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for four years and conferred with the attorney for the reservists sent to Russia. In May 1977, the Senate
Committee on Veterans Affairs heard evidence from Hough, including statements from Egan and other surviving telephone operators. Hough pointed out the costs of the Russian Railway Service Corps
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Egan campaigned for
Congressional recognition of the Signal Corps telephone operators as military veterans for many years. Although multiple bills had been proposed in Congress, none had passed, with objections such as "too much time had passed", "the cost would be prohibitive", and that it would
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In 1972, Charlotte Gyss Terry, who had also been a telephone operator in France, contacted Egan with information about Army reserve officers who had been sent to Russia in World War I to keep the railways open, but on return in 1920 were told that they had been civilians. When their petitions to
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Egan was not among the first group of women to join the Female
Telephone Operators Unit because she was not fluent in French. By the summer of 1918, more American-built circuits had been added to locations in France, reducing reliance on French switchboards. When the Signal Corps relaxed the
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case, which the Army had lost on appeal, with the circuit court finding "Members of the Corps wore regulation Army officer' uniforms and insignia" and that "...the wearing of such uniforms and insignia by non-military personnel is prohibited by law."
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Congress were denied, the reserve officers filed a lawsuit, and a federal court ruled in their favor in March, 1971. Terry suggested to Egan that the telephone operators file a similar lawsuit. After Egan gave an interview to the
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Despite opposition by the Army, the
Veterans Administration, and even the American Legion, the campaign by Anderson, Hough, and others finally resulted in a bill passing and being signed into law by President
123:. In France, Egan trained groups of male soldiers to operate magneto switchboards before each group headed to the front. After hostilities ended, Egan operated the telephone exchange for the
108:" and formally known as the Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators Unit, were needed for telephone communications between military units. These switchboard operators were sworn into the
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in
November, 1977, officially recognizing the veterans' status of the Signal Corps telephone operators. Egan received her official discharge papers in a ceremony at
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in Denver. She then went to work at a public telephone system in
Montana, travelling from town to town to fix problems, and eventually became a traffic supervisor.
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136:"establish a precedent". Egan actively petitioned government leaders to support the legislative efforts. At age 79, she continued her involvement with the
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at
Versailles. She was awarded a special commendation for her work as a Signal Corps operator. Egan's request for discharge was granted in May, 1919.
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53:. She is credited for persisting in the effort to gain the Operators Unit veterans' status, which was eventually signed into law by President
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bilingual requirement for new women recruits, Egan enlisted and sailed to France with the fifth operators unit in August, 1918 on the
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who became an advocate for the cause. Her publicity efforts included interviews, speaking to schools, and petitions.
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Merle Egan was born in Kansas c.1888. After three years of high school, she started work in 1906 as a
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162:, attorney Mark Hough contacted her to offer his services. Egan also garnered support from the
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during the Korean War and died in April 1974 while stationed in the
Philippines.
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461:"World War I's Hello Girls: paving the way for women in the U.S. Army"
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529:"Merle Egan Anderson "The Spirit That Prompted Overseas Service""
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140:, serving as the finance chairperson. She corresponded with
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68:. After the war, she married Hal Anderson and moved to
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She worked as a long-distance telephone operator for
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487:"Hello girls set stage for women in the military"
485:Hanes, Senior Master Sgt. Jerry (March 2, 2007),
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42:during World War I. She is one of the first 447
476:American Women in World War I: They Also Served
441:The Hello Girls: America's First Women Soldiers
62:Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Company
513:"Merle Egan Anderson: Montana's "Hello Girl""
187:, Washington, on August 28, 1979, at age 91.
72:. She had one child, a son who served in the
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506:National Archives and Records Administration
148:, and Harold Say, the editor-in-chief of
549:, United States Army, November 20, 2013
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125:American Commission to Negotiate Peace
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104:operators in World War I, nicknamed "
34:1888, died 1984) was a member of the
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459:Collins, Elizabeth M. (March 2014),
216:Women's Overseas Service League 1986
498:Mattingly, Ashley (June 24, 2015),
131:Efforts for recognition as veterans
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493:(online), United States Air Force
501:The Hello Girls Finally Get Paid
584:Military personnel from Seattle
546:Signal Corps Regimental History
537:Women's Overseas Service League
480:. University Press of Colorado.
279:Montana Historical Society 2014
164:National Organization for Women
138:Women's Overseas Service League
40:Female Telephone Operators Unit
36:United States Army Signal Corps
467:(magazine), United States Army
170:. Hough investigated the case
168:American Civil Liberties Union
1:
491:Malmstrom Air Force Base news
197:American women in World War I
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444:. Harvard University Press.
579:People from Helena, Montana
521:Montana Historical Society
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438:Cobbs, Elizabeth (2017).
328:"Malmstrom Airforce Base"
517:Women's History Matters
472:Gavin, Lettie (1997).
267:Army Signal Corps 2013
110:U.S. Army Signal Corps
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20:Egan in uniform, 1918
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29:Smith Center, Kansas
535:, vol. 66–69,
523:, November 11, 2014
25:Merle Egan Anderson
539:, p. 59, 1986
424:, p. 286-301.
90:Brown Palace Hotel
27:(born Merle Egan,
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451:978-0-674-97147-9
334:on July 22, 2011.
317:, pp. 49–50.
151:Stars and Stripes
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181:Jimmy Carter
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146:Chet Huntley
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74:Marine Corps
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55:Jimmy Carter
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574:1984 deaths
564:Hello Girls
185:Fort Lawton
106:Hello Girls
102:switchboard
558:Categories
422:Cobbs 2017
405:Cobbs 2017
393:Cobbs 2017
381:Cobbs 2017
369:Cobbs 2017
357:Cobbs 2017
345:Cobbs 2017
315:Cobbs 2017
303:Cobbs 2017
291:Cobbs 2017
243:Hanes 2007
228:Cobbs 2017
203:References
80:Early life
120:Aquitania
118:RMS
57:in 1977.
51:U.S. Army
533:Carry On
519:(blog),
465:Soldiers
191:See also
172:pro bono
166:and the
47:veterans
432:Sources
88:at the
70:Seattle
49:of the
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44:female
446:ISBN
112:.
64:in
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412:^
235:^
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32:c.
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