Congresswoman Brown Bill to Name Collinwood Post Office After Cleveland WWII Hero Tech Sergeant Alma Minter Advances Through Oversight Committee

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Shontel Brown’s (OH-11) legislation to name the Collinwood neighborhood Post Office in Cleveland, Ohio in honor of Tech Sergeant Alma Gladys Minter (1920-2007) today passed the House Oversight Committee and is one step closer to becoming law. 

In July, Brown introduced legislation (H.R. 4635) to name the post office on East 152^nd Street in Cleveland in honor of Minter, a long-time Cleveland resident who served in the 6888^th Central Postal Directory Battalion during World War II. The “Six Triple Eight” was the first and only all-Black Women’s Army Corps unit to serve overseas during the war. Brown’s legislation is supported by the Minter Family. 

Bill Text Available Here

“Alma Minter delivered for our country, and today Congress is one step closer to finally delivering for her. I am proud that my bill to rename the Collinwood post office in honor of Tech Sergeant Minter is one step closer to becoming law. Putting her name on the post office on East 152^nd is a way to say thank you, to keep the story of Six Triple Eight alive, and to right past wrongs. These women served with courage and excellence, yet far too many never lived to see their country recognize them. The least we can do now is make sure their names and their stories are remembered. I am grateful for the support of my colleagues and will continue to work with members of both parties to get this done,” said Congresswoman Shontel Brown.

In 1945, Minter along with over 800 other women, were deployed to clear a backlog of over 17 million pieces of mail in Europe. The Six Triple Eight completed their mission in less than 90 days, ensuring that mail from the Homefront could reach American troops in Europe. 

The Six Triple Eight was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by an act of Congress in 2022 and honored at a ceremony at the Capitol this year. In February, Congresswoman Brown spoke on the House floor in Washington to recognize Minter’s service and share her story. She also presented Minter’s family with additional military medals at her State of the District address in Cleveland. 

The legislation is cosponsored by: Rep. Troy Balderson (OH-12), Rep. Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Rep. Mike Carey (OH-15), Rep. Warren Davidson (OH-08), Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-04), Rep. Dave Joyce (OH-14), Rep. Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Rep. Greg Landsman (OH-01), Rep. Bob Latta (OH-05), Rep. Michael Rulli (OH-06), Rep. Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Rep. Dave Taylor (OH-02), Rep. Mike Turner (OH-10), Rep. Gwen Moore (WI-04), Rep. Andre Carson (IN-07), Rep. Shomari Figures (AL-02), and Rep. Deborah Ross (NC-02).

For more information on the Six Triple Eight, click here.  

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