'The Six Triple Eight' Movie Ending Explained & Summary: Did The Battalion Get The Recognition?

Based on the true story, Tyler Perry war drama film is the story of American 6888th Battalion—the only Women’s Army Corps unit of color that served during World War II. The Six Triple Eight has the potential to intrigue the audience to learn more about this important chapter in history, but as a creative endeavor, it fails to leave a mark. Even though it was supposed to be a story of how women of color, particularly Black women in the Women’s Army Corps, showed resilience in the way they handled racism and sexism to deliver the job they were assigned, it felt more like an undercooked love story. Loosely centered around the lives of real war heroes, The Six Triple Eight is a decent introduction to their struggles, but it fails to leave an impact.

Spoiler Alert

Why did Lena join the army?

Lena Derriecott was in love with Abram David, but it was the 1940s, and interracial couples were subjected to harassment and scrutiny. While they strictly maintained that they were only friends, Lena’s mother and grandmother had already figured out the truth. They did not disapprove of Abram, but they were afraid of the backlash they would face. Abram was an American combat pilot, and he was posted in Europe during the Second World War. Lena was scared, but Abram promised to return home safely and marry her. He confessed his love for her and asked her to wear a promise ring. He hoped that she would wait for him, and after his return, they would finally live together as a married couple. It had been months since Abram had left, and yet Lena did not receive any mail. She had been writing to him, but the letters did not seem to reach him. 

One morning, after Lena returned from college, her mother sat her down and handed her a letter. She was devastated to discover that Abram was killed during a mission. All her dreams about their future together were broken into a million pieces. After spending days mourning in her room, Lena stepped out to announce that she would join the Women’s Army Corps. Her mother and grandmother did not think it was a good idea; it had become common knowledge that Black women were only assigned cooking and cleaning jobs in the army. But Lena was persistent, and since she did not have the money to study at a university, joining the army seemed to be her only option. Lena wanted to serve in the army primarily because of Abram; she blamed Hitler for taking away the love of her life, and she wanted to fight him in one way or another. As soon as Lena graduated, she enrolled in the army. Soon after boarding the train to Georgia, Lena discovered that the army was segregated as well. White women were asked to move forward, while the Black women stayed at the back. But Lena met a few like-minded Black women who made it easier for her to settle into her new life.

How Did 6888th Solve The Mail Crisis?

Major Charity Adams headed the Women’s Army Corps unit of color, and she was an inspiration for Lena and her friends in the army—Bernice Baker, Johnnie Mae, Dolores Washington, and Elaine White. Adams made it clear from their very first day that they must be ready to face racist and misogynist individuals in the army but that must never be the reason for them to give up. She reminded the girls that they represented the Black community and it was their duty to present their best selves. After spending days training rigorously, Lena and her friends were finally eligible for assignment, but the higher-ranking officers did not think they were capable. Major Adams tried to reason with her superior, stating how she had trained hundreds of women and they were more than ready to take on a challenge, but he made it clear that he did not think Black women were qualified enough. While Adams felt defeated, she did not know that Mary McLeod Bethune and Eleanor Roosevelt had other plans. 

When Eleanor Roosevelt learned about the collapse of the mailing system and its impact on the soldiers and their families, she decided to take immediate action. Bethune suggested that they assign the task of solving the mail mishap to the colored division of the Women’s Army Corps. General Halt was not receptive to the idea, but Bethune was persistent, and she stated with confidence that the Black WACs were qualified and skilled enough to deal with the mess. Major Adams was pleasantly surprised when she was asked to prepare to travel to Europe. She could only read about the assignment once she boarded the plane, and her excitement dissipated when she discovered that they were called to sort mail. She did not realize the magnitude of the situation, and once she arrived in Birmingham and realized that they had millions of mails to sort, she took it up as a challenge. It was evident that her white seniors wanted her and her unit to fail, and no matter what, they had to prove them wrong. General Halt ensured that the girls were not treated with comfort– from having her troop travel in a civilian ship without any military escort to making them march their way to their modest accommodations that came without a proper heating system. He had assumed Major Adams and her troop would find the task impossible to solve in six months. As the leader of her unit, Adams recognized the strengths of her troop members, and she used them to her advantage to solve the crisis. From identifying items through the fabric in instances where the content was separated to recognizing perfumes sprayed on the letters to match the sender with the state the perfume was sold, the Black WACs went above and beyond to prove how capable they were, yet they remained mostly unappreciated.

How Did Working On The Mission Help Lena?

For Lena, the mission was quite personal. She knew how heartbreaking and frustrating it was to not receive letters from their beloved. She had experienced the pain that she believed most of those who had painstakingly written letters in the hopes of staying in contact with their loved ones experienced. She recognized the importance of their job, and she intended to do her job to the best of her ability. Lena had noticed the symbols drawn on letters by the soldiers; it was their secret way of letting their families know where they were, as the symbols matched with their division patches. Her wit helped with the sorting, and Major Adams appreciated Lena for coming up with a suggestion. 

Lena often felt emotional while sorting the letters because she knew she would find letters written by Abram as well. She wanted to read them, but she was afraid of the myriad of emotions she would experience reading them. Her friends Bernice Baker, Dolores Washington, and Elaine White supported her and promised to hand her Abram’s letter if they ever found it. Johnnie Mae, who often made fun of Lena’s obsession with Abram, sympathized with her once she figured out how difficult it must have been for Lena. As expected, one day, Johnnie Mae found Abram’s letter, and together, the friends told Lena about it. While Lena wanted to read the letter instantly, she had to stop herself when Major Adams informed them that two of their soldiers were killed in an accident. The troop collected money to bury the deceased since the high-ranking officers refused to pay for it. They arranged a proper burial and paid their respect. At the burial ground, Major Adams informed Lena that many American soldiers were buried there and she must search for the one she lost. Lena experienced a sense of relief and sadness at the same time. She had always intended on finding him and paying her respect, but the hint of sadness that comes with coming to terms with death overwhelmed her. She finally gathered the courage to read Abram’s letter, and she got the closure that she needed. By the time Abram had written the letter, he had realized that the chances of him returning home were slim. In the letter, he asked Lena not to wait for him and enjoy her freedom and have fun. He wanted Lena to live a long, happy life, no matter what. Even though it was devastating, Lena perhaps would’ve never moved on if she had not come across Abram’s letter. 

During The Six Triple Eight’s ending, the real-life Lena stated that she married Hugh after they returned home from Europe. It was love at first sight for Hugh, and he called off his wedding because he was confident that he had met the woman of his dreams. He waited patiently for Lena to process her emotions and find the courage to love another man.

Did The Battalion Get The Recognition It Deserved?

It was only after General Halt noticed the joy on the faces of the soldiers when they received letters from their homes that he was forced to admit that the Black WACs had done an incredible job. Even though they were not on the battlefield, the contribution of the 6888th was significant, and it boosted the morale of the soldiers. They had completed the backlog of 17 million pieces of mail in just 90 days and were later moved to Rouen, France, and Paris to work on other backlogs. The families of the soldiers experienced a sense of certainty as the letters helped them stay updated about their loved ones. 

In The Six Triple Eight’s ending, we learn that even though they were recognized for their efforts in Europe, the 6888th Battalion did not receive the welcome that they deserved in the United States. Their contribution was not talked about; they were not thanked for their service and included in the ticker-tape parade. The real Lisa, a hundred years old now, mentioned how it was only as of late that their efforts have been recognized and they were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. The US Army Base Fort Lee was renamed Fort Gregg-Adams, in honor of two Black US Army officials, Lieutenant General Arthur Gregg, and Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams, making her the only Black woman in US history to be a recipient of such an honor.

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