Florida 2025 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H8021 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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10	10	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P RE S E N T A T I V E S
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12	12	House Resolution 1
13	13	A resolution recognizing the 80th anniversary of the 2
14	14	6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. 3
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16	16	WHEREAS, recruiting began in late 1944 for the 6888th 5
17	17	Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all -black unit of the 6
18	18	Women's Army Corps (WAC) and the only such WAC unit to be 7
19	19	stationed overseas during World War II, who were deployed to the 8
20	20	European theater in 1945, and 9
21	21	WHEREAS, the "Six Triple Eight," as the 6888th Ce ntral 10
22	22	Postal Directory Battalion was known, consisted of five 11
23	23	companies, totaling 855 women, and was led by Major Charity 12
24	24	Adams, and 13
25	25	WHEREAS, at least 23 women of the 6888th Central Postal 14
26	26	Directory Battalion were Florida residents, including: 15
27	27	Technician Fifth Grade Edna Cross Burton; Sergeant Gladys 16
28	28	Selucia Clayton; Private First Class Beatrice Cosey; Private 17
29	29	Thelma Ann Duncan; Private Ruby Leania Everett; Private Jennie 18
30	30	Lee Fayson; Private First Class Burnadine Flanagan; Corporal 19
31	31	Jessie Lee Godboldte; Pr ivate Sarah L. Greenlee; Staff Sergeant 20
32	32	Dena M. Hutchins; Private Florida Bell Jackson; Private First 21
33	33	Class Elizabeth Ola Lamb; Staff Sergeant Fannie Boyd Little; 22
34	34	Private Josie M. Lowe; Corporal Marion Mackey; Private Erma 23
35	35	Louise Rodriguez; Corporal Dannie M. Singleton; Staff Sergeant 24
36	36	Elaine O. Smith; Private First Class Florita Davis Smith; 25 
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47	47	Private Geneva Iona Smith; Technician Fifth Grade Essie M. 26
48	48	Watts; Private Willie Mae Williams; and Private First Class 27
49	49	Ethel Mae Wingo, and 28
50	50	WHEREAS, many sergeants of the 6888th Central Postal 29
51	51	Directory Battalion were trained as medical technicians, having 30
52	52	worked in hospitals before their selection for the battalion, 31
53	53	and 32
54	54	WHEREAS, more than 3.3 billion pieces of mail went through 33
55	55	military postal services to the front li nes in 1945 alone, yet a 34
56	56	lack of qualified postal officers led to a backlog of more than 35
57	57	17 million pieces of mail and packages, many often mislabeled or 36
58	58	incorrectly addressed, and 37
59	59	WHEREAS, the lack of communication from families, friends, 38
60	60	and loved ones in the United States was having a measurable 39
61	61	impact on troop morale on the front lines, with some personnel 40
62	62	not having received mail in more than 6 months, and 41
63	63	WHEREAS, to eliminate the impact that the lack of 42
64	64	communication was having on troop morale, the 6888th Central 43
65	65	Postal Directory Battalion was assigned to Birmingham, England 44
66	66	and the battalion had 6 months to complete the task of sorting, 45
67	67	cataloguing, and delivering the backlog of mail, and 46
68	68	WHEREAS, despite working in derelict buildings in dangerous 47
69	69	territory, without adequate lighting or heat, the women of the 48
70	70	6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion worked around the 49 
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81	81	clock, sorting roughly 195,000 pieces of mail a day, and 50
82	82	completed their assignment in 90 days, and 51
83	83	WHEREAS, the women of the 6888t h Central Postal Directory 52
84	84	Battalion accomplished this extraordinary feat while overcoming 53
85	85	segregation, meager rations, and harsh conditions, and 54
86	86	WHEREAS, in June 1945, the 6888th Central Postal Directory 55
87	87	Battalion was relocated to Rouen, France, to conti nue its 56
88	88	mission, beginning its work a few weeks after victory was 57
89	89	declared in Europe, and the women cleared a similarly sized mail 58
90	90	backlog as quickly as they did in England, and 59
91	91	WHEREAS, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was 60
92	92	awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2022, a recognition of 61
93	93	the battalion's training and meritorious service which also 62
94	94	acknowledged the racism and sexism of the times, and 63
95	95	WHEREAS, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion's 64
96	96	efficiency, dedication, and hard work pr ovided a valuable and 65
97	97	essential wartime service to the United States, especially to 66
98	98	the many thousands of soldiers and their families, NOW, 67
99	99	THEREFORE, 68
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101	101	Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of 70
102	102	Florida: 71
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104	104	That, in recognition of the battalion's 80th anniversary, 73
105	105	the women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion are 74 
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116	116	commended for their unwavering service to the United States Army 75
117	117	and its personnel during World War II. 76