Happy 103rd birthday, Romay Davis.
Davis, the oldest surviving member of the storied Six Triple Eight, celebrated her birthday on Oct. 29, according to a VA release.
Davis was born on Oct.29, 1919, and grew up in Virginia with her five brothers, all of whom served during World War II. When the war began, Davis worked for the United States Mint. In 1943, she enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps and later joined the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, known as the Six Triple Eight, and was part of the 855-member all-black female battalion to serve overseas during the war, first in Birmingham, England, then Rouen and Paris in France.
The 6888th was the only predominantly black female unit that served overseas during WWII. The unit resolved a growing mail crisis during the war by ensuring American troops received their letters and packages from home. They went by the motto of "no mail, no morale." The unit proved they were up
to the challenge as they tackled the mountain of postal backlog that awaited them in England and France. They processed more than 195,000 pieces of mail a day, eventually clearing over 17 million pieces of mail by the end of their tour."
During the 2022 Association for the Study of African American Life and History conference in Montgomery, AL, Davis recalled of sailing overseas. The unit arrived in Glasgow, Scotland, on Feb. 13, 1945, and set up quarters at the King Edward School in Birmingham, England. Davis served as a truck driver in the unit throughout the war.
Honorably discharged in November 1945 Davis used her G.I Bill benefits to attend the Traphhagen School of Fashion in New York. She worked for the company Glen of Michigan as a designer for over 30 years. At 61, she returned to school at New York University and earned a master’s degree in technology and industrial education.
Related
According to an article in People, Davis earned a Taekwondo black belt in her 70s and then spent two decades in her 80s and 90s stocking shelves for the Winn-Dixie grocery chain in Montgomery. She also paints and writes poetry.
“Women are as capable if I said that correctly, as men are in their chosen positions,” she says. “So, if you give them more chance — and Black women especially, because they haven’t had the same opportunity — give them a chance and see what they can do.”
On March 14, 2022, President Biden signed the Six Triple Eight Congressional Gold Medal Act into law.
In June 2022, Davis received a Silver Service Medallion during a ceremony at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana. According to the museum website, the medallion is awarded to “Veterans and those with a direct connection to World War II who have served our country with distinction and continue to lead by example.”
Related
On Oct. 29, 2021, the city of Montgomery, Alabama honored Davis with a parade and declared her birthday “Romay Davis Day.”
Southeastern Grocers, Inc., parent company of Winn Dixie, initiated the Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Grant in 2020 with the goal of funding minority-supporting organizations.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.