The “Hello Girls”: America’s Unsung Heroines of World War I

By Bob von Bargen, Colonel USAF Retired

When the United States entered World War I in 1917, its military forces joined a complex battlefield already dominated by the British and French. As the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF), led by General John J. Pershing, arrived in France, they quickly encountered a critical challenge: language barriers and poor communication systems were severely hindering coordination with Allied forces.

To solve this, the Army needed skilled, bilingual telephone operators—women who could speak fluent French and English and handle the pressure of warfront communications. The call went out, and more than 7,000 women answered.

Only 223 were selected.

 

Who Were the Hello Girls?

These pioneering women were smart, independent, and resilient. They were all single, fluent in French, and well educated. The average age was just 26. After a rigorous selection process, the women trained at the Signal Corps facility in Camp Franklin, Maryland, where they mastered the techniques of military switchboard operations.

Their leader was Grace Banker, a poised and capable twenty-six-year-old woman who had been a telephone operator at AT&T. As the Chief Operator, she would guide this select corps of women across the Atlantic and into history.

 

Wiring the War: Women on the Front Lines of Communication

By the summer of 1918, the Hello Girls had established telephone exchanges in Paris and more than 70 French cities, as well as key British command locations in London, Southampton, and Winchester. They were instrumental in transforming Allied communication capacity, tripling the number of daily military calls as more operators arrived and new exchanges went live.

Their importance only grew during the brutal Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the largest and deadliest campaign for U.S. forces during the war. A dedicated team of operators accompanied General Pershing to the forward command post in Souilly, France, near the Verdun battlefield. There, they worked tirelessly, maintaining 24-hour communications under fire, often operating out of an unheated shed just miles from the front.

Despite the dangers, they never faltered. These women were not only technical experts—they were warriors in their own right.

 

Recognition Denied, Then Restored

When the Armistice was signed in November 1918, 30 of the Hello Girls received formal commendations for their service. Chief Operator Grace Banker was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, one of the Army’s highest honors.

However, when the war ended and the women returned home, they were shocked to learn they were not considered veterans. Though they had worn Army uniforms, followed Army orders, and even operated under fire, the War Department classified them as civilian contractors, not official members of the military.

This injustice stood for decades.

It wasn’t until 1977—almost 60 years later—that Congress passed legislation recognizing the Hello Girls as veterans. The 18 surviving women finally received their honorable discharges and were granted the benefits they had long deserved.

 

Legacy of the Hello Girls

The Hello Girls of World War I were trailblazers. They proved that women could serve with skill, courage, and loyalty in military roles previously reserved for men. They laid the groundwork for greater inclusion of women in the U.S. Armed Forces and inspired generations to come.

Their story is one of dedication, sacrifice, and resilience—and a reminder that true service doesn’t always come with immediate recognition. But in the end, their voices were heard, just as they ensured so many others were heard during the war.