“Every
Girl Pulling for Victory”
During The Great War the U.S.
military recruited women as translators, telephone operators, drivers, and
cryptologists. In all approximately 30,000 American women served their country
during The Great War. Women served in the Army and Navy Nurse Corps and also
served in the Navy as Yeoman. Many women served as well in the Marines, and
Coast Guard. America’s women were being recruited
into the conflict so, as one poster phrased it, there would be “every girl
pulling for victory."
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First
World War Poster
Image
used claiming Fair Use: National Women’s History Museum.
http://tinyurl.com/n6w58f9 |
“Hello
Girls”
Advancements in
communications technology led to the introduction of state-of-the art radio,
telephone, and telegraph networks. These advancements allowed commanders serving on the front lines, first
time in the history, the ability to communicate directly with the General
command in the rear. Who managed these networks? In short answer, it was the Army
Signal Corps. But how does this relate to Women? That’s a good question. Here’s
the answer… The Army Signal Corps
at this time actively recruited women to train as bilingual telephone
switchboard operators, destined for overseas duty. These ladies were known as the
“Hello Girls" | ||
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American women serving in France
as phone operators.
Image used claiming Fair Use: U.S. Army.
http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/Wac/ch01.htm |
The Signal Corps Female Telephone
Operators Unit 25, better known as “Hello Girls” comprised of over four
hundred women telephone operators, in service overseas in France and England. Potential “Hello Girls,” were recruited from
the commercial telephone companies, then trained in basic military
radio procedures at Camp Franklin in Maryland. In all some 7,000 women applied to train with the Army Signal Corps, however
only 450 were selected. These ladies once
finished with training found themselves operating telephone exchanges for the American
Expeditionary Forces in locations such as Paris, Chaumont, and seventy-five
other cities and towns throughout France. Others operated exchanges in such
places London, Southampton, and Winchester, England. The “Hello Girls”
relayed information such as troop movements, and locations for collecting
supplies as well as acting as interpreters between America and French units.The importance of these “Hello Girls” cannot be
downplayed, as the U.S. Army contained few French-speaking operators, these
women no doubt made inter-Allied communications proceed much more smoothly. Clearly
the successful implication of these brave American ladies as agents of multi-lingual
communications networks, and their successful use of these new technologies,
enabled Allied forces to more rapidly and efficiently spread information necessary
to the missions at hand.
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Members
of the Signal Corps. Chaumont, France (1918-1919)
Image
used Claiming Fair Use: jungsoul.com
http://jungsoul.com/Hello-Girls.html |
“Hello
Girls,” though having been sworn into military service and having to follow all
Army regulations including
the requirement to wear regulation uniforms, were denied veterans status. “Hello Girls” retained their civilian status
and were only considered civilian employees. It was not until 1978, when
President Jimmy Carter signed a bill finally awarding the operator’s
veteran’s status.
