The Six Triple Eight may be inspired by Lena Derriecott King’s real-life wartime experiences, but the Netflix drama has taken certain liberties in telling it.

Released on December 20th and directed by Tyler Perry. The Six Triple Eight follows young Lena Derriecott King (Ebony Obsidian), a member of the only all-black, all-female battalion sent overseas to address a major World War II problem, an impossible backlog of undelivered letters.

What The Six Triple Eight is doing right and what Netflix is ​​doing wrong

While The Six Triple Eight highlights the unsung story of Corporal Lena Derriecott King and her fellow soldiers of the 6888th Battalion, Women’s Army Corps (WAC). Tyler Perry has made some changes to her personal and military history.

The film begins with Lena, in high school during World War II, becoming romantically involved with Abram David, a Jewish boy who emigrates but promises to write.

However, Abram’s letters never reached her and he was killed on his first mission, leaving Lena devastated but now on her way to join the fight herself.

According to Kevin M. Hymel (via Warfare History Network), whose writings inspired the Netflix film, the real Lena Derriecott was actually friends with a Jewish boy named Abram who died on his first mission. Although his death inspired her to join, she was already working at a local hospital and was politically active.

To condense their story into a 129-minute film and highlight the storied battalion’s experiences and struggles, Tyler Perry is making some changes for the future (check out the Tyler Perry Netflix drama coming back here).

For example, e.g The Six Triple EightLena’s basic training takes place at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, rather than Fort Des Moines, Iowa, and there she trains under the command of Major Charity Adams, played by Kerry Washington.

Adams was the first African American to achieve the rank of officer, and his character is almost as central to the film as Lena.

In reality, Lena only met Major Adams after she was deployed to Europe after working as a nurse in Arizona. Furthermore, the 6888th’s work in the dark, rat-infested warehouses was not limited to England. They were later sent to post-Nazi occupied France to do the same work amid the rubble and devastation.

Tyler Perry is also making significant changes to Lena Derriecott’s personal life, especially when it comes to her husband.

While the Netflix film shows her meeting Private Hugh Bell, her future husband, who takes an immediate interest in her. In real life, Hugh was actually a drill sergeant, and the two married before Lena was deployed overseas. However, in The Six Triple EightShe is still heartbroken over the death of Abram and barely knows Hugh when she is first sent to Scotland.

Lena is also portrayed as quiet, withdrawn, and a bit of a wallflower who struggles with training early on. It is only when she breaks down over the loss of Abram that the unit and Major Adams fully become aware of her and the value of their mission.

While some of these details may be based on certain truths and aspects, Lena and her husband were well acquainted locally prior to her deployment, and she was only selected to travel abroad after a rigorous and highly competitive selection process, followed by intensive training .

How the true story of Lena Derriecott Bell ended

After Lena finally receives her lost letter from Abram and mourns at his grave, The Six Triple Eight ends when the leftover mail is finally delivered to US soldiers and their families at home.

As the value of their work is realized and the squad’s morale improves, Lena, Major Adams and the rest of the unit finally receive the recognition they deserve.

The real Lena Derriecott King also appears before the credits, which were filmed before her death in January 2024 and features a letter reflecting on her experiences.

Here she discovers that she and her comrades were treated better in Europe than in the United States and that their service in World War II was overlooked. However, she goes on to explain how that has changed.

In addition to The Six Triple Eightthe 6888th has received awards in recent years, including the Meritorious Unit Commendation in February 2019, the Army’s only award for exemplary performance. Also, in 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Six Triple Eight US Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2021, which went into effect.

Since mail was the only means of personal communication during World War II, the story of the 6888th and Lena Derriecott King is compelling and deserves to be told, and made all the more powerful because they are the only all-black, all-female Soldiers sent abroad.

But while tweaks and changes are to be expected with any adaptation, it’s important to note that Lena Derriecott King’s story on screen differs from the one that played out in real life.

Adjustments have been made to her story and that of the 6888th to convey the value of her mission and emphasize certain points. But hopefully Tyler Perry’s historical drama will inspire audiences to learn more about this true story and the lives of the real women.

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The Six Triple Eight is now streaming on Netflix.