WWI's 'Hello Girls' Waited 60 Years for Veteran Status

In 1918, six American women sat at telephone switchboards just behind the front lines of the Battle of St. Mihiel, connecting commanders and coordinating troop movements in military code. For six straight days, they handled 40,000 words daily, working around the clock to keep American forces connected during one of WWI's most crucial battles.

These women were the "Hello Girls," America's first female soldiers. When General John J. Pershing needed skilled telephone operators fluent in English and French, he placed newspaper ads across the country.

Over 10,000 women applied for the chance to serve. The Secret Service vetted and selected 233 women who would handle top secret military communications in France.

They wore Army uniforms, held military ranks, and underwent the same drill training as male soldiers. Starting at $50 per month, they shipped out to France in March 1918 and immediately proved their worth on the battlefield.

The women earned their nickname from the greetings exchanged between callers and operators, but their work was anything but casual. They translated urgent communications between American and French forces while routing critical intelligence to commanders in real time.

Chief Operator Grace Banker earned the Distinguished Service Medal for her service at the Battles of St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne. Renee Messelin became the first Black woman soldier to serve overseas for the U.S. military.

Yet Army regulations at the time recognized only male soldiers. Despite wearing uniforms and serving under fire, the Hello Girls were classified as "civilian contract employees" and denied veteran status when they returned home.

Why This Inspires

These women refused to accept being written out of history. For more than 60 years, they fought for the recognition they earned on those battlefield telephone lines.

In 1977, Congress finally passed the G.I. Improvement Bill, granting the Hello Girls honorable discharges and veteran status. Sadly, only 18 of the 233 women were still alive to receive the recognition they deserved.

Their decades-long fight wasn't just about benefits. It was about honoring the truth of their service and ensuring future generations of women in uniform would never face the same erasure.

Today, women serve in every role across the U.S. military, from fighter pilots to combat medics to four-star generals, standing on the foundation those 233 telephone operators built over a century ago.