Letter: The Hello Girls need your help

Published 9:00 am Tuesday, September 3, 2024

In 1918, 223 bilingual female Signal Corps Telephone Operators deployed to France to serve as the first American women soldiers actively participating in combat operations during World War I.

Known as the Hello Girls, they were telephone operators who spoke flawless English and French, could fulfill their duties in high-stress situations, and pioneered the use of electronic voice communications to manage combat operations.

The Hello Girls connected an estimated 26 million calls during the war and were a significant factor in the Allies winning. Yet, when the war was over and they returned home, they were told they were “civilian contractors” instead of soldiers. They were denied military benefits, not allowed military burials, and forgotten by history instead of receiving the recognition they deserved.

The United States World War I Centennial Commission is asking for the help of Americans by contacting their senators and representatives and encouraging lawmakers to become cosponsors of bills S. 815 and HR 1572, respectively, and award the Congressional Gold Medal to the Hello Girls.

The commission has provided a convenient online toolkit at ww1cc.org/hellogirls making it simple to send emails to senators and representatives in just a few minutes.

It is far past time the Hello Girls receive the recognition they so richly deserve.

Shanna Hatfield

Milton-Freewater

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