Joyce Gwendolyn (Anderson) Coulbourne (1923 - 2007)

Born 10 Oct 1923 in New York, United States

Died 1 Dec 2007 at age 84 in Kapolei, Oahu, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

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Joyce (Anderson) Coulbourne is a part of US Black heritage.

PVT Joyce (Anderson) Coulbourne served in the United States Army in World War II
Service started: 23 Mar 1944
Unit(s): 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, United States Women's Army Corps
Service ended: after 1945

Biography

Joyce was born in 1923. Little is known about her early life. More research is needed.

The 6888th Central Postal Battalion

With the entrance of the United States into World War II, Joyce volunteered for the Women's Army Corps on 23 March 1944.^[1]. She was assigned to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.^[2]

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion of the Women's Army Corps was a multi-ethnic group. Although composed primarily of African-American women, its ranks also included Puerto Rican and Hispanic women. They came from 26 locations across the United States. LTC Charity Adams was the first of three commanding officers to lead the group. Following training at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, the battalion left on 3 February 1945 for assignment in Birmingham, England.^[3]

In Birmingham, the battalion was assigned to sort a backlog of mail stored in an unheated warehouse. The women worked at the task 24 hours a day. Divided into three, eight hour shifts, they routed an average of 65,000 pieces of mail per shift. At the end of 90 days they had sorted and redirected over 17 million letters and packages.^[4]. With the issue in Birmingham resolved, the battalion moved next to Rouen, France where another backlog of mail awaited. When they completed this task, the battalion moved to Paris. World War II ended in Europe on 2 September 1945. In February 1946, the battalion returned to the United States where it was disbanded at Fort Dix, New Jersey.^[5]

Return to Civilian Life

Following the war Joyce returned to the United States. She married Clarence Wright Coulbourne another veternan, in 1947. Eventually the couple had four children: Michael Coulbourne, Mark Coulbourne, Carmen Coulbourne Duncan and Lisa Coulbourne Nishimoto. The couple moved to Hawaii where they lived until their deaths.^[6]

Joyce Gwendolyn Anderson Coulbourne passed away on 1 December 2007 in Hawaii.^[7]. She was laid to rest with military honors at Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery in Kaneohe, Honolulu County, Hawaii.^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8LS-QLQ : 5 December 2014), Joyce G Anderso, enlisted 23 Mar 1944, New Haven, Connecticut, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 1263923, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
2. ↑ https://www.womenofthe6888th.org/list-of-6888th-veterans
3. ↑ https://www.womenofthe6888th.org/6888th-facts
4. ↑ https://www.womenofthe6888th.org/6888th-facts
5. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6888th_Central_Postal_Directory_Battalion
6. ↑ "United States Public Records, 1970-2009", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K1RZ-8PP : 27 February 2020), Joyce G Coulbourne, 2005-2006.
7. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JTFT-L6X : 12 January 2021), Joyce Gwendolyn Coulbourne, 01 Dec 2007; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
8. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72811154/joyce-gwendolyn-coulbourne: accessed 11 March 2023), memorial page for Mrs Joyce Gwendolyn Anderson Coulbourne (10 Oct 1923–1 Dec 2007), Find a Grave Memorial ID 72811154, citing Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery, Kaneohe, Honolulu County, Hawaii, USA; Maintained by Mark Utley (contributor 47178748).

Additional Sources on the 6888th Batallion

https://history.army.mil/html/topics/afam/6888thPBn/index.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6888th_Central_Postal_Directory_Battalion

https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/6888th.htm

https://www.nps.gov/mamc/the-6888th-central-postal-directory-battalion.htm

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/the-sixtripleeight-6888th-battalion

https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Explore/Notable-Graves/African-Americans/6888th-Central-Postal-Directory-Battalion

https://guides.loc.gov/6888th-central-postal-directory-battalion