Congressional Gold Medal recognizes service of member of Black, all-female battalion in World War II

WOLFEBORO — More than 30 years after her death, one Granite Stater is finally getting recognition for her contributions to fighting the Axis Powers in World War II.

Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) presented a Congressional Medal of Honor to Elizabeth Pettiford, niece of Doris Moore, at the Wright Museum of World War II, on Friday morning. Moore served as a member of the Black, all-female 6888th battalion.

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, or “Six Triple Eight,” was the only all-Black Women’s Army Corps unit to serve overseas during World War II, active 1945-46. Most of the women died with no recognition of honor from their country for their sacrifices. Thirty-three years to the day since Moore died, her family received the nation’s ultimate civilian honor, recognizing her courage and bravery.

Pettiford remembered her aunt as a woman with a great sense of humor, who was a quiet observer, and always the first one at a party.

“For us, Aunt Dot was never just a name in a history book.”

Mel Bloom, Air Force veteran and president of the 3-5-0 girls project, named for the 350,000 women who served in World War II, found Moore’s story — or as Bloom put it, it found her. As Bloom prepared to host a screening of the 2024 Netflix film "The Six Triple Eight" last year, she began researching family members to invite to the screening, and eventually got in contact with Pettiford, and talked about her aunt’s story.

Pettiford lived next to Moore for most of her life, in Portsmouth. When Moore left for war, a blue star hung proudly outside her home.

“That little star told the neighborhood that someone inside that home was serving their country. But for our family, it meant something deeper,” Pettiford said. “It meant that Aunt Dot was out in the world doing something brave. And it meant that our family’s love and pride were on full display for all to see. That pride has never faded, it has only grown.”

In 1942, shortly after Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor, WAC was established, allowing women to serve in over 200 roles. Roughly 6,5000 Black women served their country. At the time, Black women were limited to just 10% of the total number of women allowed to serve.

The 6888th was composed of over 800 women, and arrived in England, in 1945, for their postal mission, completing a six-month backlog of over 17 million pieces of mail in just three months. Due to their success, they moved on to Paris, to clear further back logs. The battalion worked in cold, dark warehouses around the clock in shifts, with little pay, using precise tracking and indexing systems, to get letters and packages from loved ones to soldiers on the front lines. The troops’ morale depended on their work.

Moore volunteered to serve in the Six Triple Eight — the only Black woman from New Hampshire to do so.

“It would have perhaps been understandable if Doris felt a little conflicted, or even jaded, about standing up for a country that at times painfully failed to stand up for people like her. But that wasn't Doris. Like a true member of the Live Free or Die state, Doris wanted to do her part in the fight to make the world more free,” Hassan said to a room full of veterans, family members, and guests Friday morning.

Many of the women of the 6888th battalion tried to enlist in the Army prior, and were told their service was of no interest to their nation. As they made their historic journey to Britain, near Adolf Hitler’s V-2 rockets, the battalion did not receive the same protections as other units, because they were viewed as unimportant.

“The 6888 was given an unglamorous and thankless job. A job that was designed to ensure that they would fail,” Hassan said. “Instead, they showed that anyone who doubted their capacity to succeed was a fool.”

Moore was one of the 85% of women serving in the 6888th to hold a college degree, during a period when less than 50% of Americans received a high school diploma. These women were incredibly bright, and incredibly underestimated.

In March 1946, the Six Triple Eight was officially disbanded at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and the remaining 500 members were sent home to a country still heavily segregated.

“For those who have seen 'The Six Triple Eight,' the film concludes with a moving scene where the women are publicly recognized, saluted, and applauded for their service. It is a powerful ending, but it is a work of fiction,” Bloom said.

Most members died without knowing anyone cared about their service to their country.

“Today’s recognition cannot change the past, but it can ensure that their service is never forgotten again,” Bloom said.

After returning home, Moore continued to change lives. Using the GI Bill, which helps veterans pay for higher education, she earned her master’s degree in social work, and became the first Black, master’s-level social worker in New Hampshire. She dedicated many years to finding safe, loving homes for children in Manchester.

Moore’s family has kept their aunt’s story alive.

“We want to thank JerriAnne, a representative of the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, for being a keeper of this Congressional Medal of Honor, ensuring that Aunt Dot’s legacy and the legacy of her battalion will live on for generations where visitors can learn, reflect, and pay homage,” Pettiford said.

“Veterans who I meet anywhere are all the same. They always believe that they have even more to give to their country. And Doris gave to our country her whole life,” Hassan said, noting Moore did not receive much love back from her country.

“They worked because they knew morale depended on it. And Aunt Dot was right there among them, serving with pride, wearing her uniform with honor, and proving through her actions what Black women could accomplish when given the chance,” Pettiford said.