Amelia Akers Spencer, of Roanoke and formerly of Floyd, VA, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 20, 2017. She was 96, born July 8, 1920. Her husband, Lemuel L. Spencer, preceded her in death.
TECH 5 Amelia Akers (Spencer) served her country as a distinguished member of the 6888 Postal Central Directory Battalion, the only African American Women Army Corps (WAC) Stationed Overseas during World War II.
On February 3, 1945, TECH 5 Akers joined the first contingent of the battalion that sailed for Britain. Their ship, the lle de France, survived close encounters with Nazi U-boats and arrived in Glasgow, Scotland on February 14 where a German V-1 rocket exploded near the dock, causing the women to run for cover.
They traveled by train to Birmingham, England where the women of “Six Triple Eight” (their renowned nickname) confronted warehouses stacked to the ceiling with letters and packages. These buildings were unheated and dimly lit, the windows blacked out to prevent light showing during nighttime air raids. Rats sought out packages of spoiled cakes and cookies. As it was a cold winter, the women wore long johns and extra layers of clothing under their coats while working in these warehouses. The unit members were organized into three separate eight-hour shifts so work continued around the clock, seven days a week. They tracked individual service members by maintaining about seven million information cards including serial numbers to distinguish different individuals with the same name.
Despite the racial tension of the those times, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion produced great results in Birmingham. With the new tracking system they created, the women processed an average of 65,000 pieces of mail per shift and cleared the six-month backlog of mail in three months. The women adhered to the motto of, “No mail, low morale,” providing essential support for the U.S. military in the European theater by linking service members to their loved ones back home. They achieved unprecedented success and efficiency in solving the military’s postal problems.
TECH 5 Akers received the following awards for her outstanding service to her country; the European-African-Middle Eastern Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the WWI Victory Medal and the WAAC Service Ribbon. She was honorably discharge on 14 November 1945, serving one year and 8 months in the United States and 9 months overseas. She married, Lemuel L. Spencer, settled down and raised her family in Floyd, VA.
She was featured in the Book “To Serve My Country to Serve My Race: The Story of the Only African American WACs Stationed Overseas during World War II.”
Amelia is survived by her daughters, Vanessa (Beverly) Burks, of Roanoke and Renee Carter, of Smithfield, VA; grandchildren, Jeanine Burks, Charisse Carter and Bryce Carter; great-grandson, Javon Burks; a host of other relatives and friends.
Her Homegoing Service was held at 11 a.m., on Saturday, March 25, at Loudon Avenue Christian Church, Roanoke with Pastor Anthony L. Holmes, Sr., officiating and Rev. Dr. William L. Lee, eulogist. Interment was in Big Oak Cemetery, Floyd, VA. with professional services entrusted to Hamlar-Curtis Funeral Home.
