In our 64th edition of the Donut Dollie Detail we continue our focus on the Donut Dollies, but with this edition we share the memories of a Vietnam veteran who served on the Cam Ranh Bay base. Jim Mummah was stationed at CRB during the preparation, construction and grand opening of the Red Cross Recreation Center and shared his photos and memories with us. We hope you’ll enjoy seeing the Donut Dollies from a different perspective, that of a man who is appreciative of their service.

Please share the Donut Dollie Detail with family, friends and veterans you may know, and make sure to like/follow us on Facebook to learn when the next edition is posted.  

Here are the memories from Vietnam veteran Jim Mummah of the Cam Ranh Bay Donut Dollies…

“I was in the Air Force at Cam Ranh Bay and I was present for the grand opening of the new Red Cross Recreation Center that opened in late 1968 or early 1969 on the Air Force West Side, better known as Herky Hill.  I hope they bring fond memories for the ladies pictured.”

These photos show the site preparation and construction of the Cam Ranh Bay Recreation Center.  “At first it was just a prepared flat spot, and we all wondered what would be built there.” Not long after, we learned that the Donut Dollies would be operating the new Recreation Center.

“As I mentioned above, the Air Force West Side was called ‘Herky Hill’.  ‘Herky’ is a shortened nickname for the Hercules aircraft, the C-130.  The hill is pictured in the photo below with the water tank in the background.  In the foreground of this picture is the ‘hooch’ I lived in.  I was on the 2nd floor at the far end.  This picture was taken from just about where the RC Center was built.  Any of the Dollies at this center would recognize this view.”

Here are photos taken at the grand opening of the Cam Ranh Bay Red Cross Recreation Center.

“This photo is me preparing to go on a mission into the Highlands.  I remember that mission all too well, as it turned really bad that evening and we lost 6 men from a 13-man team.  The team was comprised of 2 Air Force and 11 Army men.”

“About the time the Recreation Center was built I was gone on missions into the Highlands much of the time, so I didn’t get to spend much time in the center.  I do recall talking with one of the ladies several times, but being old, I cannot recall her name.  She is not pictured in my photos.  A humorous note about the RC Center opening… prior to that the “uniform” the men wore in our area was mostly flip flops and underwear.  After the ladies came to the hill, we chose to wear shorts or pants.”

“Realizing the service and sacrifice of the SRAO ladies is what made me feel that these ladies meant so much more than donuts.  But it is true that the Donut Dollies name is cuter and sounds better. Thanks to each and every one of you who served in Vietnam.  You were our heroes.”

If anyone can identify any of the unnamed Donut Dollies, it would be appreciated.  

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In our 63rd edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, Barbara tells how her interest for travel led her to join the SRAO program, that she believed she had 9 lives while in-country and that the lack of trees in Korea made for some challenging times when going to visit the men in the field.

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Please meet Red Cross Donut Dollie Barbara Massey McGinity…

What prompted you to join the SRAO and want to go to Korea?

I ended up in South Korea with the Red Cross simply because I wanted to travel and the placement officer at my college handed me a pamphlet and said, “Here, you might be interested in this, I know you want to travel.”

Next thing you know, I’m in St. Louis for an all day interview.  I thought they had units in Europe, which is where I wanted to go.  They had me wait for 30 minutes and when they returned, they said, “would you like to go to Korea or Vietnam.”  As my brother was draft age and in the Lottery, I chose Korea.

When and where were you stationed in Korea?   Did you go by a nickname?  

When I was in Korea from 1967-68, I was first stationed at Camp Casey, 7th Division in Dongducheon (aka Tongduchŏn).  From there I went to Camp Humphreys near Anjeong-ri and Pyeongtaek, which was a travel unit (aka clubmobile), I was Program Director and then Unit Head.  Then I went to Osan Air Base, which was also a travel unit.  I did not go by a nick name.

What was a routine day like in Korea? 

At Camp Casey we mostly did our programs on the post since it was so large.  We did go to Camp Kaiser, which was above the 38th parallel, where men were being killed and injured.  We flew by helicopter.  When we first arrived and went on travel runs, I was terrified.  There were only 8 of us girls and I was not used to men my age.  I shook like a leaf.  Later it was fine.

Travel units were fun and adventurous.  We had to find our own rides, whether by truck, train or helicopter.  We got stranded in the snow, drove through creek beds, etc., whatever it took.  The men were great for the most part and grateful we were there.  Sometimes if we were on a small communications site at the top of a mountain, we would just talk with the men.  We went to missile sites, air bases and lots of units, which sometimes would take 5-8 hours to get to.  We would stay over night.

Sometimes it was freezing cold and the Red Cross would not allow us to wear pants, so we used 2 sets of stockings.  I remember one trip, when I had gone to straighten out a unit who had treated our girls disrespectfully.  On the way back the men sat in the warm cab while we were in the back freezing and having to go to the bathroom soooo badly!  There were no, and I mean no trees in Korea, so there was no privacy.  We had to wait until we got to the next unit on our run.  Miserable!  Actually, the M*A*S*H* movie (1970) was a lot like it was for us through the year.  I laughed through the whole movie and remembered different incidences that were similar.

Did you ever have any “close calls” either on base or in any vehicles?

As far as accidents go, I guess I had 9 lives.  I was in a minor truck accident where I was sure I was going to be hurt, but wasn’t.  One night, my room in our living quarters caught fire and filled with smoke.  Donut Dollie Karen Short rescued me at 2 AM when she saw smoke coming from the foot of my door.  If not for her, I would have died of smoke inhalation. 

Plus, while on a travel run up by the DMZ (demilitarized zone) we got lost on our way to Panmunjom (aka Panmunjeom) after the midnight curfew.  We were stopped by Korean soldiers and there was a huge tank in the bushes aimed at us.

The USS Pueblo was captured on January 23, 1968 while I was in Korea and the entire country went on alert.  Also, there were 30 infiltrators between where I was stationed and Seoul.

Were you ever injured while in Korea?

No.

What was it like to visit the soldiers in the hospitals?

(No response)

How was the transition returning home to the United States?  

I stayed an extra month.  Coming home was strange.  I knew people were giving soldiers a hard time when they returned to the states.  I came home through Hawaii, so I didn’t end up at McChord Air Force Base.  Once I got home, I found that everything was so expensive.  It felt strange.  

What would you like people to remember and understand most about the women who served? 

Most people have no clue what it was like then.  I would like them to know how much I appreciated being able to remind the men in Korea, who felt forgotten, that they were remembered.  We represented the girl next door.  It was an honor to have been there.  I was proud to have served the military and worked for the Red Cross.  It is the one thing that has impacted my entire life.

How do you feel the veterans think of your time serving with them now? Have any veterans expressed their feelings to you directly?

The Veterans who know about my time in Korea thank me for my service.  They also say that I can stand to be recognized whenever Veterans are asked to stand at a public event.  Until a Veteran gave me his approval, I never did.  Now I stand proudly.

What are your fondest or most interesting memories of your time in serving in Korea?

At the Kunsan Air Base, I met and spent the evening talking with Col. Chuck Yeager, the first pilot who broke the sound barrier.  We were both from West Virginia and he was a hero of mine, so that was a big thrill.

I found my letters from July, 1967 through August, 1968.  It is good to have the reminder, but much of it I don’t remember even when I read it.  I still regret not going to Vietnam after 6 months in Korea when I was asked to go, but apparently according to my letters home I did think it through.  I have a lot of nostalgia about that time in my life more than any other.

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In our 62nd edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, Susan tells how her choice to serve in Southeast Asia was prompted by completing her master’s degree, how Cam Ranh Bay was just sand on top of sand and that upon her return to the states, a protester spit on her Red Cross uniform while calling her profane names, similar to what the returning men experienced.

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Please meet Red Cross Donut Dollie Susan Harden Lynch…

What prompted you to join the SRAO and want to go to Korea and Vietnam?

I had just finished my master’s degree in history with Southeast Asia as minor area of study.  I was looking for a chance for adventure and travel.  I was a Red Cross water safety instructor and first aid instructor, so SRAO seemed like a wonderful fit.  It was. 

When and where were you stationed in Korea and Vietnam? Did you go by a nickname? 

I went to Korea in 1965.  My first duty station was Camp Casey in Tongduchŏn (aka Dongducheon) with the 7^th Infantry division.  Later I was promoted and stationed at Camp Red Cloud in Uijeongbu.  

When Vietnam was just opening for the Red Cross’ SRAO program (Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas) in 1966, I volunteered to go.  I was sent to Cam Ranh Bay to open a new Recreation Center along with Jody Ahrold Reynolds.  Jody and I were in the same training class.  We were joined by Cathy O’Connor who had been a Dollie in Korea previously and Joan “Dee” Fowler Hirsch who was new, but had USO experience.  I also did short assignments with the 101^st Airborne and the 1^st Air Cavalry.  I was known as Susan during my SRAO days.  

What was a routine day like in Korea and Vietnam?  

In Korea we ran a Clubmobile.  This meant that four of us were on the road or in the air each day in pairs doing skits, shows, games and the like in mess halls or unit area parade fields.  Our fifth Dollie remained at the Quonset hut office to develop programs and do paperwork.  The teams rotated members each day.  Weekends were free.  

In Vietnam, Cam Ranh Bay was sand on top of sand.  To walk or ride anywhere meant sand in your shoes, uniform, eyes and hair.  We opened the new Recreation Center and we worked 10 am to 10 pm every day in split shifts with two of us on duty in the recreation center at all times.  We would have to drain our boots and shoes of sand before entering the rec center.  We also did hospital visits and helicoptered to remote unit visits.  Rare days off were spent at the beach.  Days off usually came every 18 days.  

Did you ever have any “close calls” either on base or in any vehicles?

My team mate and I attempted to fly to a missile site in Chuncheon (aka Chunchŏn), South Korea during the winter in a storm.  A severe downdraft hit the plane and our pilot somehow managed to fly us out of it.  We returned to base and found tree leaves in the wheel struts. 

Were you ever injured while in Korea or Vietnam?

No.  I did spend time in a MASH (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) in Korea and a Base Hospital in Vietnam as a patient, but nothing related to injury. 

What was it like to visit the soldiers in the hospitals?

At Camp Red Cloud in Korea, we visited soldiers in the MASH.   The soldiers were around female troops, American civil service women and Red Cross women.  While happy to see us, we were not much of a draw.   In Vietnam, wehad an Army and an Air Force hospital to visit.  The soldiers were young, hungry to talk to a female, amazed we were there and they loved our visits as did we. 

How was the transition returning home to the United States?  

In 1966 the country was in great turmoil over the Vietnam war.  My arrival at San Francisco International Airport was not pleasant.  A protester spit on my Red Cross uniform while calling me profane names.  I believe this happened because I had a MACV shoulder patch on my uniform.  When I got home, I found no one was interested in hearing about my time overseas.  I remained in Red Cross employment for a year and was sent on speaking and SRAO recruiting trips.   I think that helped my transition, as I was able to talk about my experiences.  

What would you like people to remember and understand most about the women who served?

We were an integral part of keeping soldiers grounded and in raising morale.  How bad could it be—there were women there.  We were a group of intelligent, adventurous women who deeply cared about the troops and we loved our work. 

How do you feel the Veterans think of your time serving with them now? Have any veterans expressed their feelings to you directly?

The troops loved us and I believe those feelings continue today.  I joined the Army Reserve after Vietnam and the men and women under my command who were Korea or Vietnam Veterans spoke of their love of the Donut Dollies and the huge morale boost we provided.  Those that I meet today say the same.  

What are your fondest or most interesting memories of your time in serving in Korea and Vietnam?

I learned my life passion was in serving others, be it my country, individuals or my community.  I continue to do so to this day.  My SRAO service was a life defining time for me.  I laughed, cried, smiled, hugged, loved and was enriched by it all.  I would not trade any of it.  

In Korea we were able to get to know the Korean people and travel all over the country.  I still have Korean friends from that time. 

One of my funny memories in Vietnam was of a dog we were asked to keep.  Pets were not allowed.  The troops felt if we had the dog, she would not be taken away.  She loved to ride in jeeps and would jump into any jeep going by.  Since every unit in the brigade “owned” her, her jeep riding was not thought to be a problem.  Then one day General Westmorland, MACV Commander, walked into the rec center with the dog in a make-shift leash comprised of his web belt.  We all felt we were “toast.”  He sternly asked if the dog was ours.  Everyone in the rec center inhaled.  I explained we were her chaperones, that she belonged to the entire brigade.  He considered that for a while, smiled and asked me to teach her not to ride in general’s jeeps and walked out.  Exhale. 

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In our 61st edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, Evelyn explains how a walk and talk interview with a male director at the Red Cross led to her becoming a Donut Dollie, how a routine day in Vietnam could change in an instant and that a trip to Australia following her year in Vietnam led to it being her becoming her home ever since. 

Please share the Donut Dollie Detail with family, friends and veterans you may know, and make sure to like/follow us on Facebook to learn when the next edition is posted.  

Please meet Red Cross Donut Dollie Evelyn Safford Jacobs…

What prompted you to join SRAO (Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas) and want to go to Vietnam? 

My college advisor had just posted an American Red Cross (ARC) poster that said, “For The Best Year of Your Life”.  It caught my eye, it sounded exciting and I was always up for an adventure.  I went back to the dorm and wrote away for an application, when It arrived I filled it in and sent it back immediately.   I didn’t really know anything about the war.  I was conservative, so hadn’t protested, but didn’t tell anyone what I was doing.  The ARC flew me to San Francisco for an interview, so I had to tell my parents what I was doing.  The interview was very informal, not at all what I expected.  I later realized that the interview was the chat with the male director on the walk to the coffee machine and tour of the office.  When we sat down again, he asked me straight away, ‘did I want to go to Korea or Vietnam?’ I said, “Vietnam, I haven’t even considered Korea”.  I sat there thinking “where is the interview?”, but I guess it was the ability to talk to him with ease. 

When and where were you stationed in Vietnam?  Did you go by a nickname?

In Vietnam I went by Evie and I was posted to An Khe with the 4^th Division in the Central Highlands from October 1, 1970 until we closed the unit in early November.  The recreation center had been closed, so it was all Clubmobile runs, meaning that we visited the men out on the firebases and units/companies on base camp presenting our programs.  We spent a lot of time with the 173^rd LRRPs (Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol) on base.  We had a regular run to Pleiku.  I was transferred to II Field Force HQ in Long Binh in early November.  It was also a Clubmobile unit with no recreation center.  We had runs to the big base at Long Binh, and forward runs to the 25^th Division units out to Tay Ninh and the 11^thACR (Armored Cavalry Regiment) out in Phuoc Tuy Province.  We also had an overnight run to the Delta.  

I was transferred to Qui Nhon at the end of April, 1971.  It was my first experience working in a recreation center, although it closed shortly after I was assigned to the unit.  It was an 8 girl unit, but as the center closed we were reduced to a 5-6 girl unit.  I stayed at Qui Nhon until we closed the unit at the end of Sept, 1971.  We moved to a BOQ (bachelor officer quarters) across town in an old French hotel on the beach for the last 3 months.  It was really just a home base, as we had a 4 day/3 night run to Pleiku, and a 3 day/2 night run to Phu Cat AFB (Air Force Base) with an overnight extension to LZ English.  So we weren’t in Qui Nhon a lot.  

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

There were very few routine days in our days in Vietnam, except for runs to the big support bases like Long Binh where we went from one company to another doing our programs.  We usually did 6 programs a day.  Our job was to boost the morale of the troops.  A program consisted of an introduction, a few starter jokes and challenging activities to engage the men, followed by the main trivia game based on a new topic each week.  We wrote programs and swapped them between Red Cross units in-country.  Each game had a method of scoring, which often involved active participation.  The most successful program I wrote was on Motorcycles.  I knew nothing about motorcycles, but the men at the recreation center at Qui Nhon supplied all the questions and answers.  We would wind down by having a chat as we distributed short timer calendars and puzzles. 

Out in the field we would give out goodies sent from Red Cross chapters back home (ie. cards, mirrors, soap, beer can openers, etc.).  On the forward runs, we fit in with the conditions.  At An Khe, my very first visit to an outpost was on top of a cleared mountain.  It was cold and wet.  I remember an air mattress floating in a foxhole as we walked around and talked to the men.  We may not have done a program due to the conditions.  If we did, we would gather the men in one spot, set up our props on sandbags and do a program.  

Any routine day could change in an instant.  Like the day a GI hitched a ride in our chopper, and over Mang Yang Pass decided he was going to end it all by jumping out.  The gunner grabbed him and they saved him.  Or the day our Chinook broke down and we set down in an open field with no protection.  Or the day we missed the C-130 flight, so we went up to the tower and hitched a chopper ride to Pleiku.  Or the day we got caught in an awful thunderstorm on the way back from Ban Me Thout in a fixed wing aircraft.  Or the day we flew back to An Khe and the cloud was so thick we couldn’t get down to the chopper pad, so had to fly back to Lane Valley and wait till the cloud lifted.  Or the day= our chopper pilot set us down at a remote location and said to go over and ring the bell at the gate, then took off immediately.  We got the short shift (in very plain language) by the officer who answered the bell.  We later realized it was a secret CIA base in Laos.  I was with the unit director and she had stern chat with pilot after we had to sit unprotected in a village for an hour waiting for him to come back. 

Some days we would take a mike boat (a mechanized landing craft) up the Mekong River or we would go out in a jeep, but mostly we flew by chopper.  One day we flew out to a Navy ship off the coast of Qui Nhon.  When visiting the 11^th Armored Cavalry Regiment, we would fly all day with Col. Valentine and his kelpie dog.  He would visit all his units, and we would do a program while he worked with his command.  We would often serve lunch after our midday programs, then sit on the sandbags and eat with the men.  If we were on base, we would eat with men at their company mess hall.

I was there late in the war, so we had to deal with the drug problem as well.  Sometimes we would start a program only to realize that the whole back row of men were totally stoned.  We would just carry on like nothing was wrong.  

Did you ever have any “close calls” either on base or in any vehicles?  

Yes, early in my first weeks in-country flying out of An Khe, a rocket missed the chopper skid by a mere meter.  The pilot took evasive action as we dove to a low level along the tree line.  A number of times, we could see tracer fire coming towards our bird.  Once when we were flying over open rice paddies in the delta, suddenly we were taking fire. 

The worst time was a rocket attack at our Qui Nhon base.  I woke when the first rocket hit and my fan fell on top of me.  My roomie was screaming at me to hit the floor and to pull the mattress over myself.  One of the five rockets landed right outside our hooch window.  I saw the flash of fire.  I remember gripping the concrete floor and praying, “Dear God, please don’t let the next one hit us”. 

Were you ever injured in Vietnam?  

No, other than having the worst case of (Hong Kong) flu I’ve ever had and a wisdom tooth out, there was nothing.  I always say, “I had a lucky war”.  My number wasn’t up.  

What was it like to visit the soldiers in the hospitals?  

I can only recall one scheduled visit to a hospital at Phu Cat Air Force base and they were all non-war related injuries.  I did visit a couple guys I knew who’d had surgery at Long Binh.  We did visit a Vietnamese hospital in the Phuoc Tuy Province.  It shocked me how basic it was.  The families were squatting under the beds and cooking whilst looking after the patient who was a family member in the ward. 

The II Field Force HQ had a drug amnesty center just down from our compound.  A few times, we went down and visited it.  That was a real eye-opener to watch guys in various stages of withdrawal from heroin. And it shocked me when I would recognize someone.  

How was the transition returning home to the United States?  

I didn’t go home to the US.  Another Donut Dollie, Dibby and I hopped an an R & R flight to Sydney, Australia after we signed out in Saigon.  We spent the first 2 weeks in Australia in Sydney.  We met some American G.I.’s  who had migrated to Australia.  One of the guys, said to us, “Nobody wants to know about Vietnam.  And nobody wants to hear about how we do things in America.”  So I took his advice.  (At that stage, life in Australia was fairly basic.)   

Dibby and I started a working holiday.  I went to cattle station (a working cattle ranch) and Dibby went to a sheep station working as a Mother’s help.  So the adventure went on.  We eventually travelled around the Australian Outback on a bus tour and spent 6 weeks backpacking around New Zealand.   I met an Aussie and found out they were in need of teachers, so I began a long teaching career.  Life went on.  I rarely talked about Vietnam until 1987 when the first welcome home march was held in Sydney. 

What would you like people to remember and understand most about the women who served?

I always say we were young and naive, and had no idea what we were getting into.  We were just “the “girls from next door” who the American Red Cross sent to Vietnam to boost the morale of the troops.  We offered a “touch of home in a combat zone” to “the boys who became men” who were called to serve their country.  We were the big sisters to those 18-19 year old kids.  It changed our lives forever, just like it changed theirs.  

Looking back, we were unique women.  We were willing to step out of our comfort zones.  There were many natural born leaders and high achievers amongst us.  The majority of us got on with life after Vietnam, but we realize that it was an experience that we would never ever repeat.  And we share a unique bond with all our Donut Dollie sisters, no matter which year we served.

How do you feel Veterans think of your time having served with them?  Have any veterans expressed their feeling to you directly?  

I’m only in contact with a couple American veterans.  One says, I saved his life by getting him out of the field.  At the end of our program when he’d answered every question (despite us trying to handicap him), I said to him, “What is a smart guy like you doing in the field!” Apparently, the officers heard me, and took notice of him and he was offered the company clerk’s position back in the rear.    

In Australia, I’m generally accepted as ‘one of them’.  I was fortunate to visit Nui Dat, the Australian base, several times as we had an artillery unit on the perimeter.  So when we talk, they realize that I’ve been there and I can understand the Vietnam experience.  Often a wife will say to me, “I’ve just heard him talk more about Vietnam to you than I’ve ever heard”. 

I recently went back to Vietnam.  I hired a private tour guide who took us out to Long Binh, Bien Hoa, Nui Dat and Vung Tau.  He knew the area well.  One of the things I realized was that as Donut Dollies we mostly flew everywhere and often didn’t really know where we were on a map or how far we were away from our base.  

 I’ve done a lot of public speaking as part of ANZAC Day services (our Memorial Day – Australian and New Zealand Army Corps).  I now get very emotional when I march and speak at ANZAC services.  I went to the Welcome Home march in 1992 in our nation’s capital, Canberra, and to the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Project dedication in 1993 in Wash, DC.  Both were huge events for me.  

What is your fondest or most interesting memory of Vietnam?

The Long Binh unit got special permission to present a Bob Hope skit to all our troops in the field during the week before Christmas.  I was the Sergeant Major who couldn’t dance and Sally was the hot Lt. who could. Roseanna was Bob Hope complete with golf club and jokes. The other 2 girls had pretty dresses.  We were to present 7 shows per day for 7 days straight out in the field.  We only had 2 failures, due to no power and a hot LZ.  We did our dialogue then sang a Christmas carol with the guys and finished up having a dance with a few of the guys.  During the skit, Sally (as the Lt.) would ask, “Where did you learn to dance?”, and my punchline reply was, “I went to shake and bake school!”  That wasn’t scripted, it just came out of my mouth the second or third show and became one of the most laughed at lines in the skit.  Shake ’n Bake was a quick chicken breading product that was popular at the time and referred to Sergeants who went to school to become one, rather than rising through the ranks the hard way.  The enlisted men called it ‘Shake ’n Bake School’.  

P.S. – After my time in the SRAO program as a Donut Dollie, I remained in Australia.  I  married my Aussie in 1972 and started teaching for the New South Wales Department of Education.  I enjoyed a full time teaching career for 42 years and still do substitute teaching a few days a week due to a teacher shortage.  Being a Physical Education teacher, I became heavily involved in Sports organization in both the schools and community.  I’m still actively involved  in administration of community basketball, and surf lifesaving and play masters field hockey.   We’ve lived in beautiful Crescent Head overlooking the Pacific Ocean for the last 42 years.  My son is also a PE teacher in western NSW (New South Wales).  He and his wife have 2 sons.  

PLEASE NOTE: THERE ARE 60 PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE DONUT DOLLIE DETAIL AND 2 EDITIONS OF OUR MEMORABILIA MONDAY FEATURES THAT CAN BE SEEN HERE, JUST SCROLL DOWN TO READ EACH (AT THE BOTTOM, YOU’LL SEE A LINK TO GO TO THE NEXT PAGE OF DONUT DOLLIE DETAIL FEATURES)