What:

On Monday August 29, 2023, the Buffalo, NY Post Office, located at 170 Manhattan Avenue, will be dedicated to Indiana Hunt-Martin.

Who:

Congressman Brian Higgins
NYS Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes
City of Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown
Post Office District Manager Marcellina Del Pizzo
Janice Martin – Daughter of Indiana Hunt-Martin

When:

1:00 p.m., Monday, August 28, 2023

Where:

George’s Field
137 Manhattan Ave.
Buffalo, NY 14215

Background:

Indiana Hunt-Martin was born May 30, 1922, in Georgia.  Her family would eventually move to western New York where she graduated from Niagara Falls High School in 1940 as one of only two Black students in her class.

Aspiring to have a career in business, Indiana saw first-hand the limitations placed on Black females.  She would accept a job picking fruit, but her orchard was later eliminated for a TNT factory where she subsequently accepted a position cleaning restrooms.

In her down time, Hunt-Martin enjoyed reading and saw that women of color were being sought to join the war effort.  Indiana applied and was eventually called to serve in the Women’s Army Crops. in 1944.  Under the 6888th Postal Battalion, or Six Triple Eight, roughly 800 Black females would be tasked with routing backlogged mail to frontline soldiers in Europe.

Hunt-Martin was one of five hundred original members of the Six Triple Eight to travel overseas to Birmingham, England and begin work.  Upon arrival they encountered nearly three years of mail that needed to be directed to soldiers.  What was anticipated to take six months took the Six Triple Eight three, due to their extreme dedication, organization, and commitment.  By routing nearly 17 million pieces of mail out of Birmingham, the Six Triple Eight increased the morale of soldiers by restoring their communication with their loved ones.

Hunt-Martin would proceed onto Rouen and Paris, France where the Six Triple Eight would continue to direct backlogged mail to soldiers in the battlefields.  In November 1945 Hunt-Matin returned to the United States and was Honorably discharged.  In March of 1946 the Six Triple Eight was disbanded

Indiana Hunt-Martin would go on to work for the New York State Department of Labor until her retirement 1987.  She would frequent the Central Park Post Office in Buffalo weekly to buy stamps, mail letters and maintain her presence in the community.  Hunt Martin passed away on September 21, 2020, at the age of 98.

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