"But when we marched down that Champs-Élysée in our Class A uniforms… to the thunderous applause of those Parisians—it was a sight to behold and I feel it to this day." (25:38)

Mary Crawford Ragland

Mary Ragland at time of interview War: World War, 1939-1945 Branch: WAC (Women's Army Corps) Unit: 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Service Location: Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia; Birmingham, England; Rouen, France; Paris, France; European Theater Rank: Technician Five

Technician Fifth Grade Mary Crawford Ragland was inspired by her mother to join the Women’s Army Corps in 1944 when she was seventeen years old. Ragland was assigned to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, who were sent to Europe in February 1945 to process an enormous backlog of undelivered mail. The 6888th exceeded expectations in tackling the backlog that existed in England, and were sent on to Rouen and Paris, France. Ragland survived German bombing raids while in England, passed through French towns that had been reduced to rubble by the fighting, and saw firsthand the horrors of concentration camps. After the war, the 6888th had the opportunity to march victorious down the Champs-Élysée to a rapturous reception from the French people.