Journey through History to review “Switchboard Soldiers” DB109619 led by David Faucheux 04/04/2023

On April 4, David Faucheux will present his historic fiction, Switchboard Soldiers, a novel, by Jennifer Chiaverini (DB109619) NLS ANOTATION: In June 1917, General John Pershing arrived in France to establish American Forces in Europe. He immediately found himself unable to communicate with troops in the field. Pershing needed operators who could swiftly and accurately connect multiple calls and speak fluent French and English, remain steady under fire and be utterly discreet since the calls often conveyed classified information. At the time, nearly all well-trained American operators were women. But women were not permitted to enlist or even to vote in those days. Nevertheless, the US Army Signal Corp promptly began recruiting them. More than seven thousand six hundred responded. Their story has never been the focus of a novel until now. For those interested in a nonfiction account of this unique aspect of World War I, you may also wish to check out The Hello Girls: America’s first women soldiers DBC06268.