Milford resident Sheila Kearney knew her Aunt Mary served in World War II, but she never really heard her aunt go into much detail about her service.
Later in life, in the early 1990s, after viewing a photo in Ebony Magazine, Kearney learned her aunt played an important role in the war effort.
“When I looked at the picture, I said, 'No, that's my aunt. That's Mary,'” Kearney said.
Kearney’s aunt, Capt. Mary Kearney, was born and raised in Bridgeport, but was misidentified in the Ebony Magazine photo. Kearney’s discovery led her to learn more about her aunt and her unit, the nearly all Black 6888 Central Postal Battalion, which was stationed in Europe and routed mail to soldiers during the war.
Kearney is now working to get the Connecticut state legislature to honor her aunt and the other women who served their country despite facing racism and prejudice. Kearney would like the state to dedicate a memorial to the women who served.
Connecticut state lawmakers have signaled support for her efforts, but have yet to enact any legislation, years after the federal government honored the efforts of these women with a Congressional Gold Medal in 2022. Descendants across the country are working on similar statewide efforts to honor their relatives. A memorial was dedicated to the unit at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in 2018.
The Connecticut General Assembly’s Veterans and Military Affairs Committee voted in favor of passing a resolution in 2023 to recognize the unit. A spokesperson for Democratic State Rep. Dominique Johnson, who represents Norwalk and Westport, and co-sponsored the resolution, said it hasn’t yet been taken up by the full legislature.
Democratic State Rep. Andre Baker Jr., represents Bridgeport and is also the deputy majority whip for the party. He said more needs to be done on a state level.
“We really need to have some sort of memorial for these women,” Baker said.
Such a resolution is usually a straightforward process, but Johnson’s office said it may be tabled for different reasons, including prioritizing other legislative items.
Kearney said she wants a memorial for her aunt and other state veterans to honor their role in the war, when soldiers’ only method of reliable communication was by mail.
Kearney’s unit was able to sort mounds of mail and deliver packages despite numerous logistical challenges, continued racism from white soldiers and a rapidly changing frontline.
Kearney said her aunt helped handle a huge backlog of undelivered mail when they were deployed to Birmingham, England.
“They had to process up to four to seven million pieces of mail,” Kearney said.
Capt. Mary Kearney was born in 1904. She graduated from Howard University in Washington, D.C., hoping to become a teacher, but racism limited her career opportunities.
Instead, she became an elevator operator in Bridgeport. Kearney joined the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps in 1942, months after the U.S. was attacked at Pearl Harbor and soon declared war on Germany, Italy and Japan.
She enlisted despite her lived experiences.
“They wanted to get the respect of being a Black person in their own country. They wanted to fight segregation, they wanted to have full rights, and they wanted to live their life as it was intended by the Constitution,” Kearney said.
Kearney’s unit was responsible for ensuring reliable mail delivery. The women were praised for their professionalism and efficiency.
But despite the praise, Kearney said her aunt still faced racism and sexism within the military. Even still, the unit prided itself on its mission to lift up servicemen’s spirits. Their motto was “No Mail, Low Morale.”
Mary Kearney would later serve in France and was among the last members of the unit to return stateside after the war. While women did not actively fight on the frontlines, several members were killed in an accident.
She later became a major in the United States Army Reserve, and a librarian at the New York Public Library. She died at her home in Milford in 1980.
Kearney said most veterans of the unit have since passed away.
Honoring members would come decades after their return in 1946, to little fanfare.
“I wish she were here so that I can ask her about her experiences,” Kearney said.
