invited. As the ‘Special Services’ officer, Jenny Dee Moton composed songs and organized those shows and sports competitions. 

In May 1945, the 6888th was assigned to process more mail that was stored at Rouen, France.  Once again, they boarded a transport ship to cross the English Channel and docked at Le Havre.  From there, they travelled by bomb-damaged trains to Rouen. 

The 6888th went to work again.  They cleared the huge piles of mail there in three months and then moved on to Paris where they did it again.  The 6888th had exceeded everyone’s expectations! 

Back home and once again a civilian Jennie went back to school and earned her Master’s Degree at Columbia.  She was the first African American teacher assigned to Arsenal Technical High School in Indiana and continued to teach for 33 years.   She became involved in several musical groups in her school, her church and her community and even performed at Carnegie Hall.  She also gave music lessons. 

In 1959 She married John Wilmer Taylor.  Together they raised their family, and Jennie continued to teach, sing, and raise funds for the Negro College Fund.  The NCF was founded by her brother-in-law, Frederick Douglas Patterson, who was also the 3rd President of the Tuskegee Institute (after her father). 

 In 1999 Jennie visited the Moton family home in the Capahosic community, in Gloucester, Virginia on the banks of the York River, a home they called “Holly Knoll.” It had been completely restored to its former glory and was now a National Historic Landmark due to the prominence of her father.   She talked about her fond memories of life in that community and how her parents strived to bring black and white people together.  

Jennie died in October of 2010 following health issues.  She was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery alongside her husband John who had died in 1976. 

Just as her parents had done before her, Jennie truly lived a life of service to her community and service to her country. And true to her own words, Jennie, when given the chance, “carved out her own destiny”! 

Lucia wasn’t seeking fame and fortune when she enlisted in the WACs in 1943.  At the age of 39 she had already accomplished so much in her life. She first worked at Booker T. Washington’s Tuskegee Institute in Alabama as a secretary, then edited a poetry page and wrote articles for the “Black Defender” a newspaper in Chicago. She had the distinction of being the only Black Stenographer for the Illinois House of Representatives in 1931.  She lived in New York for a few years where the Black Renaissance was in full swing and where Lucia gained recognition for her poetry.    By 1933 Lucia was living in Washington D. C. where she became the first black woman to become a secretary for a white government official when she was appointed secretary to Dr. Clark Foreman, the Adviser on the Economic Status of Negroes to Secretary Harold Ickes, Secretary of the Interior. Secretary Ickes was known to be a stalwart supporter of civil rights and former president of the Chicago NAACP.   

Many new programs were introduced during Lucia’s time working for Dr. Foreman. They focused on helping economically devastated black communities and creating job opportunities.   Lucia’s influence and perspective as a black woman was apparent when she was asked to write a series of articles intended to assist black women adjust to life as professional office workers. They were beginning to fill more and more secretarial positions in Washington D.C.

All the while, Lucia never stopped expressing herself through her poetry.  And her poems were beginning to gain recognition.  In 1937, two of her poems were selected to be included in an anthology called “American Women Poets of 1937” by Henry Harrison, a New York poetry publisher.   In 1938, Lucia was one of fourteen poets whose work appeared in the Poetry House Anthology, published by Poetry House of New York.  Another anthology of contemporary poetry by black poets selected Lucia’s poems to be included in the anthology entitled “Negro Voices”, also published by Henry Harrison.   The writer Frank M. Davis, who authored the article announcing the new anthology, commented that Lucia Pitts “consistently writes the best love poetry produced among our women.  (Article “Negro Voices” by Frank M. Davis appeared in the “California Eagle, Los Angeles, 8 Dec 1938”)

Lucia’s life took a sharp turn when she decided to enlist in the WAC’s.  Perhaps she explained it best in one of her poems entitled “A WAC Speaks to a Soldier”, where she acknowledged the hesitation many had for women, especially black women, to serve in the military.  She said: 

“We have swallowed your disapproval

  And joined up just the same

  Because there was a job to be done

  And we had to do it….

                                We have thought of what would happen to all of us

                                If you stayed at home.”

                    (excerpt from “A WAC Speaks to A Soldier” by Lucia Mae Pitts)

After going through her training at Fort Huachuca in Arizona, Lucia was selected to join the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the predominantly black women’s unit and the first ever to be sent overseas. 

By 1946, Lucia was once again a civilian and back to writing and advocating for black women. She joined a committee in 1947 to safeguard the rights and privileges of minority service women.  She joined with two other black poets, Helen Harris and Tomi Tinsley and privately published a book of their poetry called “Triad”.  She started a business called “Pitts’ Personal Service”, offering telephone answering, errand services, typing and other jobs for busy businessmen and women.  

Another anthology of Black poetry was published in 1948 – “Ebony Rhythm”.   But Lucia didn’t limit herself to just writing poetry.  In 1954, she was also writing articles that were inspiring, not just to black women, but to all women.  In some of the articles she described road trips that she took across the U. S. and Canada on her own. In those articles she talked about the things she saw, and her experiences travelling alone.

An article about Lucia appeared in the New Pittsburgh Courier, Pennsylvania, in February 1962. It described her as “holding the position of Intergroup Relations Officer and occasionally takes over Acting Director duties as assistant to Phillip G. Sadler, Director, Intergroup Relations Branch”.  Lucia was still advocating for black women and still writing poetry.  

By 1966 Lucia had relocated to the Los Angeles area.  She started another Personal Services business.  She appeared in a news article talking about her volunteer work with the Red Cross.   She wrote a book about her experiences in the WAC, titled “One Negro WAC’s Story”.  It was privately published in 1968, and a copy of that book can be found at several libraries.  

Lucia never married.  In her poem entitled “Once Upon a Time” she spoke of being in love, “Not once, but several once upon a times…. I am so glad at last to be free and to belong only to me!”  

Lucia died on December 15th, 1973, in Los Angeles.  In another one of her poems titled “Fly the Wide Sky” she said” Only in rising and going forth, in stretching our wings, can we soar, soar high enough to reach God”.  Lucia lived her life stretching her own wings and helping others stretch theirs as well! 

For the O’Bryant family, the war was an opportunity AND a family affair.   All three of John & Jessie Irene O’Bryant’s daughters, Essie Dell, Tessie Theresa, and Ida Susan jumped at the new opportunities offered to them by the U. S. Army’s opening their doors to black women.  Five of their male cousins enlisted in the military as well!  At the time of the O’Bryant sisters’ enlistment, several of those cousins were already serving overseas. 

Essie, Tessie and their sister Ida were already contributing to the war effort by volunteering with the USO at Camp Gordon and the local airfield.  In 1943, the three of them decided to enlist in the U.S. Army WAC’s together - their mother reluctantly gave her permission for the youngest sister, Essie.    Initially, Essie was rejected because she was underweight, so Tessie and Ida left without her.  Essie spent the next weeks trying to gain weight with her mother and their entire neighborhood (including the neighborhood grocery store!)  pitching in to help her to gain the 15 pounds she needed to enlist.  6 weeks after her sisters, Essie joined the WAC’s.  

 Ida Susan was assigned to Camp Atterbury, Indiana.  Tessie and Essie, both assigned to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, were shipped to Europe assigned with the task of processing a backlog of millions of letters and packages meant for the U. S. troops fighting across Europe.  Their unit was the first all-black female army unit to be sent overseas.  The U.S. Army had begun to realize that the lack of mail from their loved ones was causing low morale with the troops and hoped the 6888th could get those letters and packages delivered in 6 months.  Working in shifts around the clock, the 6888th finished the job in 3 months!

 The 6888th was then sent to France where, once again, in Rouen and Paris they processed millions of letters and packages in less than half the time expected.  Their motto was “No mail, low morale.”  

 After the war, Tessie married Bailey Barr.  Essie married Lloyd Woods.  Both couples eventually moved to Detroit, Michigan. 

 In 1981, Essie, along with 14 other women from the 6888th, revisited Birmingham, England, and Paris and Rouen, France. 

Tessie died in 1994, and Essie followed in 2012.  Both are buried in the Elmwood Cemetery in Detroit, Michigan.  Tessie’s grave is unmarked. 

When the U.S. Army accepted Phyllis Branch as a Private First Class WAC, they knew she was a talented seamstress, but they probably had no idea they were acquiring a budding celebrity!   They noted she had specialized sewing skills as she was employed in the manufacture of hats and caps.  But those were not the skills that would later bring Phyllis fame and fortune. 

Phyllis enlisted in the U.S. Army WACs in October 1942 at the age of 22.  Very early during training, she was recognized for her musical and dancing skills.   She sang in the church choir at Fort Huachuca and was asked to perform in variety shows that were put on to entertain the troops.  One news article called her two solo numbers outstanding.  In another show, her singing was credited with the show’s success. But the rest of her success would come later.

In February of 1945, Phyllis was shipped to England with the rest of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion to handle the huge backlogs of mail meant for American troops stationed across war torn Europe.  The GIs were not getting their mail, and it was affecting troop morale.  The 6888th, working in shifts around the clock, finished the job in half the time expected.  

They were then sent to France where they cleared out the accumulation of mail in both Paris and Rouen, again in half the time expected.  Their motto became “No mail, low morale.”

Phyllis, along with several other members of the 6888th put together a variety show with singing and dancing and performed not only for the 6888th but also for other troops and even for the residents in England! 

Back home in New York and discharged from the Army, Phyllis began to focus on her singing and dancing career.  She resumed her voice, dance and piano lessons.  By 1954 she was already making headlines with her appearance in the Apollo Theatre in New York! 

 Besides the Apollo in New York, Phyllis performed at the Blue Angel and Easy Street in Chicago, the Playboy Club in Los Angeles, The Brass Rail in New Orleans, and made regular appearances at the many clubs in Miami such as the Beachcomber, the Crystal Lounge and the Thunderbird.  Her claim to fame was her rendition of “Babalu” accompanied by a Calypso style dance.  Recordings of her singing that song can still be found on YouTube today.

After a year’s long battle with cancer, Phyllis died in 1972 at the young age of 48. (She was 52 if her birthdate was correct!)  Her obituary said she had also made many radio appearances as well as theater and television appearances during her career and had even recorded an album.  

 Phyllis was buried at the Long Island National Cemetery in New York.  

Phyllis not only served her country by joining the Army WACs and seeing that the troops received their mail - she also entertained her country for the rest of her life.

Romay Catherine Johnson Davis came from a family whose patriotism and the desire to serve their country ran deep.   Her father Fairfax Johnson worked at the Dahlgrren Navy Proving Grounds along with her brother Preston, who soon joined the Navy and later also served in the U.S. Army.  Her brother Thomas was a Marine.  Another brother, Augustus, was in the Army, and the youngest brother Purcell was a Marine and was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.   Their mother Catherine ran a 42-room boarding house for the workers who worked with her husband at the Navy Proving Ground, and sometimes babysat their children if needed.  Romay quit her job and enlisted in the WACs in 1943, saying later, “I quit to go with my boys!”  (quoted from Obituary, in “The Day”, New London, CT, page A1).  In an interview in March 2022, she said the day she enlisted was, “one of the proudest days of my life. “Interview from Messenger-Inquirer 26 March 2022

Romay did her basic training at Fort Des Moines, Iowa and Fort Breckinridge, Kentucky, and then she was chosen to join the newly formed 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion assigned with the task of processing a 2-year backlog of mail in Europe.  The troops were not receiving their letters and packages from home, and it was affecting their morale.  

Romay wanted to work in the motor pool because she liked being outside.  She was a driver and was responsible for the upkeep of staff cars and other vehicles. Occasionally she was asked to pitch in and help with the mail processing.  In an interview for the Women Veterans Historical Project, she told the interviewer that she didn’t like the weather in England, it was cold and damp, the showers were outside, and she had to wear layers of clothing to stay warm. (Women Veterans Historical Project, Oral History Collection -https://gateway.uncg.edu/islandora/search/romay%20davis?type=edismax&cp=wvhp%3A0

In Birmingham, England, the 6888th processed mail that was expected to take 6 months - the 6888th did it in three months.  Then the unit was sent to France where they processed   the mail Rouen and in Paris in record time once again!  

Romay had fond memories of Paris. She met a Parisian family and spent a lot of time with them. They were in the fashion industry, and she credited them with encouraging her love of fashion and design.  Once she was back in the U.S.  Romay was discharged from the 6888th and she pursued her interest in the world of fashion by enrolling in the Traphagen School of Design in New York.    She was also a model!  After completing her courses at Traphagen, she went to work designing children’s clothing and buying fabrics for ‘Glen of Michigan’ a clothing design and manufacturer.  

Romay met her husband, Jerry Robert Davis, in New York and they married in 1961.  He was also an Army veteran.  While in New York Romay went back to school and received a degree in Education from New York University.  In 1981 she and Jerry retired and moved to Montgomery, Alabama.  Age and retirement did not slow Romay down.  She got her Real Estate’s license and operated a vending machine business.  When Romay was 79 she decided to learn the art of Taekwondo and achieved a 2nd Degree Black Belt. At the age of 81 Romay went to work at the local Winn-Dixie market stocking shelves and greeting customers.  She commented in a newspaper interview,” I love to be busy.  The only time I’m not busy, I’m sick or asleep!” (Montgomery Advertiser 29 October 2020)   She continued to work there until she was 101 years old!  The store created the “The Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Grant” to honor Romay.  To date, 104 grants have been awarded.  

In 2022, President Biden awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the 6888th

One final salute to Romay’s military career came in 2023 when she was able to attend the opening of a new exhibit at the National WWII Museum highlighting Women’s service in WWII, called “We Were There”.  Romay’s interview is included in the exhibit.  

Romay passed away at the age of 104 in Montgomery, Alabama.  At that time she was the oldest living member of the 6888th.   She is buried at Fort Mitchell National Cemetery in Russel County, Alabama.  Romay, and her family served their county well!  

Willie Mae Whiting had big dreams and no money.   Born in 1924 in Chicago, Illinois to Elise Jones and James Henry Whiting, Willie had completed 2 years of college at the time of her enlistment in July 1944.  Her father and brother had passed away and she was living with her mother and stepfather Austin Harkness.  Money was tight and her dreams of becoming a lawyer seemed unobtainable.  Then, the U.S. Army opened their enlistment to black women and 3 months later President Roosevelt signed the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act – the ‘G.I. Bill’ - which provided educational benefits for veterans.  Willie May saw a way to achieve her dreams.  By joining the Women’s Army Corps, she would qualify for the G.I. Bill.  She would be able to finish school and attend law school!  Willie May wanted to be a lawyer.  

After her military training, Willie May was assigned to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-black women’s contingent and the first to be assigned to an overseas station.  Their job was to process hangars filled with mail and packages that had not been delivered due to a personnel shortage in Birmingham, England.  The G.I.’s were not getting their letters and packages from home and it was affecting their morale.  The women, working in shifts around the clock, 7 days a week, set up a system and handled that backlog of mail in half the time expected.  From there, they were sent to France and given the same task in Rouen, and then in Paris.  Again, they completed their tasks in half the time expected.  Willie May later recalled that the biggest benefit she gained from being in the military was learning discipline.  That was a skill which would be beneficial to her for the rest of her life.   In the book “To Serve My Country, To Serve My Race” by Brenda L. Moore, page 169, Willie Mae was quoted as saying “I feel certain the probability of my becoming a lawyer would have been a lot thinner had I not had the support of the G. I. Bill.” 

In 1950 Willie May graduated from the John Marshall Law School.  She was the only woman in her class who graduated with a combined Bachelor’s and Law Degree.  By 1961, Willie Mae was the Assistant State Attorney in the Criminal Division of the Municipal Jury Court for the state of Illinois.   In 1966 she successfully ran for Judge Magistrate of the County Circuit Court.  

In 1970 she became the first black woman Assistant Corporation Counsel to handle cases in Women’s Court.    She was also an Assistant States Attorney, and an Assistant U S. Attorney. In 1978 she successfully ran for Circuit Court Judge of Cook County, Illinois.   

In her ‘spare time’ Judge Whiting was also the first woman to serve as Executive Secretary of the Chicago Chapter of NAACP.  She was a Diamond Life Member of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, and an Honorary Member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society.    She belonged to the Chicago Bar Association, the Cook County Bar Association, the Illinois Judges Association, the National Association of Women Judges, the National Association for Black Military Women, the National Bar Association AND a member of the Berean Baptist Church.   It’s easy to say Willie May Whiting achieved her dreams and MORE!  Willie May died in 2013 and is buried at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, Illinois. 

One last award came after Willie’s death.  President Joe Biden awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the 855 members of 6888th.