Thread by @USArmyCMH

UNIT PROFILE – “HELLO GIRLS” OF WORLD WAR I

A shortage of experienced English-speaking switchboard operators during WWI opened the door to service for bilingual American women (dubbed “Hello Girls”) who wished to support the U.S. Army’s war effort.
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When the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) landed in France in 1917, GEN John J. Pershing found that the French women serving as switchboard operators spoke little English, making communication between U.S. headquarters almost impossible.

#WWI #WW1 #WW1History @USArmySMA

Bilingual American women filled the gap, joining the AEF as switchboard operators and run the command’s telephone networks. 223 of the approximately 7,000 applicants were selected and became known as the “Hello Girls.”

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Moved by the urgent needs they saw throughout the war zone, the women did more than run switchboards. They also went to hospitals and spoke to British, American, and French soldiers to offer encouragement and foster friendship.
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However, the work was hard and the conditions sometimes dangerous. In one heroic moment, Hello Girls kept the phone lines running through a fire in their building, earning them commendations and a Distinguished Service Medal for chief operator Grace Banker.
@ArmyChiefStaff

Although Pershing greatly admired their work, the U.S. government did not recognize them as Army members and thus denied them veterans’ benefits. In 1977, the GI Bill Improvement Act gave the Hello Girls full recognition, veterans’ benefits, and WWI Victory Medals.