We Are So Close: Help Award a Congressional Gold Medal for the WWI Hello Girls

We Are So Close: Help Award a Congressional Gold Medal for the WWI Hello Girls

Author: Mike Cunha October 11, 2024 Duration: 1:01:39

Following up on a podcast discussion we had last year to help the push to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the US Army's Hello Girls of WW1, we have good news:

 

We are so close to reaching the numbers we need!

 

The Hello Girls of the WW1 US Army have never been officially recognized for the groundbreaking service they provided as America's first women soldiers. In this call to action, an incredible group of people come back on to talk about why the Hello Girls should receive the Congressional Gold Medal. 

 

Joining us are:

 

Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, representing Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, and the  original sponsor, H.R. 1572 Hello Girls Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2023:

(https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1572/text)

 

Dan Dayton, Former Executive Director, U.S. World War I Centennial Commission

 

Catherine Bourgin, granddaughter of Hello Girl Marie Edmee LeRoux 

 

Carolyn Timbie, granddaughter of Hello Girls Chief Operator Grace Banker

 

Chris Christopher, Captain, USN (Ret.), US WW1 Centennial Commission

 

Diane Boettcher, Captain, USN (Ret.), genealogical researcher 



Support a Congressional Gold Medal for the WWI Hello Girls! Instructions are here:

 

https://ww1cc.org/hellogirls

 

US listeners, email or call your Congressional Representatives today!



The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast

 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

 


Hosted by Mike Cunha, Battles of the First World War Podcast is a dedicated exploration of the Great War’s defining confrontations. Each episode focuses on a single battle, moving beyond dates and maps to examine the intricate decisions, tactical realities, and human experiences that shaped these events. Cunha’s approach is to unpack the how and why, piecing together the sequence of command choices, logistical challenges, and frontline conditions that led to each clash’s outcome. Within this framework, the podcast gives voice to the individuals-soldiers, nurses, officers, and civilians-whose personal stories are woven into the larger narrative of this titanic twentieth-century struggle. Listening feels less like a lecture and more like a detailed, respectful reconstruction, where the scale of history is measured in both grand strategy and individual courage. For anyone seeking to understand the First World War beyond the textbook summaries, this series offers a thorough and compelling audio journey into the battles that changed the world.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Battles of the First World War Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Mount Kemmel - What It Means to Take a Trench [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:12
A firsthand look at what it meant to attack and take an enemy position during WW1. Many thanks to Alex Lyons for the inspiration for this episode. Thanks, man! Link to Henri Desagneaux's memoir: https://www.goodreads.com…
The AEF 2nd Division in WW1: A Discussion with Steven Girard [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:24:04
Steven Girard, US Army veteran and veteran battlefield guide, comes back on the podcast to discuss the American Expeditionary Force's 2nd Division during the First World War. Note: The 2nd Division was organized at Bourm…
Arras - The Raid at Blangy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:17
The story behind a famous photograph from the First World War of the men of 10th (Service) Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in the Arras sector in 1917. Chris Baker's article: https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/10th-…
The Great War Group with Alex Churchill & Beth Moore [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:50
This episode we are joined by the powerhouse team of Alex Churchill & Beth Moore to talk about the Great War Group that they created and run with their crack team. What a great conversation. Join the Great War Group! htt…
The French Army in the First World War, a Discussion: Pt 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:36:45
Part 2 of the ongoing discussion looks at misconceptions about the French Army, and French personalities of the war we should know about but, for reasons, do not. We wrap up with some advice on visiting the French battle…
Meuse Argonne - Liggett Takes Charge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:01
LTG Hunter Liggett took command of the American Expeditionary Force's 1st Army in October of 1918. He had his work cut out for him–1st Army desperately needed reorganizing, refitting, and retraining. Robert J. Laplander…
The French Army in the First World War, a Discussion: Pt 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:24:11
This was so much fun to host–with the help of Alex Lyons, a fantastic group of WW1 enthusiasts were gathered for what will be the first of a multi-part series of discussions of the French Army and the French experience d…