In our 43rd edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, Jan tells how the Peace Corps’ loss was the Red Cross’ gain, that she had a close call with the VC and how she may have saved a young medic.
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Please meet Red Cross Donut Dollie Jan Small Woods…
What prompted you to join the SRAO (Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas) program and want to go to Vietnam?
My plans to go into the Peace Corps fell thru so when I saw the ad in the Philadelphia paper I jumped at the chance to travel and maybe support our troops.
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When and where were you stationed in Vietnam? Did you go by a nickname?
I was at First Division my whole tour. Not sure why (maybe the powers that be wanted me close to Saigon). I was in Di An from November ’66 to April ’67. I was TDY (temporary duty) in Lai Khe from April ’67 to May ’67 (our new hooch at Phu Loi wasn’t finished yet) and I was in Phu Loi from April ’67 to July ’67.
No nickname with the troops (other than Jan), but I was given the name Jelly Donut from some of the reporters, because of my red hair.
What was a routine day like in Vietnam?
Ha… no such thing as a routine day. We tried to plan our helicopter trips to visit troops in the field, but often those plans would change depending on enemy troop movements. In Di An, we had a very nice recreation center, so that was a little more “normal”. We planned activities for the enlisted men at the center, sometimes even having little parties.
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Did you ever have any “close calls” either on base or in any vehicles?
Quite a few actually. Many times we would have to run to the bunker – sometimes stuck in there for long periods of time – sometimes with our Vietnamese mamasans. One time we were lifting off from a forward base and I started to wave to some people down in the woods, it turned out they were VC and they started shooting at us. I imagine the red hair and blue dress was a little noticeable. Luckily the door gunner took care of the problem.
Were you ever injured while in Vietnam?
I did fall into some concertina wire late at night, but that was my own fault. I forgot that the guards put the wire around our “hooch” at night. That was a painful and stupid mistake.
What was it like to visit the soldiers in the hospitals?
These were very emotional times for us and I will never forget a GI I was talking to who was so upbeat and happy. When I asked him why, he said because he was going home. He had lost an eye and an arm, but he was happy?
How was the transition returning home to the United States?
I went to NYC to study photography, as I wanted to go back and shoot the “true” war. At that time in the summer of ’67 there were a lot of anti-war marches and it was very difficult to witness!!
What would you like people to remember and understand most about the women who served?
Maybe we didn’t save the troops like the nurses did, but I truly do believe that we did a lot to help with the mental aspect of these men. I know personally that I “saved” one young medic who was losing it from being in the field for 8 months, so I went and made sure that his Captain got him on an R and R to recoup. He later came to me to thank me for probably saving his life.
How do you think the Veterans think of your time serving with them now? Have any Veterans expressed their feelings to you directly?
My ex-husband, who was a helicopter pilot in 1st Division, feels that women do not belong in a war zone – period! So we never discussed the war. The vet friends that I know on Facebook and from various conventions I’ve attended have all been supportive. They realize our smiles made their day.
What are your fondest or most interesting memories of your time serving in Vietnam?
Visiting the troops in the field and making them laugh, visiting the orphanages run by the Catholic nuns, trips to Saigon to get my hair done and a good meal!!
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