In honor of Women’s History month, we are providing the full list of our Donut Dollie Detail features. We are very proud of this feature, as it tells the story of the women who served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars in their own words. Please share these stories with a veteran… Did they serve on the same base as one of these Donut Dollies and are they in any of their photos? These stories will resonate with people of all ages, men, women, family and friends, so please share this post to help us honor the Donut Dollies.
Meet the Donut Dollies…
Meet Donut Dollie Dorset Hoogland Anderson – I was stationed at Nha Trang, Cu Chi and Tuy Hoa from 1968-69.
Meet Donut Dollie Penni Evans – I was stationed at Cam Rahn Air Base from March – August ’70, Long Binh (II Field Force) from August– October ’70, Cu Chi from October – November ’70, and Quang Tri ifrom December ’70 – March ’71.
Meet Donut Dollie Mary Blanchard Bowe – I was stationed at Dong Ba Thien with the 18th Engineers, Pleiku with the 4th Infantry Division, Tuy Hoa with the Air Force, and Quy Nhon with the Army and Navy ships from 1968-69.
Meet Donut Dollie Linnie Stone – I was stationed at Pleiku from October 1966 – February 1967, Long Binh from February 1967 – June 1967 and Lai Khe from July 1967 – November 1967.
Meet Donut Dollie Susan Heinzelman Ladnier – I was stationed at Da Nang and Qui Nhon. Did TDY to Lai Khe and Pleiku. Arrived at Camp Humphries in Korea in 1967. Left in the middle of the Pueblo crisis and arrived in Vietnam in the Tet Offensive of 1968
Meet Donut Dollie Cecelia Burgess Grandison – I was stationed at Phu Loi with the 1st Infantry Division and the Big Red One in 1968.
Meet Donut Dollie Mary de la Forest-Evans – I was stationed in Vietnam from June 1968 – February 1969 at Cam Ranh Bay in a support zone.
Meet Donut Dollie Diane Schmidt Curley – I was stationed at Cam Ranh Bay from 9/68-1/69. From there I went to Chu Lai until the end of my tour (10/69). I also spent a week TDY at Pleiku.
Meet Donut Dollie Ellen Cadden Nagy – I was stationed in Vietnam in 1970-1971 at Bien Hoa (1970), Da Nang (1970-71) and Long Binh (1971).
Meet Donut Dollie Bobbie Lischak Trotter – I was stationed in Qui Nhon, Bien Hoa and DaNang. I served for one year from July 1970 – July 1971.
Meet Donut Dollie Maggie Connor Dutilly – I was stationed in Danang from Aug. 1, 1971 until January 6, 1972 (with trips to Quang Tri and TDY to Bien Hoa) and Cam Ranh Army from Jan. 1972 until evacuation during the Easter Offensive in April 1972.
Meet Donut Dollie Sharon (Vander Ven) Cummings – The first six months were at Cam Ranh Bay, Army. Then with Long Binh II Field Forces (but we lived in Bien Hoa), and finally with the 25th Division in Cu Chi.
Meet Donut Dollie Lou Breen Rundle – I served in Qui Nhon from Aug-Oct ’71 and at Cam Ranh Air Base (CRAB) from Oct ’71-Apr ’72,
Meet Donut Dollie Susan Baiamonte Conklin – In 1968, I was in Cam Ranh Bay, Lai Khe and Da Nang.
Meet Donut Dollie Marilyn Schmokel Dent – I served in Xuan Loc with the 11th Armored Calvary from September 1967 – February 1968, in An Khe with the 1st Air Calvary from February 1968 – June 1968, and in Dong Tam with the 9th Infantry Division from June 1968 – October 1968
Meet Donut Dollie Terre Deegan-Young – I was in Vietnam from Fall of 1970 until summer of 1971. I was first stationed in Chu Lai with Americal Division. Stayed there till after the holidays in December of ’70 until I was sent down south to Bien Hoa with the 1st Cav. I believe I was there from about January until March or April of 1971. I then went back north to Camp Eagle with the 101st.
Meet Donut Dollie Linda Meinders Webb – I went to Washington, DC for training the day Nixon was inaugurated in January, 1969 and then to Danang, Cam Ranh Air (TTY), Cam Ranh Army, and then Pleiku at the headquarters of the 45th Infantry and left in January, 1970.
Meet Donut Dollie Marrilee Shannon – I was stationed as an SRAO programmer and director at three stations – Cu Chi 25th Infantry, Cam Rahn AFB, Phan Rang AFB from late 1969 – late 1970.
Meet Donut Dollie Agnes Fortune – I was stationed at Blackhorse in Long Kahn Province (11th Armored Cavalry under Col. Patton, the General’s son) from November, 1968 to the end of January, 1969 and I served with Donut Dollie’s Lola and Kay. I then served in Cu Chi (25th Infantry Division) from January, 1969 to July, 1969, and my last base was Long Binh (II Field Force with the 199th Light Infantry Brigade)
Meet Donut Dollie Eileen O’Neill – I was in the January, 1971 class, but by the time we got to Saigon after our training it was early February. I was stationed at Danang from early February, 1971 I to the first of July. My second base was Phan Rang Air Base until the first part of September. I spent two months at Phan Rang and had two one-week TDYs at Bien Hoa and Binh Thuy. Early in September I moved to Binh Thuy until I left in January, 1972.
Meet Donut Dollie Barbara McDaniel Stephens – I arrived in Saigon on January 21, 1969 for 1 week of training. My first unit was Bien Hoa from January, 1969 – June,1969; my second unit was Danang from July, 1969 – mid-October,1969; and my last unit was Cam Ranh Army from mid-October, 1969 – February, 1970.
Meet Donut Dollie Nancy Olsen Hewitt – I was first stationed at Phan Rang Air Force Base from August 1970 – January, 1971, then I was transferred to Bien Hoa Army. I left Bien Hoa to return to the U.S. in the middle of February, 1971 when my fiancé was killed at Phan Rang. Fortunately I was able to return to Vietnam in April, 1971 and was stationed at Cam Ranh Army. I left CRA for Cam Ranh Air Force Base in October, 1971 and stayed there until January, 1972 when I returned to the states.
Meet Donut Dollie René Johnson – I was stationed at Chu Lai with Americal Division from April – October 1969, then at Cu Chi with the 25th and the last brigade of the 9th Infantry Division from Oct ’69 – April ’70.
Meet Donut Dollie Diane Johnson Tucker – I was stationed in Qui Nhon from March – June, 1970, at Camp Eagle (near Hue or Phu Bai) from July – October, 1970 and at Cam Ranh Bay from November, 1970 until my departure in February, 1971.
Meet Donut Dollie Jeanne “Sam” Bokina Christie – I was stationed at Nha Trang from January to late April 1967, then at Danang from late April to September 1967, and then Phan Rang from September 1967 until the start of Tet in 1968.
Meet Donut Dollie Judy Harper – I was stationed in Qui Nhon from September – October 1970; I was in Cu Chi from October – December 1970, where I re-opened the unit that was closed down after a Donut Dollie, Ginny Kirsch was murdered (learn more here), which was open for the six weeks until the 25th stood down; I was in Danang from December 1970 – May 1971 – with a TDY (temporary duty ) to Quang Tri over Christmas; and at Binh Thuy from May – July 1971.
Meet Donut Dollie Karel Dierks Robertson – I was stationed at Camp Eagle from August – October, 1971, at Cam Ranh Air Base (CRAB) from October 1971 – late March, 1972, and then TDY (temporary duty) at Bien Hoa for 2 weeks in mid-March. I returned to CRAB for at least a week after being at Bien Hoa to help pack up and close the centers and then went to Saigon to await DEROS (Date Estimated Return From Overseas).
Meet Donut Dollie Teri Fisk Hermans – I attended the training class in Washington, DC at the end of July, 1969, and I was first stationed at Camp Eagle with the 101st Airborne Division from August – November, ’69; then Cam Ranh AFB from November ’69 – May ’70; and then at Cu Chi with the 25th Infantry Division from May – July ’70.
Meet Donut Dollie Linda Sullivan Schulte – I was stationed in Lai Khe with the 1st Division… the Big Red One. In October I was transferred to Dong Ba Thin to close that unit and move it to a new Air Force Base at Tuy Hoa. Then in February or March, not sure exactly, I was sent up north to Phu Bai.
Meet Donut Dollie Roseann Krikston Johnson – I was stationed in Danang from July to October, 1969 and then at Bien Hoa from October 1969 to July 1970.
Meet Donut Dollie Sara Porter Smith – I was stationed at Tuy Hoa from August – November 1970, at Danang from December 1970 – April 1971 and at Phan Rang from May – December 1971. I was in Vietnam 15 months, which was just a little longer than the typical year most Donut Dollies were in Vietnam.
Meet Donut Dollie Sherry Giles Cozzalio Taylor – I was first stationed at Long Binh (II Field Force) from June – October, 1968, then TDY (temporary duty) at Phan Rang Air Base in October, 1968, followed by Bien Hoa from November, 1968 – January, 1969 and finally Dong Tam from January – June, 1969.
Meet Donut Dollie Terry Lee Harmon – I was stationed at my first base at Cam Ranh Airbase from March 1970 – August 1970 and my second base was Danang from August 1970 –August 1971.
Meet Donut Dollie Rose Karlo Gantner – I believe I was one of only four American women to serve in the SRAO twice. During my first tour of duty from June 1966 – June 1967, I was first assigned to Nha Trang and then Pleiku. My second tour was January 1969 – January 1970 at the headquarters of the American Red Cross SRAO program in Saigon.
Meet Donut Dollie Sheila Otto Rosenberg – I was stationed in Vietnam from 1966 – 67. I was sent TDY (temporary duty) to Long Bin for a couple of weeks until I could go to Phan Rang to set up the unit there. I was at Phan Rang for about 6 months and then sent to Cu Chi to set up that unit until I returned home.
I have had the opportunity to meet JoAnn Puffer-Kotcher. She is a very special lady who does a wonderful job of representing The Donut Dollies. I highly recommend reading her book. It gives an in depth of life as a Donut Dollie. These fine women never received nor asked for recognition. It is time to remedy that. Thank you for bringing a little bit of home to us. Most of us didn’t see a USO show, but had the opportunity to at least meet one of these wonderful ladies. This VietNam Vet (’69-’70) wants you to know how much you are appreciated. God Bless all of you!
Most of us didn’t get to see a USO show, but most of us did get to meet one of these wonderful ladies. I had the privilege to meet one of these fine ladies almost 45years after coming home. JoAnn Puffer-Kotcher is an excellent representative for the Donut Dollies. I highly recommend reading her book. It does a great job of relating experiences for her and some of the soldiers that were there. These ladies didn’t ask for nor receive a lot of recognition for what they did. It is time to remedy that. This Viet Nam Vet(’69-70) wants to thank you for bringing a reminder of home to a bunch of guys half a world away from home. You made our world a little better then and now. God Bless all of the Donut Dollies.
Ladies thank you doesn’t cover the amount of gratitude I have for your service to us in Vietnam. Thanks, Sp/5 Paul Schmitz camp Holloway plieku 68-69.
I was in Korea from Feb 66 to Sept 68 with HQ & A 702 Maint, near RC 1 and Vietnam from Sept 69 to Sept 70 in Tay Nin and Long Bin with 546 Maint Co. Like some of my Brothers and Sisters, I didn’t get to see a USO show either. My hat is off to the Donut Dollies as they were a bright light for us in the worst of time. THANK YOU!!
Durring my time in Vietnam, 70,71 I don’t recall meeting any Donut Dollies. However, in 2005 in Branson, Missouri at the Operation Homecoming USA, I meet some Dollies. One in particular I became friends with and
took her around meeting my buddies. Don’t remember her name, but did take a couple photos of her.
It was an honor to meet her and the rest. We all made sure they understood how much they were loved appreciated.
Anyone know what happened to Sally Joergler from San Jose? She arrived in Phouc Vinh in 1968 & then moved to Di An.
The Donut Dollies were escorted on Phu Cat Air Base by members of the Base Airmen’s Council. As Chairman of the Council I became the substitute escort if any of the scheduled escorts were unavailable. At one point we hosted a dinner for the Dollies in appreciation of their service. I even was able to get a staff car to bring them to the dinner. They were exceptionally bright and charming young ladies whose purpose was to bring all of us a bit of home to the war zone. I am very humbled that I got to interact with them as frequently as I did. To this day I have the utmost respect for each of them. Thank you seems less than appropriate.