Gladys Eva Blount was born June 6, 1922, in Newark, New Jersey to the late John and Eva (nee Chapman) Debman. A beautician before WWII, Blount said she initially enlisted because she was restless and concerned as “there were only old men and young boys around.” As an able-bodied young woman, Blount said she was compelled to help in any way she could.

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Upon her sister’s suggestion, Blount joined the armed forces and completed basic training in Des Moines, IA, before being assigned to Fort Benning in Georgia. While working in the dispensary at Fort Benning, Blount seized the chance to go overseas, an opportunity that would satisfy her strong desire to travel around the world. “I felt secure because there were so many women with me,” said Blount.

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Although Blount acknowledges experiencing several incidents of racism and segregation during her tour, she says that the critical mission at hand eclipsed those moments: “Our assignment may have seemed simple, but the work we did was important to so many,” she said, citing the motto edged in her memory: “No Mail, Low Morale.”

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Gladys served her country proudly during WWII. She was one of six surviving members of the Six Triple Eight the Central Postal Directory Battalion in England an all-black female unit.