In 1918, the U.S. Army Signal Corps sent 223 women to France as telephone operators to help win the Great War. They wore Army uniforms and swore Army oaths. They were intrepid, united in a common cause. Like Joan of Arc before them, they wanted to save France. By war’s end, these women, known affectionately as the Hello Girls, had connected over 26 million calls.

They served during the occupation of Germany and the Paris Peace Conference. The last of the Hello Girls returned home in 1920, only to be told they were never soldiers after all. For 60 years, they fought the US government for recognition. In 1977, they won. Only 33 were still alive.

Told through 100-year old letters, photos, rare archival footage, the only known audio of a real Hello Girl, and interviews with family and historians, the “Hello Girls” brings to life a story that was stuck in the nooks and crannies of American history.

In 2018, US Senators Jon Tester from Montana and Dean Heller from Nevada introduced legislation to award the women the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor.