During the latter days of World War II in Europe, the United States military had a mail problem.
Yes, you read that right.
Millions of letters had been stashed in warehouses for years, with little hope of reaching their intended recipients. Soldiers hadn’t heard from their loved ones. Families didn’t know where their sons were stationed, or even if they were still alive.
There’s a motto oft attributed to the U.S. Postal Service (apocryphal, as it turns out): “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” But for the United States Army, the war in Europe was sufficient to stop the mail from being delivered.
Yes, the mail was a mess. Maybe even an impossible mess. The Army had tried to fix things, but all attempts had failed. And the mail jam had begun to cause a morale problem. And Americans, those abroad and at home, would need strong morale to continue fighting Adolf Hitler.
Back in the States, Lena Derriecott, a young Black woman, is looking for her own way to fight Hitler. She did receive a letter from the Army, though she wished she hadn’t. It told her that Abram, the man she loved, the man she promised to wait for, had been killed in combat overseas. Lena is devastated, but her grief motivates her to do something for her country. So, she signs up with the Women’s Army Corps as part of the predominantly Black 6888th Battalion.
Lena soon discovers the 6888th is no picnic. They are soldiers, after all, and must complete long and grueling training. Their leader, Capt. Charity Adams, drives them especially hard. She knows that as difficult as the WAC is, it’s especially challenging for women of color. They must contend with racism and segregation, and there are many in the military hope to see them fail.
But Capt. Adams presses on. So does Lena. They fight to prove they belong in the Army and for the opportunity to show their quality.
Finally, they’re given a chance. A mission. They’re being deployed to Europe. Something needs fixing—and they only have six months to do it.
What’s the mission?
Well, see, the Army has this little mail problem …
The Six Triple Eight is an uplifting tale of perseverance—and there is a lot of that character quality on display here. Individually and as a unit, the women of the 6888th Battalion deal with tremendous adversity. Racism pervades the military, and Capt. Adams exhorts the women under her command not to be baited into a confrontation. However, Adams is more than willing to stand up and speak out against the injustices she sees—even to her superiors, such as the antagonistic Gen. Halt.
Lena struggles mightily when she first joins the 6888th, but she doesn’t give up and becomes an invaluable part of the unit. She develops close friendships with several women in her unit. They support one another through their training and during their mission. When the 6888th battalion is given their postal assignment, Lena is determined to do an excellent job. She knows what the families who have not received any mail are going through—what she went through while waiting to hear from Abram. And when her peers treat deceased soldiers’ military tags without care, she is quick to correct them.
When the 6888th Battalion arrives in Europe, they are headquartered in the King Edward’s School, a rundown facility infested with rats and often without heat. But the women work hard to make the school a place where they can live and process the backlog of mail. And, despite the many challenges they face, the 6888th makes remarkable progress on solving the Army’s mail problem.
Lena’s mother loves her daughter and, while not thrilled by the prospect of her joining the Army, supports her decision. She also tacitly supports Lena’s romance with Abram—though he is white. When she catches the two sneaking around (they are trying to avoid the scrutiny of prejudiced people rather than do anything untoward), she tells Abram, “If you wanna court my daughter, you show up at my house like a proper gentleman and ask me.”
The women of the 6888th give money so two fallen soldiers can have a proper military burial (after the Army refuses to do so). Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary McLeod Bethune advocate for women of color to be given the opportunity to help in the war effort.
Gen. Halt sends a white chaplain to spy on the 6888th Battalion as they tackle their mail mission. During a sermon, the chaplain quotes Proverbs 4:14, then twists the verse as a means to discredit Capt. Adams. But she is the daughter of a preacher, and she “knows the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and backwards.” Another woman in the unit is also a preacher’s daughter.
Abram’s race isn’t the only thing that gives Lena’s mother pause about their courtship: He is also Jewish. Later, when Lena visits a military cemetery, we see headstones either in the shape of a cross or the Star of David.
A cross hangs on the wall of the chaplain’s office. The chaplain also wears cross pins on his lapel. A woman crosses herself. There is mention of a kosher meal. We hear the phrase “God bless America.” A woman refers to her breasts as “Martha” and “Mary.” One character calls alcohol “the devil’s brew.”
Though many disapprove, Lena and Abram fall in love. They kiss. Abram gives Lena a promise ring and asks her to wait for him to get back from the war, to which she agrees. While Abram is away, she eagerly waits for his letters.
After Lena joins the military following Abram’s death, she meets a Black soldier named Hugh. Hugh is interested in Lena, and even calls off his upcoming wedding because of her. For Lena’s part, she is still in mourning over Abram’s passing. When it’s clear that Lena isn’t ready to begin another relationship, Hugh agrees to simply be friends. However, we learn that Lena and Hugh did eventually get married after the war.
One woman says she joined the Army “for the men” and often flirts with the male soldiers. Men and women dance, and some moves are a bit suggestive. A chaplain falsely accuses Capt. Adams of running her battalion “like a brothel.”
The Six Triple Eight opens with a battle between American and German soldiers. Bullets fly and bombs are dropped. A plane crashes on the battlefield and catches fire. Soldiers die on both sides. (It should be noted that the violence here, while intense, is largely bloodless.)
A driver accidentally steers her truck over an unexploded bomb left over from an air raid—the bomb explodes, killing the driver and her passenger. We see the burning wreckage of the truck in the aftermath. A transport ship is rocked by a rough sea, and the women inside are violently tossed around.
Abram is killed when his plane gets shot down. A character shares that she joined the military, in part, because her husband hit her “one too many times.” Air raid sirens blare and women take cover. We see a war-torn city. Part of the purpose in getting the mail situation resolved is the need to notify families if their loved ones have died in battle.
Five uses of the s-word, including one instance of “bulls—.” There is one abuse of Jesus’ name and three misuses of God’s name. “Lord” is used as an exclamation several times. We also hear uses of “d–n,” “h—,” “t-tties,” and one “son of a b—h.”
Additionally, some racial slurs are used, including the n-word, another derogatory phrase and “cracker.” A woman is referred to as a “crazy tail.”
When flying over the Atlantic, Capt. Adams’ first officer jokingly asks her if she’s “been drinking.” Later, Adams and the officer do share a drink while commiserating. Gen. Halt drinks liquor at an officers’ party. A dancer says she wants a drink, then pressures two others to join her.
As mentioned, the members of the 6888th Battalion deal with pervasive racism throughout the film. We hear that the opinion of some (if not most) in the Army at the time is that Black women are “dumb, inferior and lazy.” Gen. Halt, who oversees the 6888th, is certainly of that opinion and tries to sabotage Capt. Adams and her soldiers. Military officials turn a blind eye to the bigotry in their ranks. While en route to military training, the women are segregated.
During training, Capt. Adams is hard on Lena, telling her at one point that she “is embarrassing [her] entire race.” Adams pushes her soldiers hard because she feels a burden to exceed the performance of their white peers.
While Lena is serving at a Jewish family’s party (as part of her mother’s business), a young woman tells her, “Finally, the place where you belong.” The same woman chastises Abram for “making a spectacle” of himself by hanging around Lena. Abram jokingly compares the woman to Hitler. Partygoers discuss the Holocaust.
The women of the 6888th Battalion are told that they will be taught if they don’t know how to use a tampon. Adams tells them they will walk with “heads up, backs straight and … butt in.” One soldier must bind her breasts to fit into her uniform.
The Six Triple Eight recounts the true story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all-Black and women of color Women’s Army Corps unit to serve in Europe in World War II. The women were assigned the unenviable task of processing and clearing approximately 17 million pieces of mail. Some estimated the task would take six months.
The 6888th completed their mission in half that time—all while overcoming racism and tragedy. It’s a remarkable story, and the film seems to stay pretty true to it. The real-life Lena Derriecott served as consultant on the film.
Still, there are some content issues here that didn’t get lost in the mail. Language is one, including a number of harsh racial slurs. We see some intense war violence, and there’s a bit suggestive dialogue as well. All of that definitely merits caution, especially if considering watching this film with younger, sensitive viewers.
While the script lacks nuance at times, The Six Triple Eight is ultimately an inspiring story about a group of women who persevered in the face of incredible challenges and faithfully served their country in a time of great need.
And that’s something worth writing home about.
Bret loves a good story—be it a movie, show, or video game—and enjoys geeking out about things like plot and story structure. He has a blast reading and writing fiction and has penned several short stories and screenplays. He and his wife love to kayak the many beautiful Colorado lakes with their dog.
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