Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w . d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m 115 but due to the Caulfield family's dedication to the cause. This was also an age that shaped the mettle of many individuals, in- cluding renowned Mon- tana statesman Michael J. Mansfield. Living with his aunt and uncle in Great Falls begin- ning at the age of seven, Mansfield was the epit- ome of a problem child, constantly in trouble at school and with local law enforcement. After ini- tially being turned down trying to enlist in the Army at the age of 14, Mansfield al- tered his birth certificate to read 1900 instead of 1903 and joined the Navy. After his honorable discharge from the Navy, he joined the Marines, which shaped his interest in Asia throughout his illustrious political career. WOMEN IN THE ACTION As with many early conflicts, women were found near the front lines as medical personnel, either through the Red Cross, or as part of the military, although they were not rec- ognized for their service until after WWII. One Montana girl was Fort Benton's daughter Virginia Flanagan who was trained at the Columbus Hos- pital in Great Falls. She was the first nurse in Montana to enlist, and served nearly two years as part of the Red Cross Military Hospital in France, where she witnessed the red sky and booming cannons of the Battle of Chateau Thierry, and, fortunately for us, wrote extensively of her experiences during the war. While nurses made up the bulk of women involved in the conflict, Robison said, "A fair number of Montana women served in non-military ways in the military." One of the most in- triguing examples is the "Hello Girls." Because the French tele- phone system was in complete disarray after years of bombing and turmoil, Army General John J. Pershing, commander of American Expeditionary Forces in World War I, hired women who could speak and write fluently in English and French as the Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators. These valiant operators kept communication flowing despite working along the front lines in shelled-out buildings. In one sit- uation, a German prisoner kicked over an oil stove, starting a fire that tore through eight buildings. The switchboard operators continued their work until their building was about to catch fire, and they were threatened with court martial. As soon as the fire was extinguished— even though the building was still smoking—they were back at what remained of their posts. Of the 7,000 young women who applied as these "Switch- board Soldiers," as General Pershing called them, Mer- le Egan of Bozeman, who was chief operator of Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Service, became one of the five Montana women who served. She also held the honor of working a switchboard during the Treaty of Versailles. NATIVE SONS AND DAUGHTERS SERVING ON THE FRONT "At that point (when we entered the war), the U.S. had not made Indians citizens," said Robison. "This was their chance to prove themselves to the country and strive to become cit- izens." In this head-scratching logic of the time, because Indigenous people were not considered Americans, only 174 Natives from Montana are known to have served, including Blackfeet tribal member Private Jerome Kennerly who survived the sinking of the Tusca- nia in 1918 that killed 10 Montanans. Along with the small number of women overall serving as nurses, two Montana Native American nurs- es stepped up to assist the war effort, including Louise LaFournaise, a Little Shell member raised near Opheim. After the beginning of her long and book-worthy life, LaFournaise enlist- ed with the U.S. Army Corps in 1918 and served in France, receiving multiple service awards. An enrolled member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Missoula resident Regina McIntyre also served in four Army hospitals in France during her time overseas.

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