Students Bring "Hello Girls" to Life

By Laura Levering

Article published on: May 15, 2026 in the Spring 2026 Edition of Army Communicator

Read Time: < 8 mins

Article, photos by Laura Levering

When the nation called, the “Hello Girls” answered in a way that nobody foresaw having such a profound impact. And after more than a century later, many are learning about them for the first time.

Students from Greenbrier High School (GHS) in Evans, Georgia, performed several renditions of “The Hello Girls” musical in recent months. Full-length performances occurred at the high school, while a special abridged version was performed at Fort Gordon, home of the U.S. Army Signal School. GHS theater and choir director, Elizabeth Haas, told the Fort Gordon audience that the students were honored to perform in front of Soldiers, Department of Army civilians, and retirees, adding that the musical has been “such an incredible blessing.”

Unsung Heroes

Recruited in 1917 and activated in 1918, the Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators Unit was formed during World War I, at the request of Gen. John J. Pershing, in response to a critical need for skilled telephone operators who could connect calls quickly. Thousands applied, but only 223 were selected to join what became the U.S. Army Signal Corps’ first female, bilingual (English and French) telephone operators to serve in a combat zone.

Dubbed the “Hello Girls,” these women connected an estimated 26 million calls between frontline trenches and headquarters near the frontlines in France during the war. Chosen for her high level of expertise and fluency in French, Grace Banker served as chief telephone operator, leading the first group of Hello Girls, which helped set high standards for the ground-breaking unit.

“Under Grace Banker’s leadership, the women sharpened their skills and demonstrate just how vital their work is,” Haas said as she narrated the students’ performance at Fort Gordon. “What looks like a simple switchboard becomes the lifeline of the Army.”

By the end of World War I, 223 Hello Girls had served in France, “connecting thousands of urgent calls that helped coordinate American forces,” Haas said. “Yet when they returned home, they were denied veteran status and recognition for decades.”

Preserving Legacy

Despite having served honorably, the Hello Girls did not receive formal recognition until decades later, after Congress passed the GI Bill Improvement Act of 1977, signed by President Jimmy Carter. This legislation granted the Hello Girls veteran status, providing them with veterans’ benefits – something they had not received prior. By that time, only 18 of the original World War I Hello Girls were still alive; sadly, Banker was not one of them. She died in 1960, but her legacy remains – and in some ways, is growing.

More than one century post-World War I, stories of the Hello Girls are still coming to light – both through performances like the one put on by GHS and by others held across the nation.

The 43rd Chief of Signal and U.S. Army Signal School Commandant, Col. Julia Donley, attended several high school performances, as well as one in Sonoma, California. She has also honored several of the Hello Girls by visiting their gravesites and meeting with some of their descendants.

“The musical is a remarkable telling of this powerful story,” Donley said. “We stand on the shoulders of giants and should take the time to honor their sacrifices and learn from their hard-learned lessons.”

Donley has made it a part of her personal mission to help share the Hello Girls’ stories, emphasizing that many are still unaware of their role in U.S. history. Until recently, Renee Ginn was one of those who did not know about the Hello Girls. Ginn’s husband and father are both retired signal officers, yet she had not heard of the Hello Girls until her daughter joined the GHS cast as one of the Hello Girls. From that point on, Ginn became deeply involved with the musical, serving in multiple capacities as a parent-volunteer, even connecting the cast to one of the Hello Girls’ descendants.

“Like so many others, I didn’t know this story before we began working on the show,” Ginn said. “The deeper I got into it, the more invested I’ve become in making sure these women are recognized.”

Ginn’s involvement helped connect her with the granddaughter of Banker, who Ginn said took time speak with the cast, which left quite an impression on them.

“Right before we performed for ‘One Act,’ Grace Banker’s granddaughter called and wished the kids good luck, and then we set up a call with all of the descendants, and we had a two-hour call with the kids where the kids got to ask questions,” Haas said. “The feeling of excitement from the kids was powerful.”

“Through those connections, we’ve … worked to connect organizations that can help recognize these women properly,” Ginn added. “Just like the original Hello Girls made critical ‘connections’ during the war, we’re hoping to make meaningful connections now — so that their legacy finally receives the recognition it deserves.”

Student Impact

Learning about the Hello Girls through studying and taking on individual roles has made a lasting impact on student-cast members. Following Fort Gordon’s performance, cast members introduced themselves then shared with the audience what they learned through the process of the Hello Girls production.

Their responses:

“Something I’ve learned is definitely more about the impact of the Hello Girls. I never knew of them before this show, and I think it really shows how overshadowed they were in history.” (Luke Romagnoli)

“One thing I learned is what it takes to play a character that actually exists in real life. It takes a lot of research to really play them.” (Lily Romagnoli)

“Something I learned is that you can break any barrier, you can go beyond any distance no matter who are you are, what you are, where you are.” (Nathan Campbell)

“One thing I learned is what it takes to play a character that actually exists in real life. It takes a lot of research to really play them.” (Lily Romagnoli)

“One thing I’ve learned is how the Hello Girls back then pushed all women forward … so many people having roles today, that’s really inspiring to me to put myself forward and be bigger and be what I want to be.” (Emma Ginn)

“I also learned about the Hello Girls doing this show, and it just inspires me to keep fighting for what I believe in. these women worked so hard and their descendants are still working hard and that shows me that I truly can accomplish whatever I put my mind to, especially with the support of my friends and my team, my teachers.” (Sutton Van Lenten)

“Something I learned is that one of the first black women to work in the Army was actually a part of the Hello Girls because she had light enough skin to pass off as being white, but just learning that … is like, ‘wow.’” (Laila Diaz)

“One thing I learned is that you can’t always sit around and wait for change. You have to make it come to you, because these girls – they could’ve sat – but they made the change.” (Hope Burcaw)

“I learned really how important it is to tell stories that are not usually told because you can learn so many things from them.” (Aiden Rolle)

“I guess it just surprised me how many people are in the military who have never heard of the Hello Girls … that it just goes to show how much we don’t know about them.” (Jake Wetherell)

“I’ve never really understood the importance of our people who serve us – and our military service. They do so much for us … and a lot of us were struggling to get through scenes of war and battle because we’ve never experienced anything that dramatic, and so I got to really try and attempt to put my feet in their shoes, and I just learned about the importance of the commitment to serve.” (Carson Hall)

Why Hello Girls?

Fairly new to the school, Haas was looking for shows with smaller casts because she didn’t know how many students would have. Someone on a social media page for theatre teachers recommended she do “Hello Girls,” prompting Haas to research it. After listening to the production’s music, she was sold.

“I thought, ‘Oh my gosh – the kids will love this music,’ because even though it’s set in World War I, the music is very modern … and I thought, ‘They’ll really love the modern music, but I really love the story that it has to tell,’” she said.

Haas announced the selection at the end of previous school year’s awards ceremony, at which time she made a surprise connection. One of the student’s parents, Ivan Zasimczuk, works at Fort Gordon and has an extensive background in Signal Corps history. Zasimczuk invited Haas and cast to Fort Gordon where they got a glimpse into some of the Hello Girls’ lives.

“I read through our portion of what we had on the Hello Girls and also spent a few days reading the book, The Hello Girls,” Zasimczuk said. “I allowed the documents to tell the story of these courageous women, and everyone involved made a connection with these people on a new level based on their letters, and diaries.”

From that point, everything began to fall into place.

“Getting to see the kids learn about the history and watch them just devour all of that information and take it and get more and more excited about the show – it’s just been an incredible experience,” Haas said. “Their courage paved the way for generations of women who followed.”