More than a century ago, there was no Amnesty International or advanced technology to rely on it in wireless communications: human operators had to do so. In the case of World War I, these were Hello Girls – a group of phone operators that were working as part of the US Army signal. They were recruited before AT & T played an important role in maintaining the military communications of the American improvement forces in France. The story is widely known, which made it more important when they were recently honored with the gold medal in Congress.

The recruitment and training process for Hello girls was strict. Gelin in both English and French allowed them to fill calls efficiently between American and French forces, which greatly improves communication in the battlefield.

AT & TArchives reveal that only the most skilled candidates were chosen from six training centers throughout the United States. The standards were high, as many applicants failed to qualify. This ensures that those chosen are fully prepared to deal with the upcoming difficult task.

Hello Girls near the front in France during World War I Credit Image – AT & T

Once she arrived in France, the efficiency of Hello Girls became immediately clear. While some members of the army signal corps took a minute to deliver calls, skilled operators can complete the task in only 10 seconds. From realizing their experience, General John Pershing and Colonel Parker Heet confirmed the most important moments of the war.

One of these cases was during the Battle of Saint Mihil, where six operators worked on 24 -hour continuous seizures to keep the connection lines open.

Before Hello Girls joined the war effort, the American forces were unable to manage only 13,000 calls a day. Their presence has increased significantly from this number to 36,000 calls per day. By the end of the war, it has facilitated more than 25 million local calls and about 900,000 long calls through the American system, ensuring the communication that has proven necessary for military operations.

Despite their service, the American army considered them civilians after the war, and depriving them of the veteran situation and benefits. It took more than half a century to receive the confession they deserve. When they were finally granted the veteran situation, only 18 of the indigenous operators were still alive. Now, their contributions were officially recognized with the Gold medal in Congress as part of the 2025 National Defense Licensing Law.