The "Hello Girls" were 233 bilingual women recruited by General John J. Pershing to operate telephone switchboards for the American Expeditionary Forces in France during World War I. Deployed in March 1918, they wore uniforms, held ranks, and handled vital coded communications—sometimes processing tens of thousands of words per day. Although classified as civilian contract employees after the war, they won veteran status with the 1977 G.I. Improvement Bill. Notable figures include Grace Banker, recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal, and Renee Messelin, honored in 2026.
America’s "Hello Girls": The First Female Soldiers of World War I
The "Hello Girls" served in France during WWI.
World War I officially began on July 28, 1914, after the assassination of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, but the United States did not enter the conflict until April 6, 1917. As U.S. forces mobilized in Europe, the Army needed skilled telephone switchboard operators who could manage fast-moving, sensitive communications in French and English.
Who Were the "Hello Girls"?
General John J. Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Forces, recruited bilingual women to serve in the Army Signal Corps as switchboard operators. More than 10,000 women applied; according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 233 were selected and sent to France in March 1918. Candidates were vetted because many would handle classified and highly confidential messages.
Service, Duties, and Conditions
Pay began at about $50 a month, and the women were trained both as telecommunications specialists and in basic military drill. They wore uniforms, were assigned ranks, were subject to inspections, and performed frontline communications work—routing messages in military code to coordinate troop movements and supplies. In some units they handled extraordinarily heavy workloads: a Stars & Stripes account from October 4, 1918, described one team's role during the St. Mihiel offensive:
"Six women operators of the Signal Corps—six American girls who jumped at the chance to be there—were in at the start of the St. Mihiel push of September 12, at the headquarters of the First American Army. During the six days that followed the 12th's initial heave, they kept on their jobs, handling an average of 40,000 words a day over the eight lines they operated, and working any hours that were asked of them, day or night."
Recognition and Legacy
Despite their uniforms and frontline duties, Army regulations at the time recognized only male soldiers; the Hello Girls were classified as "civilian contract employees" and were denied veteran benefits and discharge papers after the war. They campaigned for recognition for decades, and the effort culminated in the 1977 G.I. Improvement Bill, which granted them honorable discharges and veteran status. By then, only 18 of the original members were still living, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Individual members have received later honors. Chief Operator Grace Banker was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for her leadership during the Battles of St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne. In July 2026, Renee Messelin was honored at a ceremony at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, Illinois; she is recognized as one of the first Black American women to serve overseas in the U.S. military during World War I.
The "Hello Girls" are remembered today for their technical skill, courage under pressure, and their long fight to be recognized as soldiers who served their country on the front lines of modern communications warfare.
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