'Six Triple Eight:' The all-Black female WWII unit awarded the Congressional Gold Medal The unit, made up of 855 Black women, boosted the morale of soldiers fighting across Europe during World War II.

The only black, all-female unit to serve in Europe during World War II, commonly known as the Six Triple Eight, will be presented Tuesday with the Congressional Gold Medal.

The Six Triple Eight sorted millions of pieces of wartime mail in a matter of months but weren't recognized publicly for decades. Just two of the 855 women are believed to be alive for the ceremony.

Welding is the meticulous nursing of a puddle of molten metal across a seam. It’s very much like sewing," said 99-year-old ...

"Look at the women welders, now that's a familiar job," says Jane Tucker, now 97. She left rural Lineville, Alabama in 1943, with her mom and sister to work in a shipyard.

"Look at the women welders, now that's a familiar job," says Jane Tucker, now 97. She left rural Lineville, Alabama in 1943, with her mom and sister to work in a shipyard.

"Look at the women welders, now that's a familiar job," says Jane Tucker, now 97. She left rural Lineville, Alabama in 1943, with her mom and sister to work in a shipyard. Emily Kask / for NPR ...

"Look at the women welders, now that's a familiar job," says Jane Tucker, now 97. She left rural Lineville, Alabama in 1943, with her mom and sister to work in a shipyard.