From left, our administrator Judy Kane, and two staffers from Congressman Seth Moulton’s office Jean Fana and Danielle Leahy, and Director of Community Relations Laurie Fullerton
The Brookhouse Home hosted two representatives from Congressman Seth Moultion’s office – Danielle Leahy and Jean Fana on Wed., April 17 to view a documentary called ‘The Hello Girls’ which tells the story of WWI female telephone operators deployed to France.
Presenter Carolyn Timbie, the granddaughter of Grace Banker, who led the division known as ‘The Hello Girls,’ visited the residents of the all-female Brookhouse Home to tell their story. The Hello Girls were trained operators who joined the U.S. Army Signal Corps, went to the front lines of France and ultimately connected 26 million crucial phone calls over the course of WWI. Their skills and dedication proved to be a critical factor in winning the war. And then, these first WWI female soldiers were forgotten.
Director James William Theres, an award-winning public affairs officer and speechwriter at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington D.C., was inspired to make the film in part because until WWI, telephones were not used as a critical form of communication in wartime. These American women answered the urgent call for skilled telephone operators without hesitation. Yet, it took over 60 years for them to be recognized as having served in the military.
Carolyn Timbie is the grandaughter of Grace Banker
“These women were leaders, they’re inspirational and anybody who finds out about this story is immediately like – how can I not know this?” said Timbie. Banker was awarded the distinguished service medal for her work. But not everyone got recognized for their service. After the war, they were denied veteran status for 60 years. It changed in 1979 – when only a handful were still alive.
Carolyn did not know her grandmother and then did not learn about her incredible bravery until later in her own life. When she finally read her journals, she came to understand how difficult and dangerous the work was. “My grandmother’s journals would say, “I only had two hours of sleep in the last 48 hours.” They worked very hard. They lived in these very old, leaky barracks. And the conditions were just not so great, but she talked about the thrill of being there and working with the officers, working closely with other the women. And they had such intense, hard work.
“The impact they had on American military history and American social, political and cultural history is virtually unparalleled,” said Theres in a recent article.
Despite that long journey, their hard work helped pave the way to the 19th amendment – the women’s right to vote. Today their descendants are urging Congress to award ‘The Hello Girls’ a belated Congressional Gold Medal for their service. Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA) is one of 97 US House of Representative members who supports Bill H.R.1572 – whose goal is to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the female telephone operators of the Army Signal Corps, known as the “Hello Girls.”
“My grandmother was a trailblazer and all the women, because they got this job done, proved themselves,” said Timbie.
The Brookhouse Home is grateful that Congressman Seth Moulton’s staffers joined us for the presentation and will be taking this cause back to Washington, D.C.
