On October 29, 2022, Romay Davis turned 103-years old. She is the oldest surviving member of the “SixTripleEight.”
Davis was born on October 29, 1919, and grew up in Virginia with her five brothers, all of whom served during World War II. When the war started, Davis worked for the United States Mint. In 1943, she enlisted into the Women’s Army Corps. She later joined the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, known as the “SixTripleEight,” and was part of the 855 all-black female battalion to serve overseas during the war, first in Birmingham, England, then Rouen and Paris in France.
Sailing overseas
At the 2022 Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) conference in Montgomery, AL, Davis spoke of sailing overseas on the SS Ile de France. The unit arrived in Glasgow, Scotland, on February 13, 1945, and set up quarters at the King Edward School in Birmingham, England. Davis served as a truck driver in the unit throughout the war.
Discharge, G.I. Bill, and 2nd degree blackbelt
Davis was honorably discharged in November 1945 and used her G.I. Bill benefits to attend the Traphagen School of Fashion in New York. She worked for the company Glen of Michigan as a designer for over 30 years. At 61, she returned to school at New York University and earned a master’s degree in technology and industrial education.
According to an article in People, Davis earned a Taekwondo black belt in her 70s and then spent two decades in her 80s and 90s stocking shelves for the Winn-Dixie grocery chain in Montgomery. She also paints and writes poetry.
“Women are as capable, if I said that correctly, as men are in their chosen positions,” she says. “So, if you give them more chance — and Black women especially, because they haven’t had the same opportunity — give them a chance and see what they can do. Ask them.”
Happy Birthday, Romay Davis!
Romay Davis Awards and Accolades
On March 14, 2022, President Biden signed the Six Triple Eight Congressional Gold Medal Act into law.
In June 2022, Davis received a Silver Service Medallion from the National WWII Museum during a ceremony in New Orleans. According to the museum website, the medallion is awarded to “Veterans and those with a direct connection to World War II who have served our country with distinction and continue to lead by example.”
On October 29, 2021, the city of Montgomery, Alabama honored her with a parade and declared her birthday “Romay Davis Day.”
In 2020, Southeastern Grocers, Inc., parent company of Winn Dixie, initiated the “Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Grant” with the goal of funding minority-supporting organizations.
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