Messagères de guerre

Perry filmed quickly, eager to show Mrs. Lena Derriecott Bell King, one of the last surviving members of the unit, the final cut of her story. Kerry Washington marveled at Perry's "efficiency" and brisk pace: " 'Well-oiled machine' doesn't even begin to describe it," she says, smiling at the memory. Like the women of the Six Triple Eight, Perry completed his mission, and he traveled to see King at her Las Vegas home before she died on Jan. 18, 2024, at age 100. He showed her the film on his iPad. "We sat and watched, and she was saluting the iPad and right back in the moment," recalls Perry. "After, she cried and said, 'Thank you for letting the world know that Black women contributed.' "

The bloody letter is still bright red: it would have oxidized by then and been rusty or dark brown.