BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Doughboy Foundation - ECPv6.16.5.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Doughboy Foundation X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://doughboy.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Doughboy Foundation REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20270314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20271107T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260716T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260716T150000 DTSTAMP:20260707T143821Z CREATED:20260707T143005Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260707T143821Z UID:10001928-1784210400-1784214000@doughboy.org SUMMARY:Gravesite Ceremony for Renee Messelin\, U.S. Army WWI Hello Girl DESCRIPTION:On Thursday\, July 16\, 2026\, friends and supporters of Renee Messelin will gather at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood\, IL.   Renee has an “In Memory Of” marker at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery. She was a remarkable woman\, soldier\, leader\, and after the war\, a stage\, screen\, and radio actress. Renee served as a supervisor in the first unit of the US Army Signal Corps Telephone Operators (Hello Girls) that sailed overseas on March 6\, 1918.\n \n \nRSVP to this Event\n\n \n NameThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.Your Name(Required)\n \n \n \n First\n \n \n \n \n Last\n \n \n Your Email(Required)\n \n Who's Attending?(Required)-- Select --Just meMe + one guestMe + two guestsMe + three guestsMe + four guestsMe + five guestsGuest #1 Name(Required)\n \n \n \n First\n \n \n \n \n Last\n \n \n Guest #1 Email(Required)\n \n Guest #2 Name(Required)\n \n \n \n First\n \n \n \n \n Last\n \n \n Guest #2 Email(Required)\n \n Guest #3 Name(Required)\n \n \n \n First\n \n \n \n \n Last\n \n \n Guest #3 Email(Required)\n \n Guest #4 Name(Required)\n \n \n \n First\n \n \n \n \n Last\n \n \n Guest #4 Email(Required)\n \n Guest #5 Name(Required)\n \n \n \n First\n \n \n \n \n Last\n \n \n Guest #5 Email(Required)\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \nThe Hello Girls\n \nThe Hello Girls were sworn into the U.S. Army Signal Corps as telephone switchboard operators in World War I playing a vital role in the ending of the war. This group of 223 women were the first female soldiers in the U.S. and served with valor operating the telephone systems for the U.S. Army. General John Pershing remarked that their service helped shorten the war by a year. \nWhen these brave women returned home\, they were told they had not served in the Army\, despite wearing uniforms\, taking Army oaths\, and previously being told\, “You’re in the Army now.” \nThe Hello Girls fought for more than 60 years to get their veterans status\, with more than 50 bills being introduced into Congress that did not pass. Finally\, in 1977\, bipartisan legislation passed and was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter. However\, most of the Hello Girls did not live to see the day of this victory; and those who did weren’t given veteran benefits or back paychecks. \n\nRenee Messelin\nTwo years ago\, M-HARP researcher Diane Boettcher discovered that an African American woman served as a Signal Corps Telephone Operator. Renee Messelin – born Ellarane Caldwell – turned out to be the only daughter of a prominent African American couple in Chicago. (See Diane’s original article here.)  This year\, after further research by Diane and many other members and friends of M-HARP\, a more complete picture of Messelin’s life has emerged. Read more about this amazing woman who served her nation in disguise\, and the appropriate recognition and honors being planned for her in Chicago in July. \nSupervisor Renee Messelin\, US Army Hello Girl. \n\n\nHello Girl Renee Messelin to be honored in Chicago July 16 \n\n\n\n\nRenee Messelin: Out of the Shadows After a Century \n\n\n\n\nAmerica’s Forgotten Veterans: The Hello Girls of World War I Are Still Being Left Behind \n\n\n\n\nFor 60 years the Hello Girls fought for veterans status \n\n\nThe ceremony is free and open to the public. \nSchedule of Events\nGreeting by MC – Linda Jantzen \nPresentation of ColorsNational Anthem\nWelcome to Abraham Lincoln Cemetery \n\nRemarks \n\nRemarks \n\nRemarks by VA Representative \n\nRemarks by Doughboy President & CEO – Clair S. Sassin \n\nPresentation of Wreath \n\nBenediction \n\nTaps \nYour support for the Doughboy Foundation will help fund our mission in perpetuity\, inspiring future generations of visitors and forever honoring our World War I veterans and all U.S. servicemen and women. Donate today → URL:https://doughboy.org/event/gravesite-ceremony-for-renee-messelin-u-s-army-wwi-hello-girl/ LOCATION:Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery\, 20953 Hoff Road\, Elmwood\, IL\, 60421\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://doughboy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Renee-Messelin-Images.png ORGANIZER;CN="Doughboy Foundation":MAILTO:(202) 280-1521 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR