Willie Belle Irvin was born June 16, 1923 in Colquitt County, GA. She enlisted in the U S Army in 1944 and served in the U. S. Army 6888th Central Post Directory Battalion. The Battalion, stationed in France, helped connect soldiers on the front lines with their families back home by forwarding thousands of pieces of back-logged mail to soldiers and to their families back in the States. In 2025, the ladies of the 6888th were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for their outstanding service. Written and directed by Tyler Perry, the movie “Six Triple Eight” aired in December, 2024 telling the inspiring true story of the incredible and brave women of that Women’s Army Corps unit. In March, 2024, Partridge was added to the NSDAR database of Outstanding Women in American History by the John Benning Chapter.

After leaving the service, Belle settled in Atlanta, married John Alvin Partridge, a WWII veteran, and raised their children, never sharing her history-making stories with her family. Her daughter Brenda, fierce advocate for the telling of the 6888th Battalion’s outstanding contributions to history, has made a personal commitment to tell and preserve the Battalion’s story.

After extensive research of military records and interviews with Belle’s family members, Partridge-Brown crafted her touching book, beginning with the birth of her mother into a Southern rural farming family. The book, a loving tribute to her mother’s extraordinary life, from her humble beginnings, is filled with Battalion stories, and intimate stories of family life and the struggles of people of color in early 20th Century America.