US ARMY
WORLD WAR I
On November 8, 1917, General Pershing put out the word: American bilingual operators were needed to run the U.S. military telephones in Europe. Anne Campbell Atkinson of Emmett, Idaho, was one who qualified to serve but lacked the money. Her town held a benefit so that she could go serve. The women used both French and English on their calls; they were placing and disconnecting calls made by the military both to locations in France as well as the front lines.
As the military brass witnessed their level of expertise, they began using the women to take care of additional logistical calls concerning secretive movements of the troops and the supplies they needed. Some of the women were pulled into offices where telephone conversations were carried out in code.
And then the Hello Girls came home, requested their discharge papers and Victory Medals and learned that they were never actually Soldiers. Officials reasoned that because Army regulations specifically said Soldiers had to be male, it would have been impossible for women to serve in the Army.
--contributed by Findagrave member ET (#47514618)
WORLD WAR I
On November 8, 1917, General Pershing put out the word: American bilingual operators were needed to run the U.S. military telephones in Europe. Anne Campbell Atkinson of Emmett, Idaho, was one who qualified to serve but lacked the money. Her town held a benefit so that she could go serve. The women used both French and English on their calls; they were placing and disconnecting calls made by the military both to locations in France as well as the front lines.
As the military brass witnessed their level of expertise, they began using the women to take care of additional logistical calls concerning secretive movements of the troops and the supplies they needed. Some of the women were pulled into offices where telephone conversations were carried out in code.
And then the Hello Girls came home, requested their discharge papers and Victory Medals and learned that they were never actually Soldiers. Officials reasoned that because Army regulations specifically said Soldiers had to be male, it would have been impossible for women to serve in the Army.
--contributed by Findagrave member ET (#47514618)
US ARMY
WORLD WAR I
On November 8, 1917, General Pershing put out the word: American bilingual operators were needed to run the U.S. military telephones in Europe. Anne Campbell Atkinson of Emmett, Idaho, was one who qualified to serve but lacked the money. Her town held a benefit so that she could go serve. The women used both French and English on their calls; they were placing and disconnecting calls made by the military both to locations in France as well as the front lines.
As the military brass witnessed their level of expertise, they began using the women to take care of additional logistical calls concerning secretive movements of the troops and the supplies they needed. Some of the women were pulled into offices where telephone conversations were carried out in code.
And then the Hello Girls came home, requested their discharge papers and Victory Medals and learned that they were never actually Soldiers. Officials reasoned that because Army regulations specifically said Soldiers had to be male, it would have been impossible for women to serve in the Army.
--contributed by Findagrave member ET (#47514618)
WORLD WAR I
On November 8, 1917, General Pershing put out the word: American bilingual operators were needed to run the U.S. military telephones in Europe. Anne Campbell Atkinson of Emmett, Idaho, was one who qualified to serve but lacked the money. Her town held a benefit so that she could go serve. The women used both French and English on their calls; they were placing and disconnecting calls made by the military both to locations in France as well as the front lines.
As the military brass witnessed their level of expertise, they began using the women to take care of additional logistical calls concerning secretive movements of the troops and the supplies they needed. Some of the women were pulled into offices where telephone conversations were carried out in code.
And then the Hello Girls came home, requested their discharge papers and Victory Medals and learned that they were never actually Soldiers. Officials reasoned that because Army regulations specifically said Soldiers had to be male, it would have been impossible for women to serve in the Army.
--contributed by Findagrave member ET (#47514618)
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US ARMY
WORLD WAR I
