Who were the "Hello Girls" of WWI?

In World War I, over 230 bilingual civilian telephone operators organized and trained by AT&T took the same oath of allegiance as male soldiers. They were dubbed the "Hello Girls"; they maintained communications in 75 French localities, sometimes working under combat conditions. They were part of the United States Army Signal Corps.

From the outset of World War I, long before American troops arrived in France, the women from America were in the many countries in Europe volunteering with civilian organizations to provide nursing, transportation, communication services, and other war relief activities. Women at the time aligned themselves with humanitarian organizations such as the American Red Cross, YMCA, Salvation Army. and others to meet wartime needs.

The "Hello Girls" of World War I helped to mark a new era in the U.S. women's movement. They moved from their home front into the public sphere of the world.