TEXAS NAACP TO HONOR THE LEGACY OF THE 6888TH: Celebrating Black Military History, Restoring Dignity, and Inspiring the Next Generation.



TEXAS NAACP TO HONOR THE LEGACY OF THE 6888TH: Celebrating Black Military History, Restoring Dignity, and Inspiring the Next Generation.


AUSTIN, TEXAS - The Texas State NAACP will host a special panel discussion honoring the trailblazing legacy of the WWII 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion during its 2025 Armed Services and Veteran Affairs Workshops — a rare opportunity to reflect, remember, and celebrate one of the most remarkable chapters in American military history.



Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr. will serve as one of the panelists, bringing both personal passion and institutional memory to the conversation. The panel will explore the extraordinary life and leadership of Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley, the first African American woman commissioned as an officer in the Women’s Army Corps and commander of the 6888th.




Texas State NAACP Armed Services & Veteran Affairs Workshops 2025


Panel Discussion

Theme: Standing on the Shoulders of Lt. Col. Charity Adams (6888)


📍 Location: Salon E & F

🕜 Time: 1:30 PM – 2:20 PM


Moderator:

• Dr. LaShondra Jones, PhD


Panelists:

• Lt. Col. Patricia Jackson Kelley

• Rev. Kyev P. Tatum, Sr.

• Ms. Stelena Hooper Evans (Daughter of 6888th member)


⸻


A Year of Honor for Black Veterans


From 1995 to 2000, Pastor Tatum served as Third Vice President of the Texas NAACP, and this year he has stood at the forefront of multiple historic recognitions of African American military service.

• April 29, 2025 – Pastor Tatum joined a Texas delegation in Washington, D.C., for the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony honoring the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.

• September 3, 2025 – He returned with another Texas delegation to witness the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony for the WWI 369th Infantry Regiment, the Harlem Hellfighters.

• He also participated in a Texas House of Representatives ceremony (H.R. No. 1086) honoring the 6888th, followed by a dove release at the African American Memorial on the Texas Capitol grounds — symbolizing freedom and remembrance.


⸻


Restoring Dignity to the 24th Infantry Regiment


Pastor Tatum’s work to honor Black veterans goes beyond celebrations — it seeks justice and restoration.


In 2017, he joined a coalition requesting that the 17 soldiers of the 24th Infantry Regiment, executed after the 1917 Houston Riots, receive new headstones that fully honor their service.


At Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, these soldiers’ graves had long borne only names and dates — their rank and state stripped because of their sentences. In 2023, the U.S. Army set aside all convictions, ruled the trials unjust, and changed the soldiers’ records to honorable discharges.


On a warm afternoon in San Antonio, the VA’s National Cemetery Administration dedicated new marble headstones that finally list their regiment and rank. The ceremony included the reading of each soldier’s name, rifle volleys, the playing of “Taps,” and Buffalo Soldier reenactors unveiling the markers — as golden oak leaves blew gently across the ground.


“This is not just about correcting history,” Pastor Tatum said.

“This is about restoring dignity, honor, and respect — giving these men back their names, their service, and their rightful place in our shared story.”


⸻


Continuing the Legacy


Pastor Tatum is now collaborating with Ms. Debra Christian to honor her family’s military legacy and establish a Buffalo Soldiers unit in memory of her father, Randall D. Christian, Sr., who served in both the 24th and 25th Infantry during the Korean War.


⸻


Honoring the Six Triple Eight


The 6888th’s story continues to inspire. Formed after persistent advocacy by African American leaders, this 855-woman unit (including 44 Texans) deployed to Europe in 1944 to clear a six-month backlog of undelivered mail.


Working around the clock under the motto “No Mail, Low Morale,” they cleared the backlog in just three months — then repeated the feat in France, cutting the job time in half again. Facing racism and sexism, they remained focused, efficient, and unbreakable.


In 2022, Congress awarded them the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor. In 2024, Netflix released The Six Triple Eight, bringing their story to new audiences. In 2025, the George W. Bush Presidential Center hosted a celebration of their service — cementing their place in history.


⸻


This year of remembrance has been nothing short of historic — from Washington, D.C., to Austin, to San Antonio — with one unifying message: when honor is due, we must deliver.


Pastor Tatum’s leadership continues to call a new generation to remember, restore, and rise on the shoulders of these extraordinary veterans.



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