Netflix movie features Tempe veteran's historic WWII unit
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An upcoming Netflix movie tells the story of America's only all-Black Women's Army Corp unit deployed during World War II. And one of the last surviving members lives in the Valley.
The big picture: "The Six Triple Eight" depicts the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.
- The star-studded cast features Kerry Washington as Maj. Charity Adams, who led the battalion.
- Tyler Perry directed and co-wrote the movie.
Zoom in: The unit was deployed to Birmingham, England, in 1945 and tasked with sorting through a backlog of 17 million undelivered pieces of mail, some of which were up to three years old, for the 7.5 million U.S. service members in Europe.
- The women of the 6888th were given six months to perform their task but finished in three.
- They completed their training and military duties while facing racism at home and abroad.
- The unit's motto was, "No mail, no morale."
State of play: 104-year-old Tempe resident Fannie McClendon served in the 6888th.
- McClendon, who lived in New York at the time, enlisted at age 19. She later enlisted in the Air Force, where she became a major over a 21-year career.
- "To be able to be over in Europe and all and see the things that I had studied about over the years – really quite enlightening," she told Fox 10 in a 2021 interview.
- McClendon is one the last living members of the 6888th.
What's next: "The Six Triple Eight" will premiere in select theaters on Dec. 6 and begin streaming on Netflix on Dec. 20.