In our 55th edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, Kit tells how the opportunity to see what the Vietnam War was all about motivated her to sign up for a one year tour in Vietnam, how she feels that the Donut Dollies did make a difference through their service supporting the troops and that she believes she is the only Donut Dollie who got married to a fighter pilot in-country, at the end of her tour.

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 Kit Sparrow Cotton…

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

After graduating from college with a degree in International Studies, the only prospect of a job was working in a basement for the CIA.  A one-year job working overseas to see for myself what the Vietnam War was like just fit the bill.  My dad was a general in the Army, so I knew his stand on the war, but all the people my age were vehemently against it, so I signed up!  And the funny thing was that it was my mother who spotted the Red Cross ad in the Washington Post!

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

I arrived at my first base in Tuy Hoa in July, 1969 and was there until November, 1969.  I then transferred to Camp Enari in Pleiku and was there until March, 1970.  My last base was Cam Ranh Army from March – July, 1970. I didn’t go by a nickname and was known as Kit.

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

That was one of the highlights of our jobs, in that you never knew what the next day held in store.  My favorite days were the ones when we went out to the firebases by whatever means of transportation was available (helicopters, deuce and a halfs, Jeeps).  We would have our program ready to go, but sometimes the men had just returned from the field, and by the look in their eyes, you could tell they just wanted to talk.  When we didn’t go out, we worked in the recreation centers, filling the Kool-Aid dispensers, visiting with the men or playing games (cards, ping pong) with the men or designing our next program.  Sometimes we would “test” our upcoming programs with the men, and sometimes we would occasionally do entertainment, such as fashion shows or sing-alongs (I played the piano). 

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

Sometimes while in route to a firebase, there one we were scheduled to go to was under attack, and we would be diverted to another firebase.

Were you ever injured while in Vietnam?

I got mono, but that’s not “battle worthy”!

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

I don’t remember visiting soldiers in hospitals.

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

I believe I am the only Donut Dollie who – at the end of my tour – got married in Saigon.  Let me backtrack: during my first assignment in Tuy Hoa, I met a fighter pilot named John Cotton.  We started dating, and when the Red Cross in Saigon found out that we were pretty serious, I was moved to Camp Enari in Pleiku, which was my favorite assignment.  But my new locale couldn’t keep John away, and he would go up into the tower at Tuy Hoa and contact a chopper flying over saying, “Would you mind taking a fighter pilot up to Pleiku?”  When I was transferred to Cam Ranh Army, it was easier for John to come see me, because he could catch C-130s, as well as choppers.  It seemed as if every time I turned around, there was John, and I was so happy to see him!

I should mention that my Dad had an office in Saigon, and he came over to visit and check out John.  Our original intention was to travel around the world and then get married in the States.  But, my Dad, in his authoritative voice said, “No daughter of mine is going to travel around the world with a man to whom she is not wed!”  So, in a way, he forced our hand in marriage. 

We had arrived in-country about the same time, and when John was ready to DEROS (Date Estimated Return From Overseas) to his next assignment in Lakenheath, England, he asked me to marry him.  And what a procedure that was!  We had to follow the same rules as the GIs did if they wanted to marry a Vietnamese woman.  And that entailed many trips down to Saigon – which neither the Red Cross nor John’s squadron commander appreciated!  The first time we had to pick an area in Saigon where we wanted to be wed.  We met with the staff of a councilman, who said that we had to post our intentions in various areas in his district, so that if anyone had any objection, they could voice it.  That entailed another trip to Saigon with papers that we had written in English saying that we wanted to be married.  For an afternoon, we taped these papers to walls, nailed them to telephone poles, posted them on billboards, etc.  We went down another time thinking we would be married, but that did not pan out.

Finally, each of us had a witness (mine was a fellow Donut Dollie, and we still keep in touch) and we went down to Saigon.  We sat and chatted at a table covered with a red and white checkered linoleum table cloth, not knowing what to expect.  Suddenly, these massive wooden doors opened, and we were ushered into a dark mahogany library with books from floor to ceiling.  All at once, our grins turned to a solemn countenance as we faced our councilman, who was wearing a red sash and seated behind a massive desk.  The ceremony consisted mainly of paperwork – all in French (which I speak) – and John and I signed on the dotted line.  When we walked out of the office, I was Mrs. John L. Cotton!

From there we immediately went to the Red Cross office, where I turned in my Red Cross pin and papers and was no longer their responsibility.  I was now under the umbrella of protection of my husband and the United States Air Force.     

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

That we came from all different walks of life, wanting to contribute and make a difference – no matter how small – to the war effort and to our soldiers (and I use the term “our” with reverence and respect) who were fighting and dying for a cause that they didn’t understand.

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

I think that they smile – both in their minds and on their faces – when they meet us Donut Dollies.  And yes, I have been hugged and blessed with the words, “Welcome back!” from veterans, as I utter those same words back to them.

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

Feeling as if we DID make a difference to the “youngsters” sent into battle.

Making some of the best friends among my Donut Dollie sisters, who can relate and share memories that the rest of the world will never be able to understand.

Learning a new value system – what is really important, and what can be discarded.

Bringing home the best souvenir of the war = my husband.  We will have been married for 50 years on July 6th.

P.S. – In the three photos above that the Donut Dollies appear in red dresses, which were their Christmas outfits, Linda Meinders Webb explains “I bought the material and had them made in Hong Kong, so they were original for us, but not approved by American Red Cross.

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In our 50th edition of the Donut Dollie Detail we pay tribute to Donut Dollie Jody Ahrold Reynolds. Sadly, she passed away on June 3, 2019. We are grateful that Jody had shared her story with us and we were finally able to locate photos from the archive of the late Joan “Dee” Fowler Hirsch, who served with Jody, to create a complete feature.

In her own words, Jody tells how President Kennedy’s inaugural address inspired her to serve in Korea and Vietnam, how she was one of the few Donut Dollies who started in Korea and were then asked to transfer to Vietnam, and how she tried to be a friend to the “boys” who were serving in Vietnam.

Please join us in honoring and remembering Red Cross Donut Dollie Jody Ahrold Reynolds…

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

As a young woman in the 1960’s, I heeded John F. Kennedy’s words “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”  I took the Peace Corp test and stated I wanted to go to Asia or Africa, two very big continents.  I was accepted in the program and they assigned me to Ecuador – I declined. Shortly thereafter I heard about the Red Cross job – Asia it was – and the pay was better.  I was a Political Science major, also Secondary Education and World History.  The place was timely for my interest and skills.

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

After a 2 week training program with the American Red Cross at their National Headquarters in Washington, DC in June of ’65, I left (with 30 women) for Korea.  I was stationed at Munsoni, Korea – near the DMZ – when I arrived it was the 1^st Cavalry Division – their colors were in the process of moving to South Vietnam, the buildup had begun.  My unit was now the 2^nd Division.  In late October of ’65, I was transferred to Taegu Pusan – I was promoted to Program Director – a $50 a month pay raise – whee!  I volunteered to go to Vietnam in Nov/Dec of that year.  I did an ITT – an inter theater transfer to South Vietnam in January of ’66.  I was stationed at Cam Ranh Bay and did several TDY’s (temporary duty) – one to the 1^st Cav Division – and I can’t remember the name of the other – very small base.  

My name is Joanne, but I go by Jody.

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

Our Clubmobile was open from 10 AM to 10 PM, 7 days a week.  There were 4 of us for the first few months.  There always had to be two of us on duty.  The days were long – not much free time.  When we did get a ½ day we would go to the beach (beautiful beaches in Vietnam), always a GI and jeep would find us to help us out.  At night if we were not working we would go to the Army’s Officer’s Club or down to the Air Force Club for an adult beverage or two.  The USO came several times – Danny Kaye – Bob Hope – we would serve lunch or dinner to the GI’s in their mess hall.  We probably went to the NCO’s mess halls – I can’t remember – occasionally they would show a movie on the back wall of a building and we would sit on blankets on the sand (lots of sand).  We would visit the Army Hospital and Air Force Hospital.  At first, we would visit the village orphanage, but then the village became off limits. 

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

There was shelling at two of my TDY stations – we were in the bunkers with helmets – I am sure I was frightened – a long time ago!

Were you ever injured while in Vietnam?

No

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

There were two hospitals at Cam Ranh, one at the Army end, one at the Air Force end.  We didn’t go often, we were too busy with our units.  The real tough cases didn’t come to CRB – they were medevaced.  We saw the ones with mental issues – we just talked to them, held their hand.

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

Judy Cayce and I spent 6 months coming home thru Southeast Asia, Australia, etc., so we had plenty of time to reflect on what had transpired.  I remember the night we sailed out of the Singapore Harbor – taking our last look at Asia (for a while) and how pensive and reflective we both were.  It had been a memorable year – after all the war was still going on – we really didn’t want to leave, but we knew we needed to. 

When I arrived home, I got a job with the Des Moines Public Schools as a substitute teacher.  I would often take my slides and tell the Junior & Senior High students of my journey.  I then got a call from the American Red Cross and they hired me as a case worker for SMF (Service to Military Families), SMV (Service to Military and Veterans) and Disaster Services.  The Red Cross sent me around Iowa to speak.

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

My youngest brother was the age of most of the boys I worked with (18-19).  They probably had not heard of Vietnam until they arrived.  They knew nothing about the US policy of containment and what war was really like (nor did I) and many were scared and bewildered.  I tried to be their sister, next door neighbor or a friend.

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

On November 11, 1993, Judy Cayce, Joan “Dee” Fowler Hirsch and I went to the dedication of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial in Washington, DC.  Many Donut Dollies and veterans from the different branches of the military gathered by unit in front of the Smithsonian and walked the National Mall to the dedication.  It was a large parade with lots of spectators – many men ran up to our group as we walked and thanked us with tears in their eyes – we were shocked and touched.  All of the GI’s that I have met over the years can never thank us enough.  It is a connection – they get it and I get it!

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

Living something that you can never imagine unless you had been there – I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.

We wish to thank the following people for their assistance in making this feature possible: Jody Ahrold Reynolds, Stan Reynolds, Joan “Dee” Fowler Hirsch, Patricia Schweers and Karen Bishop.

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In our 49th edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, Nancy tells how after serving just over a year in Korea the Red Cross asked her to serve a year in Vietnam, how she was the LAST Donut Dollie to leave Vietnam and how honored she and her Donut Dollies sisters felt by the audience response they received at a Bob Hope show in Vietnam.

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 Nancy Calcese…

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

Honestly, I graduated and needed a job.  The Red Cross was interviewing on campus.  I was not a risk taker, and to this day I can’t believe I went to Korea and Vietnam.  Neither can the people who know me best!

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

I was in Korea July ’69 – September ’70 at 2nd Infantry Division, 7th Infantry Division, and Camp Red Cloud. In 1971 the Red Cross Headquarters called and asked me to go to Vietnam as an Assistant Director, where I was from May ’71 – May ’72.  I was stationed in Saigon, but traveled from Tuesday through Friday every week from Quang Tri to Binh Thuy.  I think there were 7 SRAO units in country at that time. 

What was a routine day like in Korea?

In Korea, a routine day consisted of either working on creating our recreation programs in the office or traveling in pairs via jeep, truck or helicopter to deliver those programs to units of men numbering from 10 – 200.

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What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

There were no routine days for me as an Assistant Director in Vietnam.  Each week I went to a different unit, visited with the “girls”, went on runs with them to various units, met with the military command to make sure they were getting the appropriate support, etc.  I spent a great deal of time waiting for transportation (hours at a time) to and from Saigon where I lived, and the various units.  I don’t remember the time period, but I once recorded 81 hours of flight time in 9 types of aircraft, and 98 hours of waiting time. No nickname, I was always known as Nancy.

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

No.  The military was very careful to monitor our safety.

Were you ever injured while in Korea or Vietnam?

No, but in Korea, I was hospitalized for a week with mononucleosis and secondary hepatitis.

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

It was very humbling and moving.  Sometimes uplifting, sometimes very sad.  The visits validated the Red Cross program and what we were all doing over there.      

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

When I returned from Korea, I assumed a hospital social worker position.  The transition was very difficult.  In Korea, my task was to provide a joyful distraction.  As a social worker, my task was to deliver death notices, problem solve, and counsel.  The difference was stark. 

Relative to Vietnam, at that time in my life, I was apolitical and Vietnam was just a very difficult job.  When I came home, people were interested in my experiences, but at the same time against the war.  The difficult part was that no one could relate to my experience and I couldn’t adequately convey what it was like.  My brother was a Vietnam war protester and thought that in my role, I had “contributed to the war.”  That was difficult. 

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

I was in 2 very different roles in the SRAO, and in 2 very different countries. So my views were different as well.   Having said that, I think all women who joined the SRAO were very caring, courageous and smart.  We were just trying to make life a little more bearable for the servicemen, representing sisters, wives, mothers and daughters.  We were all serving our country.  

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

In my experience, the term “Donut Dollie” has always brought a smile to the faces of vets.  I think they admired that we volunteered to be there and greatly appreciated what we did, and respected us.        

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

I was the LAST Donut Dollie to leave Vietnam.  I closed the program in May, 1972.  As an Assistant Director, my job was extremely difficult.  I traveled weekly to different sites, had to enforce rules and regulations that were often ignored, and experienced difficult living and travel conditions.    

My fondest Vietnam memory was of a Bob Hope show.  Five or six of us Donut Dollies had seats high up in the bleachers.  Someone arranged for us to sit closer on the floor of the arena.  As we walked down from above, word spread that the Donut Dollies were there and as everyone saw our uniforms, the entire audience stood up and applauded and cheered.  It gave us all chills.  

Being in Vietnam as an authority figure at 24 years of age was extremely difficult. But, I believe that my years in Vietnam and Korea shaped my successful career in Human Resources.  It gave me the skills and confidence to accomplish much in my life and I’m very grateful for both experiences.  They really shaped my life.

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In our 48th edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, Karen tells how being a teacher right out of college wasn’t exciting enough – so she applied to be a Donut Dollie, that she may have been the only Donut Dollie to have dinner with her father while they were both in Vietnam and how she and her Donut Dollie partner ended up rock & roll dancing for South Vietnamese kids.

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 Karen Kent…

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

I was teaching high school math during my first year out of college. I wasn’t enjoying it very much because this was in Atlanta during the civil rights era. I wanted an adventure, so explored living on a kibbutz or joining the Peace Corps. I was the sponsor of the high school Red Cross club and read the monthly magazines. One article described the SRAO program and I knew that was what I wanted to do.  My father was a career military officer and had been in Vietnam already as a MACV infantry adviser in the Delta.  I wanted to better understand both the war and the antiwar movement.  My dad was extremely proud of me going to Vietnam. 

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

I was in Vietnam from 1970-71 and was stationed in the northern part of the country (I Corps) from June 1970 to early December 1970 at Camp Eagle with the 101st Airborne Division and six months in Chu Lai with the Americal Division from mid-December 1970 to June 1971.  At both places, we lived in trailers with a bunker in the middle of the trailers.  Camp Eagle took their job of protecting us very seriously – there was a fence around the trailers and a guard at the gate 24/7.  At Chu Lai, it was much looser – no fence and no guard, but we were close to the Commanding Generals’ residence, so it seemed safe. 

I had no nickname in Vietnam.

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

Most of the work at Chu Lai and Camp Eagle was done on firebases.  Most of the firebases were on mountain tops.  Vietnam is a beautiful country and I loved flying in Huey helicopters with the doors off and seeing the coastline, the rivers and the mountains.  We would do 2-3 programs on a firebase, often setting up our gear on sandbags surrounding the artillery.  Then, if time permitted, we’d walk around and talk to the guys individually or serve them a meal so we could see more men.  Occasionally, we’d attend a memorial service for infantry guys who had died or a church service.  

The helicopters that dropped us off were also taking/picking up guys in the field, so if there was a lot of field activity, we’d be delayed getting off the firebase.  Luckily, I never had to spend the night on a firebase!  The guys were so bored that they loved seeing us arrive and we always got a good turnout.  We also went to very small communication bases where there would only be 2-4 men.  We’d sit and talk, rather than do the activities.  I particularly enjoyed that.  I think this experience led me to becoming a mental health therapist, which I did for 40 years. 

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

I was standing on the steps of my trailer in Chu Lai watching bombs hit the airfield about a mile away.  Fortunately, being young and naïve, I wasn’t frightened.  When the siren went off telling us to go to the bunkers, we would run a block to the commanding officer’s bunker, because our bunker had rats!  Also, I was on a firebase when explosions started going off.  The guy nearest me threw me to the ground and threw himself on top of me.  Then they found out it was an engineering unit clearing land with explosives and they forgot to warn the guys on the firebase.  But it was very sweet that the guy just automatically acted to protect me. 

Were you ever injured while in Vietnam?

I was sitting in a truck with the door open and my foot in the door area waiting for our helicopter to pick us up.  When it landed, the air from the helicopter slammed the door shut on my foot.  The men helped me into the copter and flew me to the nearest medical hospital.  They were going to put me on a stretcher, but I was too embarrassed (not sure why), so two men carried me between them.  Because the pilot radioed ahead that a Donut Dollie was being brought in, there were a ton of people waiting just to see us.  The old-fashioned type of cast was put on my foot for 6 weeks.  It was too difficult to get in and out of the copters, so I had to do activities on base the whole time.  I really missed the flying and the firebases. 

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

I only visited a hospital maybe three times, since most of our work was on the firebases.  I did spend a couple of weeks myself in a MASH-style hospital when they thought I had malaria.  They debated where to place my bed.  The doctors decided not to put me in a unit where the men were healthy enough to want to talk to me, so they placed me at the end of the room on the recovery unit and surrounded my bed with screens.  Most of the men there had been in surgery and were coming out of anesthesia.  I even heard them interrogating North Vietnamese while they were groggy.  Not a good environment for recovery!!  

My dad had just come into country for his second tour.  They allowed him to come from Saigon to Chu Lai to visit me for two days.  It was really unbelievably good seeing him, but it was also the most homesick I have ever been in my life.  After he left, I told the doctor that if he would release me to the Donut Dollie trailers, I would follow his directions exactly.  I had just been at Chu Lai briefly when this happened, so I wasn’t close to the other women yet.  That’s where I met Terre Deegan Young (see end of paragraph), who visited me every day and helped tremendously when I moved back to the trailer.  I was in bed another two weeks.  Terre and I remain friends to this day.  The diagnosis was changed to “undiagnosed fever”, but they think it was severe food poisoning, because a third of the unit I served Christmas dinner to on a firebase also got the same illness. 

You can read Terre Deegan Young’s own Donut Dollie Detail feature here.

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

My family lived in Hawaii at the time, so that’s where I returned.  My mother picked me up at the airport and took me to a music concert in the crater of Diamond Head.  I spent the day with my younger sister there.  I was absolutely blown away.  It wasn’t a good thing to do my first day home.  I had trouble seeing everyone happy and carefree, when I had been in Vietnam 48 hours earlier with men who might not even return home.  

I can’t tell you the number of friends who said “Someday you’ll have to tell me about your experience”, but none ever followed up.  No one wanted to hear it.  I stayed in Hawaii and worked in a book store for about six months waiting for two friends to get out of Vietnam.  Then five of us met up in Germany, bought a cheap van, and spent six months living in the van and roaming Europe.  All five of us (3 helicopter pilots, Terre, and I) processed our experiences as we traveled.  It was a real healing time and allowed me to move on with life. 

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

We weren’t prostitutes!  The men were kind and protective of us.  When I was unit director, a lieutenant propositioned one of the women I worked with.  I called his boss, who had him meet us at the Officers Club and he bought us a bottle of champagne.  He was very embarrassed and contrite and knew he had blown it completely.  Propositions were very, very rare in Vietnam.  If any man even cussed in front of us, another man would say “Hey, there are ladies present!” and there would be an apology. 

I would ache at the end of each day from smiling constantly.  We were always “on”, because that is what the men needed.  I grew up rapidly during my tour.  I started the year as a shy, quiet person and ended the year as an outgoing, confident person.  During all the challenges in my life since then, I’d tell myself “If I could handle Vietnam, I can manage this!” and it worked for me.  Vietnam was a very difficult, but powerful year.  

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

My experience with Veterans since Vietnam has been powerful.  They are grateful that we were there, because we represented “home” to them.  I’ve had no negative experiences.  My dad would introduce me to his military buddies, as the daughter who went to Nam. 

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

I had been in country for less than a month and a guy on a firebase was walking us to the helicopter.  He turned to me and said “I’m going home next week and I’ve been wanting to do this for a year”.  He dipped me back and passionately kissed me.  Said “thanks” and walked away.  The whole group of men burst into applause as I stood there stunned. 

We accidentally ended up at a ceremony where the Americans were turning over responsibility to the South Vietnamese.  After the ceremony, the South Vietnamese started playing music and asked me and the other Donut Dollie to dance by ourselves.  The only dancing we knew was rock and roll, so we just started dancing.  Soon, kids joined in.  It was a very strange experience, but we knew we couldn’t say no. 

I met my dad for dinner in Saigon when I was going on R&R.  He had his arm around my shoulder as we walked to the Officer’s Club.  I noticed men staring at us and finally asked my dad what was going on.  He grinned and said “They think you’re my girlfriend”.  Of course!  No one would imagine a father/daughter together in Vietnam. 

I got a call late one night from a male friend of mine with another Division.  I could tell he was slightly drunk.  He said “None of the guys here believe I know an American woman in Vietnam”.  Would you tell them it’s true?”  I gladly talked to several guys letting them know that yes, it was true.  

After I left the country, this friend got medevacked to the Philippines.  Years later we met up in Santa Cruz, CA.  He told me that he believed my visit to him in the military hospital in the Philippines saved his life. I had not visited him, but I could never tell him the truth, because what he believed was so powerful. 

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In our 47th edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, Joyce tells how she became a Donut Dollie to help boost the men’s morale, that she found a treasure from a soldier amongst her father’s things, and how she met her husband of 51 years in Vietnam.

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Please meet Red Cross Donut Dollie Joyce MacConnachie Kirk…

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

My senior year at the University of Minnesota I interviewed with several organizations and companies with overseas programs, as I majored in International Relations and was interested in a job overseas.  The Red Cross SRAO job was just for one year which was appealing.  The thought of helping the morale of our soldiers in Vietnam was very appealing.  Minnesota had anti-war protests everywhere, which was fine, but they were treating the soldiers horribly, very disrespectfully.  Maybe I could help.  My parents were quite proud of the decision.

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

After graduation in June 1967, my dad drove me to Washington, D.C. for some training.  The main thing I remember about that was watching the floor come up to my face after a Gamma globulin shot.  My first posting was in Bien Hoa from June – October 1967.  My main adjustments were the weather (heat) and the smells.  The size of things astonished me:  the size of shrimp, the butterfly on our outhouse door, the lizards in the bathrooms.  My second assignment was from October 1967 – February 1968 with the 9th Inf Div at Bearcat (southeast of Saigon).  It was here I saw the Bob Hope Christmas show with Rachel Welch and others.  Another time Martha Raye (comedian) was introduced to me at a gathering – and then proceeded to ignore me, pretty deliberately.  But then, I wasn’t a soldier – and she loved the soldiers!!

My last posting was in Danang from February – May 1968.  By this time I had learned to co-exist with the lizards on the ceilings and everywhere.  I remember watching the movie “Dr. Zhivago” at the Recreation Center there and despite the awful heat, I was freezing. No nickname, I was always known as Joyce.

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

In Bien Hoa we went out daily by jeep to visit different units that had been scheduled.  We were prepared with the board games we’d made.  Sometimes we had Kool-aid and cookies.  We ate in the mess hall with the soldiers.  Several nights a week we helped some soldiers who had set up a school for the Vietnamese to learn English.  The women loved to sit by us and hug us, and the children entertained us always.  At Bearcat we flew out daily in Huey helicopters to visit soldiers – often they would be in a field drying out their feet after tramping around the rice patties.  We always ate with the soldiers often helping to dish out the meals in the chow line.  On Sunday nights we were invited to the General’s mess for a lovely meal and movie – and how we loved Sunday nights!!.  In Danang we worked in the Recreation Center and went out to visit units, including the flight line.  I was a DJ for a radio station once a week.

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

Bien Hoa had been quite safe, but my first night at Bearcat we were “attacked”.  All I knew was that everyone raced to our bunker, so I followed, wondering why I had been sent to this place (it turned out to be friendly fire – Thai soldiers misfired mortars).  The only other time I was sent to bunkers was in Danang a few times.

Were you ever injured while in Vietnam?

No, I was never injured.  I did have my wisdom teeth extracted.

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

The only time I visited a hospital was after Tet.  We were driven to Long Binh to the hospital.  We had no training to really help, but I guess our job was to be a friendly American face.

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

It was surreal, quite bizarre to think the world was just going about it’s business, not really into what was going on over there.  I could hardly wait to eat mashed potatoes that didn’t run all over the plate.  I was never a huge mashed potato fan before or even a month after returning from Vietnam.

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

We tried our hardest to keep the soldier’s morale up, listening endlessly to them talk about their wives, girlfriends, mothers and families.  It was easy to talk to them – just ask them about their DEROS (Date Estimated Return From Overseas), about what they hoped to do afterwards.

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

I always felt appreciated.  One time a Sergeant asked for my home address to send my parents a note about how he appreciated what the Donut Dollies did.  When my dad died, I found it, amongst his treasures.  Only one time in thousands of conversations with soldiers did one say and suggest inappropriate things.  Through reunions of my husband’s units, I heard positive stories of interactions with Donut Dollies.  They have honored me in several ways.  Along with local Medal of Honor recipients, I was recognized and thanked by the committee organizing the Kansas City Memorial Day activities and concert in 2018. 

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

I think I have covered that here.  Just one more thing – I met my husband of 51 years while I was at Bearcat.  That time in Vietnam obviously changed my life.  I felt I did serve our soldiers.  I matured in many ways, but I do not think it helped me brave another year when my husband went back to Vietnam for a 2^nd time.  People would say that I would understand better than other wives what he would be going through.  Yes, it would and that was terrifying, not reassuring.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE ARE 46 PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE DONUT DOLLIE DETAIL 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)