106 www.blackeoejournal.com Black EOE Journal
GOVERNMENT
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omay Davis, a World War II veteran with the 6888
th
Central Postal Directory Battalion, has received the highest civilian honor Congress can award, the Congressional Gold Medal. Davis is the oldest living member and only one of six alive to receive this honor. The Six Triple Eight battalion was the only predominantly Black female unit that served overseas during WWII. The unit resolved a growing mail crisis during the war by ensuring American troops received their letters and packages from home. They went by the motto of no mail, no morale. The unit proved they were up to the challenge as they tackled the mountain of postal backlog that awaited them in England and France. They processed more than 195,000 pieces of mail a day, eventually clearing over 17 million pieces of mail by the end of their tour. As a minority group, the Six Triple Eight met barriers in the form of segregation and gender inequality. Living quarters, mess halls, recreational facilities and even the water fountains in basic military training were segregated. When traveling, some African American female officers faced discrimination and were questioned on the legitimacy of their ranks in the military. They were denied constitutional freedoms at home, but selflessly fought for freedom as part of the U.S. armed
WWII Veteran Receives the Congressional Gold Medal
By Airman 1st Class Greydon Furstenau
U.S. AIR FORCE/MELANIE RODGERS COX
Col. Eries Mentzer, Commander, 42d Air Base Wing, Chief Master Sgt. Lee Hoover, Command Chief Master Sergeant, 42d ABW and an Alabama National Guard Honor Guardsman, present the framed citation of the Congressional Medal of Honor to Private Romay Catherine Johnson Davis at Montgomery City Hall, July 26, 2022.
forces overseas. During World War II, Black and female Americans fought for a double victory - victory against fascism overseas and victories against racism at home, said Col. Eries Mentzer, 42nd Air Base Wing commander, who Davis requested to host her medal recognition ceremony and who is the first Black woman to command Maxwell. The service of the 6888th demonstrated the talent and worth of minority and female Americans in service to our country abroad and paved the way for greater equal opportunity and civil rights in American communities. I humbly follow in an exceptional legacy of Ms. Davis and the 6888th, they paved more freedom to serve and I am incredibly honored, grateful and frankly here because of their service. While serving in the battalion, Davis was assigned to the motor pool, where she could see the countryside and its war-torn destruction firsthand as she drove two-and- a-half-ton trucks and staff cars as part of her duties when not sorting mail. After the war, Davis attended fashion school on the GI Bill and went on to have a 30-year career as a fashion designer. Shes achieved her masters degree, earned a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo and in her 80s, began working at a Winn-Dixie grocery store, where she has made a tremendous impact on her community with her gracious attitude and hard-working spirit. In October 2020, Southeastern Grocers, Inc., the parent company of Winn-Dixie
U.S. AIR FORCE/CASSANDRA CORNWELL
Congressional Gold Medal recipient Private Romay Catherine Johnson Davis at Montgomery City Hall, July 26, 2022.
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