In 1918, the U.S. Army Signal Corps sent 223 women to France to help the American communications effort during World War I. Known as “Hello Girls,” the women wore uniforms, swore the Army oath and worked complex switchboards that connected the front lines with the military command. Some worked within range of mortar fire. But despite their service, the women spent 60 years fighting for veteran status. Historian Elizabeth Cobbs joins us to tell their story, and how it was linked with the suffrage movement at the time.
Guests:
Elizabeth Cobbs, chair in American History, Texas A&M University; author, “The Hello Girls: America’s First Women Soldiers”