THE HELLO GIRLS by Sunny Frazier
THE HELLO GIRLS
Stories of veterans who
served their country during wars are treasured as first-hand accounts of
history.Yet, there are many stories that never get told. One of these is the
story of the Hello Girls of WWI.
In 1917, America entered the war in Europe. Communication was vital. Portable switchboards were designed but the men assigned only knew Morse Code.
General Pershing went
searching for trained female telephone operators who could speak fluent French.They had to be single and in their 20’s. He felt that they would be less
argumentative than their male counterparts, who had a habit of disconnecting
irate officers.
7,600 women responded. Although they weren’t allowed to join enlist in the Army, the women became part of the signal corps. They were expected to buy their own uniforms. They signed a 2-year contract and got paid $60 a month.
When the war ended, the women tried to collect veterans benefits and join the American Legion. They were told they were never really in the Army. Bell Telephone & Telegraph petitioned the War Department, to no avail. Sixty years later President Jimmy Carter signed a bill officially recognizing them. At that point, only 50 Hello Girls were left.
These books hit home for
me. In 1970 I worked as a Ma Bell operator in Los Angeles. There was a call for
young, single telephone operators to handle military switchboards in Vietnam. I
missed the deadline by two days. Instead, I joined the Navy.
(Thanks you Sunny for this great Vererans' Day Post.)
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