MOULTRIE, Ga. (WALB) - Moultrie native, Willie Belle Irvin Partridge was one of the 855 Black women in the 6888th Battalion.

During World War II, morale was low. The U.S. Army created the 6888th to clear a massive backlog of mail to ensure letters and packages made their way to the American soldiers on the front lines.

“She was hand-picked after basic training to become one of the 6888 Battalion. So, they picked the creme de la creme,” said Brenda G. Partridge-Brown, author and daughter of Willie Belle Irvin Partridge.

Partridge-Brown said it wasn’t until 2016 — years after her mother’s passing — that she found out her mother was a part of the remarkable group of women.

“She talked about her time in the service. She never called her unit by name. So, this is why I never knew she was an actual 6888 member. She always bragged about how well they marched, how well they dressed, and just as an overall group. So, I knew it must have been something special,” her daughter continued.

Partridge-Brown decided to write a book detailing her mother’s life before, during and after her service. After four years of research and writing, Partridge-Brown’s book, “Echoes of a Little Brown Soldier Girl” was released.

“Over the moon — I am in awe. I am just blown away with the information and the things I have learned. I never knew as a child that I was raised by a true history-maker,” said Partridge-Brown.

Currently, there is a national petition set up urging the United States Postal service to create a forever stamp honoring the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.

“It started with retired Master Sergeant Elizabeth Frasier. She had this idea, and she formed a committee with a few others — a very small committee,” she said.

One general predicted that it would take six months to process the massive backlog of undelivered mail, but the 6888th managed to do it in half that time. It only makes sense that the first ever all-Black, all-female battalion is stamped in history.

Partridge-Brown continued, “It would mean the world to me because a piece of her and her battalion, her sisters in arms, would be left behind forever.”

To purchase a copy of “Echoes of a Little Brown Solider Girl,” click here.

To sign the forever stamp petition, click here.

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