The Franklin Cantonment

The Franklin Cantonment. Fort George G. Meade. In the summer of 1918 the Franklin Cantonment, a Signal Corps Camp of Instruction, opened within 1 mile of the original Camp Meade. This 400-acre camp housed 11,000 men and women (19 battalions) in 599 structures. The Franklin Cantonment had its own drill hall, theater, and YWCA Hostess House, all within the area bordered by Ernie Pyle Street, Chamberlin Ave, Rock Ave and Mapes Road., The camp served as a training site for Signal Corps telephone operators, women knows as the "Hello Girls." These were among the first women to serve as uniformed members of the Army, 24 years before the founding of the Women's Army Corps. Of 7,000 women who applied, only about 450 were selected. Minimal qualifications included being fluent in both English and French and being in excellent physical condition., Initial training for the operators was conducted by AT&T personnel. Once finished with the AT&T program, they reported to Camp Franklin for military training under the guidance of Signal Corps instructors. On March 6, 1918, 33 operators sailed for France, the first of 233 female operators who eventually served overseas. When the war ended, the War Department refused to consider the women eligible for veteran's benefits. In 1971 an act of Congress granted the "Hello Girls" formal recognition as veterans., This plaque erected in 1996 by the Fort Meade Museum.