Recommending the movie called “The Six Triple Eight”

MY HUSBAND AND I RECENTLY WATCHED A TERRIFIC NETFLIX MOVIE ENTITLED, "THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT" (based on real events during WWII) about Black women in the Women's Army Corps (WAC).  This story touched me because, when I joined the Army, right after high school in 1969, it was still called the Women's Army Corps - which was finally incorporated into the "Regular Army" during the 1974/1975 timeframe.

When I did my 9-week basic training at Fort McClellan, Alabama in 1969,  the races were no longer separated, and I distinctly remember that our Black Drill Sergeant (Sergeant First Class Farrington) explained to us that we had better get used to to the fact that there was no black, white, yellow or red in the WAC's, as we were all GREEN!  (And yes, everything WAS some shade of "green" ... the entryways into our barracks, our uniforms, our rod-iron beds, the wool blankets on our beds, the wall lockers, the footlockers and even the floors that were buffed every evening before bed, and waxed once a week...)

Anyway, the story "Six Triple Eight" is a true World War II story about a Black Army Captain (played by Kerry Washington) who leads her historic battalion of all-female Black soldiers in a mission unlike any other: to restore hope to WWII’s frontlines by delivering over 17 million backlogged letters (which - to everyone's surprise, was accomplished within only 90 days!).

I highly recommend this movie where you will get to witness the courage and determination of a unit  of military women who had TWO obstacles to overcome in a basically "White" world: they were women and they were Black...

I, being a woman, can identify with "having to prove" myself, because - even though the chasm between men and women in the military kept growing smaller over the years - every single time I was promoted to the next rank, some man would feel compelled to make ignorant comments designed to put me down for it. 

That happened even in 1992, while I was a lesson developer and substitute instructor at the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy.  When the "Promotion to Sergeant Major" list came out that year, I was elated to see that I was among the few at the Academy who had made it to the highest enlisted rank!  

However, my joy was briefly damped via comments made by - get this! - the Equal Opportunity NCO! – who said, in front of everyone gathered around the Promotion List:  "Well, the Army HAS to promote their 'token women,' don't it?" 

While I knew he had uttered those words out of anger because he had FAILED to make the promotion list, I could no longer “laugh off” the silly barbs and insinuations.

Tossing him a searing glance, I remarked that his comments were completely unwarranted, as he had personally witnessed me and my work, since we had not only been classmates but were recruited by the Academy leadership to remain there after graduation! I reminded him that out of 500 students during that grueling six-month period, only 10 of us were women … and we ALL had managed to graduate, while not all men did – and that it certainly had NOT been “because” we were women, but BECAUSE we completed ALL the requirements, both academically AND physically!

“And oh, by the way,” I concluded, “as you know, promotions are based on many things, including work performance, efficiency reports, physical fitness, and military and civilian education – all of which I either met and/or exceeded!  I am a Business college graduate, and during my 22 years of military service, I managed to get a four year college degree – all at night school, after normal duty hours.

“The Army has used me as an office administrator with a German language translator designator, trained me as a military journalist and newspaper editor, and most recently, used me as a lesson developer and substitute instructor at this prestigious institution. So … unless YOU have accomplished more than me, you have NO RIGHT to call me a “token woman!”

Not long after that incident, at age 42, I decided to retire and go to work as a journalist in the civilian sector, where I no longer had to “prove” myself, because my work and accomplishments spoke for themselves.

The good news was, before I left, that particular sergeant apologized for his insensitive comments; and I apologized for embarrassing him in front of some of our colleagues that day.
Keeping in mind that ADONAI ELOHIM created clear differences in men and women and their roles in this life, I'm just glad to know that the male/female issues in the military have mostly been resolved since I retired back in 1993.

Unfortunately, the military now has other "gender" issues to deal with...