The battalion deployed to England in February 1945, travelling by ship in U-boat-infested waters to Glasgow, Scotland. Army historians said the women studied enemy aircraft, ships and weapons they learned to board and evacuate ships and even went on long marches with rucksacks. While the unit wasn't heading to the frontlines, its soldiers still had to go through weeks of basic training, which included obstacle courses and gas mask drills, Guise said. Charity Adams, who finished the war as a lieutenant colonel, becoming the highest-ranking Black woman during the war. The Army created the 6888th in late 1944 and included five companies totaling about 850 Black women. Of the more than 140,000 women who served in the Women's Army Corps during World War II, about 6,500 of them were Black. Unsung heroes of their time, theirs is a story of incredible postal proficiency. Now, 77 years later, a measure has been signed into law that will give the unit the Congressional Gold Medal. Officials expected the unit's mission to take about six months in each location where they were assigned.
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