WSOC TV
City leaders in Raleigh are honoring Millie Dunn Veasey, a World War II veteran who served in the only overseas all-Black women’s 6888th Battalion.
According to WTVD in Raleigh, the city’s Brentwood post office will be named after Veasey.
“The story of her service is one of trailblazing leadership in the face of adversity,” WTVD reports Congresswoman Deborah Ross said after making the announcement.
During her time in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, Veasey worked with soldiers on the front lines to make sure they received letters from loved ones at home.
“Some of the things that she went through we did not know about,” Eugenia Pleasant, Veasey’s niece, told WTVD. “She was very humble, and she just did what she had to do and moved forward.”
According to WTVD, Veasey lived to be 100. She was buried in the Raleigh National Cemetery.
“She was caring,” Pleasant told WTVD. “She loved her church. She loved just any organization where she could serve.”
The Six Triple Eight, as they were called, was made up of 855 Black women.
They were sent to Europe in 1945. At that time, Black organizations wanted more members of the community to be included in the Women’s Army Corps and allowed to serve along with white service members overseas.
Their trip to their assignment was not an easy one, The Associated Press reports. They had to avoid German U-boats and a German rocket when they made it to Glasgow.
Last December, film maker Tyler Perry released “The Six Triple Eight,” starring Kerry Washington. The movie tells the Battalion’s story, underscoring the unforgettable difference they made during World War II. “The Six Triple Eight” is now streaming on Netflix.
Link to full article: https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/north-carolina-post-office-honor-local-veteran/HYJ7PKMTTRE3HMDPG4INDESIL4/