Triangle Women Veterans - Unit 144

Millie Dunn Veasey was born in Raleigh, NC on January 31, 1918.  She graduated from Washington High School in Raleigh. After graduation Millie got a job as a clerical clerk with the Wake County Extension Office.
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After the United States entered WW2, Millie saw a recruitment poster for the newly formed Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (later known as the Women's Army Corps). She was determined to serve thus enlisting in December of 1942 at the age of 24. 

In April of 1942 Millie attended basic training at Ft. Des Moines, Iowa. She was then stationed at Ft. Clark Texas, Ft. Maxwell, Texas, and lastly Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia for pre-deployment training. 

The Army assigned Millie to the 6888th Central Directory Postal Battalion as a typist. The 6888th, know as the Six Triple Eight, was the only WAC African American unit to go overseas during the war. Their mission was to sort, organize, and direct mail to U.S. Soldiers overseas.

On February 3, 1945 Millie was in the first group of women from the 6888th to sail overseas. The voyage lasted 11 days, in which they survived close encounters with Nazi U-boats. The 6888th were stationed at their final destination in Birmingham, England. The unit worked 7 days a week around the clock to clear the backlog of mail. They adopted the phrase "No mail, low morale." Adopting a new system to sort the mail, these ladies sorted approximately 195,000 pieces of mail per day. The 6888th finished the job in 3 months. A few months after V-E day the 6888th was transferred to Rouen, France where they worked alongside the French and German prisoners of war.

Millie returned to the U.S. in December of 1945. She enrolled and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in business administration from St. Augustine College.

In 1961 Millie married Warren Veasey. They were married until his death in 1961. Millie taught a few years in Virginia then returned to N. Carolina to finish her Masters Degree in business administration at N.C. Central University.  

Millie was active in the Civil Rights Movement. She was the first woman to hold the office of President of the Raleigh Chapter of the NAACP. In 1966 she arranged for Dr. Martin Luther King to speak in Raleigh, NC.

Millie passed away on March 19, 2018 at the age of 100 years old. She is buried in Raleigh National Cemetery.

We honor Millie Dunn Veasey for her investment in her country and community.



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