In our twenty seventh edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, Karel tells how she joined the Donut Dollie program to help make things a little better for the soldiers in Vietnam, that she was at Cam Ranh base during some dangerous situations, and how kind and chivalrous the soldiers were to the Donut Dollies.

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 Karel Dierks Robertson…

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

The short answer: To do something to make life a little bit better for all the soldiers serving in Vietnam.

The longer answer: As a nursing student at San Diego State I had cared for young men, my age or only slightly older, who had been catastrophically injured.  I also had a lot of friends who had served with the Army in Vietnam and returned bitter about the “lost year” of their lives spent in country.  Along with this influence was the general disillusionment that was taking hold in the U.S.  I was working in NYC as a nurse the day it was announced that bombing raids had begun on Cambodia.  I could only think about how much longer we would be at war in a part of the world that I knew so little about and how many more young men would be drafted during that time.  During a discussion with a friend, I expressed a desire to do something for the soldiers, but not as a military nurse.   She told me about a friend of hers who had been a Donut Dollie.  I also wanted to see the country that was tearing my country apart, or so it seemed at the time.

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

I served 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) and a flight back to “the world”.  There were several of us and we waited a few days before we could get a flight out.  Some of us were planning to stop in Japan to travel a bit before resuming our trip home to California.

I did assume a nickname after Carol Clark arrived at Camp Eagle as the new Unit Director.  After a couple of weeks it became too confusing to have two people with similar sounding names in one place.  I dropped the “r” and the “l” and became Kae.  That followed me to CRAB — sort of.  I used both my given name and my nickname there.  Mostly because I had a name tag with “Kae.”

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

At Camp Eagle the days were generally spent programming at various firebases. We usually went to at least two each day we went out into the field.  The plan was set by the program director for the week, as I recall, but we had to check each morning to be sure it was safe enough for us to visit that day.  Transportation was by Huey.  Saturdays was usually spent programming on the base and trying out new programs.  Once a week two of us would go to Camp Evans for the day, programming to various units there and end the day doing a “show” for the newest arrivals.  I never knew what they were told was going to happen before they were marched into the little amphitheater, but the looks on the soldier’s faces was always surprise and delight.

At Cam Ranh AFB we did have a mobile component to our work, but mostly we ran two recreation centers on the base. We rotated shifts and locations.  Our day off rotated also because the centers operated seven days a week.  The trips to the highlands were every few weeks, as I remember.  I don’t think a team was sent every week.  We spent at least one night at a MACV villa, sometimes two nights.  For that trip, we were flown up in a Caribou and then traveled by jeep or truck to engineering camps, mainly.

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

There was one day on a firebase that required the two of us being hustled into the underground command center while a call was sent out for a helicopter to come get us. They finally got a big Chinook to come for us.

At Cam Ranh there were some periods when we had to close the rec center on the far side of the base due to alerts that “sappers” had come through the wire. The term sappers was used to described Vietnamese (probably local Viet Cong) who were skilled at demolition or firing crude rockets..  Their goal was to set off explosions inside the perimeter of the base — as I understood it.

And, shortly before the base was completely closed, there was a rocket attack one night that hit the hangers near the compound that housed the Donut Dollies. No one was injured, but everyone who felt like a short-timer was rattled, myself included.

Were you ever injured while in Vietnam?

No.

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

That was not a regular part of my experience.  There was still a small medical facility at Cam Ranh AFB and most of the patients were not as catastrophically injured as they probably had been a few years earlier (I was in Vietnam 1971 – 1972).  There were probably more patients suffering some sort of stress/PTSD.  I did go once to a locked facility for drug abuse while I was stationed at Camp Eagle.  It was run by the Marines.

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

Not terrible, but a little rocky.  I returned to my job as an ICU nurse where I had been working before going to Vietnam.  Oddly, I did occasionally have moments of panic/anxiety related to explosive sounds and helicopters that lasted for several years.  It was never incapacitating and eventually faded over the course of about five or six years.

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

We were sincerely interested in making life better for the young soldiers who were serving in country, no matter what our political view of the war while there or after our time in country.

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

I assume that most veterans have a positive impression of the work the Donut Dollies did.  No, I have not had any interaction with any Vietnam veterans who encountered Donut Dollies during their service.

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

Flying over the tree tops in a helicopter

The soldiers at Camp Evans when they saw us

How truly kind and chivalrous so many soldiers were to us — offering the last can of Coke on a hot afternoon; trying to quiet the more obstreperous members of a group when we were programming; always being willing to help with any task we ever requested assistance with; etc.

A visit to an orphanage with a medical team — not exactly a “fondest memory” but definitely a deeply moving memory

The Santabou flight at Christmas — even though many of the places we went that day were operating on skeleton crews because everyone was at the Bob Hope show

As incongruous as it may seem, the fun I had during the time I was in country — the camaraderie with other Donut Dollies and with the soldiers and airmen.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE ARE 26 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)

In our twenty sixth edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, Judy tells how she went to Vietnam to see the pros and cons of the war for herself, how she enjoyed talking and getting to know the GIs, and how one time she and a fellow Donut Dollie rode the Cu Chi base bus singing Halloween carols.

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.  You can also share your email address with us at list@donutdollies.com for updates on the upcoming release of the Donut Dollies Documentary (we will not share/sell your email and will only use it for Donut Dollie related updates).

Please meet Red Cross Donut Dollie Judy Harper…

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

My peers had one opinion of the Vietnam War, and my parents another.  A woman two years ahead of me in college (Western Maryland College – now re-named McDaniel College), Linda Sullivan (a.k.a. Sully) returned to campus my senior year and talked about what she’d experienced in the Donut Dollie program.  So, not having much world experience, and wanting to see the pros and cons of the war for myself, I thought it would be a great thing to do.  I have always believed in service, and this certainly fit that bill.

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

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 – learn more here) was murdered, 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. I was known as Judy in Vietnam.

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

I don’t think there was much ‘routine’ in our days.  It would depend upon whether we were in the field or in a recreation center. We would be developing programs, and putting on programs with small or large groups of GIs.  Sometimes we would be invited to the officer’s mess or to some event with officers in the evenings.  But I enjoyed more of our time with the regular enlisted troops, who didn’t enjoy all the officers’ perks.

One of the things I appreciated most about my time in Vietnam was how very real my relationships and conversations were.  In a war zone, feelings that would never be expressed when at home, were right near the surface.  And I believe that the GIs thought it was ‘safe’ to reveal their feelings to us.

I used to love flying around in the helicopters, [although I found I had to go against Red Cross rules and put my hair in braids and jam a boonie hat over it to avoid the three hours it once took to get the tangles out!] and to this day I love small planes, etc.

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

Only had to go under the mattresses twice – I think once each in Qui Nhon and Danang, but I may be mis-remembering the locations.

I found out about another close call – again cannot remember where – after the fact. A Huey dropped us off on a grassy knoll in the middle of nowhere, (with lots of ice cream!) no one in sight until the helicopter flew off, then the GIs rose from their hiding spots in the tall grasses.  We did our thing, got picked up again and left.  We found out later that the helicopters dropping us off and picking us up must have marked the whereabouts of the GIs, who were hit by the VC shortly thereafter.  What an awful feeling to know that we’d put a bulls-eye on them!

Were you ever injured while in Vietnam?

NO

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

It was sometimes hard, especially when I would know them from our visits with them in the field.  I learned to stay cool when looking at “jungle rot” – gross!  Even more poignant were the visits (I often organized them when we were in the major base areas) to the orphanages, where we found the bulk of the children to be Amer-Asian.

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

I spent five months traveling through Japan, Russia and Europe afterward.  It was an interesting journey.  Especially in Russia, where we saw plenty of soldiers with the hated AK-47s!  I quickly learned that we couldn’t talk about our RVN experience there.  That was probably good, not dwelling on the past.  I ran into another Donut Dollie somewhere in Europe, who was apparently getting tiresome to her traveling companions with her constant talk of RVN.

I found myself somewhat emotionally vulnerable, but then I’d always been that way.  But the close emotional connections with others just didn’t happen as often when people were back home, surrounded by support systems of friends and family.

Shortly after returning, I went to see a friend from college.  After a year in a war zone, her life seemed superficial to me – revolving around china patterns and matching furniture.  These days, there are times when I begin thinking about those kinds of things myself.  I pull myself up abruptly, remembering my experiences in Vietnam, and how truly insignificant such considerations are.  There are so many more important things in my life.

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

We were just regular young women who wanted to serve others.  I grew up a lot that year.

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

I know they appreciated us.  They tell me so when I visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Memorial or Veteran’s Day.

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

Halloween Carols on the base bus in Cu Chi.  I remember that Penni Evans and I dressed in costume (Penni was in a flight suit, and I was the Electric Strawberry – i.e. the 25th’s patch – red mailbag, cardboard lightning bolt, green boonie hat = charming, I’m sure!), hijacked a bus on base and led the riders in several rounds of Halloween carols.  And of course, I have no clue what we sang that day!  But it was all fun!

Easter morning 1971, sunrise on the beach.  Somewhere I have a photo of that morning, with concertina wire in the foreground.

While on TDY to Quang Tri over Christmas 1970, we attended the Bob Hope show at Camp Eagle.  More memorably though, was meeting Admiral McCain [even gave him a ditty bag – didn’t know who he was until later].  Apparently he visited the DMZ every Christmas, while his son, John, was a POW in North Vietnam.  A somber time for him.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE ARE 25 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)

Last Friday, we posted the 25th edition of our weekly feature, The Donut Dollie Detail. We couldn’t be prouder of the Red Cross Donut Dollies, and we appreciate them sharing their personal stories of their time serving in Korea and Vietnam.
We’ve received hundreds of comments and would like to thank everyone for their kind words, thoughts and memories of the Donut Dollies.

The link below will take you to the list of the first 25 Donut Dollies featured, including the years served and bases they served on. If you are a veteran or know a vet who served during these years or on a base that one of these women served, please click on their name to view their story. If one of their stories resonates with you or would be of interest to a veteran, family member or friend, we ask that you share it. We’re closing in on 7,000 likes and you can help reach that goal and push beyond it. If you haven’t liked our Facebook page, please do it now!

Click, Read, Like, Share and show some love for the Donut Dollies! Check back next Friday for the next edition of the Donut Dollie Detail feature. If you want to be kept up-to-date on our upcoming Donut Dollies Documentary, please send us an email at memories@donutdollies.com

Meet Donut Dollie Dorset Hoogland Anderson – Served in Vietnam from 1968-69 at Nha Trang, Cu Chi and Tuy Hoa

Meet Donut Dollie Penni Evans – Served in Vietnam from 1970-71 at Cam Rahn Air Base, Long Binh (II Field Force), Cu Chi and Quang Tri

Meet Donut Dollie Mary Blanchard Bowe – Served in Vietnam from 1968-69 at Dong Ba Thien, Pleiku, Tuy Hoa and Qui Nhon

Meet Donut Dollie Linnie Stone – Served in Vietnam from 1966-67 at Pleiku, Long Binh and Lai Khe

Meet Donut Dollie Susan Heinzelman Ladnier – Served in Korea and Vietnam from 1967-68 at Camp Humphries (Korea), Danang, Qui Nhon, Lai Khe and Pleiku.

Meet Donut Dollie Cecelia Burgess Grandison – Served in Vietnam in 1968 at Phu Loi

Meet Donut Dollie Mary de la Forest-Evans – Served in Vietnam from 1968-69 at Cam Ranh Bay

Meet Donut Dollie Diane Schmidt Curley – Served in Vietnam from 1968-69 at Chu Lai and Pleiku (TDY)

Meet Donut Dollie Ellen Cadden Nagy – Served in Vietnam from 1970-71 at Bien Hoa, Da Nang and Long Binh

Meet Donut Dollie Bobbie Lischak Trotter – Served in Vietnam from 1970-71 at Qui Nhon, Bien Hoa and DaNang

Meet Donut Dollie Maggie Connor Dutilly – Served in Vietnam from 1971-72 at Danang, Quang Tri, Bien Hoa (TDY) and Cam Ranh Army

Meet Donut Dollie Sharon (Vander Ven) Cummings – Served in Vietnam from 1966-67 at Cam Ranh Army, Long Binh (II Field Force) and Cu Chi

Meet Donut Dollie Lou Breen Rundle – Served in Vietnam from 1971-72 at Qui Nhon and Cam Ranh Air Base

Meet Donut Dollie Susan Baiamonte Conklin – Served in Vietnam from 1968 at Cam Ranh Bay, Lai Khe and Da Nang

Meet Donut Dollie Marilyn Schmokel Dent – Served in Vietnam from 1968 at Xuan Loc, An Khe and Dong Tam

Meet Donut Dollie Terre Deegan-Young – Served in Vietnam from 1970-71 at Chu Lai (Americal Division), Bien Hoa and Camp Eagle (near Hue)

Meet Donut Dollie Linda Meinders Webb – Served in Vietnam from 1969-70 at Danang, Cam Ranh Air (TDY), Cam Ranh Army, and Pleiku

Meet Donut Dollie Marrilee Shannon – Served in Vietnam from 1969-70 at Cu Chi, Cam Rahn AFB and Phan Rang AFB

Meet Donut Dollie Agnes Fortune – Served in Vietnam from 1968-69 at Blackhorse in Long Kahn Province, Cu Chi and Long Binh (II Field Force)

Meet Donut Dollie Eileen O’Neill – Served in Vietnam from 1971-72 at Danang, Phan Rang Air Base, Bien Hoa (TDY) and Binh Thuy

Meet Donut Dollie Barbara McDaniel Stephens – Served in Vietnam from 1969-70 at Bien Hoa, Danang and Cam Ranh Army

Meet Donut Dollie Nancy Olsen Hewitt – Served in Vietnam from 1970-71 at Phan Rang Air Force Base, Bien Hoa Army, Cam Ranh Army and Cam Ranh Air Force Base

Meet Donut Dollie René Johnson– Served in Vietnam from 1969-70 at Chu Lai (Americal Division) and Cu Chi

Meet Donut Dollie Diane Johnson Tucker – Served in Vietnam from 1970-71 at Qui Nhon, Camp Eagle (near Hue) and at Cam Ranh Bay

Meet Donut Dollie Jeanne “Sam” Bokina Christie – Served in Vietnam from 1967-68 at Nha Trang, Danang and Phan Rang

In our twenty fifth edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, Sam tells how wanting to go on an adventure prompted her to join the SRAO program in Vietnam, how she got the nickname Sam, and how the Donut Dollies broke down barriers for women who wanted to serve our country.

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.  You can also share your email address with us at list@donutdollies.com for updates on the upcoming release of the Donut Dollies Documentary (we will not share/sell your email and will only use it for Donut Dollie related updates).

Please meet Red Cross Donut Dollie Jeanne “Sam” Bokina Christie…

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

What made me go?  Adventure, and I lived in Wisconsin at the time, where it is very cold…  I wanted to go someplace warm and I had NO clue about the war.

I went for training in Washington, DC and we learned about military rank and protocol, and some programming, but it was not until we got to Vietnam that it made any sense.  I had been an Art Major in College, so construction and visual design were not a problem for me.  However, leaning to communicate confidence and positive energy came from experience and from one another.

Training… How does someone ‘teach’ you to speak to a group of men, in fact many men with different agendas?  Experience.  Look at each, smile, use your non-verbals, let them know they are important and you’re their sister/wife/mom…. own the moment, make it special for them and then move on.  The women who were ‘old timers’ had perfected the art of communication and time management and we learned it from them.  Training was not just a class, it was a life experience.

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

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.

Sam was my nickname.  I had lost my nametag in Danang and a Gunnie Sergeant came into the flight line center one day, and I was “out of uniform” with no name tag, so he gave me a “Sam” nametag.  I put it on and the next morning at 0700 I had to do a TV spot for the Freedom Hill Center and it was one of those split second moments.  I started to say “Hi, I am… (realized I still had the nametag on) and said Sam.  So, I stayed Sam for the rest of my tour.  Besides, it always made me smile and the guys always tried to figure out what my real name was.

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

I really have to view it as the job we did, which was psychological health and welfare. We did an awful lot of just listening to the guys, especially when they would vent. Sometimes we tried to make sense of their crazy world and make life bearable for them.  Sometimes we were goofy and just fun loving.  We were like a balancing ball, or gyroscope, that stayed centered.

We learned to bury the unpleasant parts of the experience and take the next step forward.  We learned that our composure helped their composure.  If you could get someone to laugh, then they couldn’t cry… the same was true for us.

This is going to sound silly, but it was our job!  There were many times when it was very, very difficult, but you did the best you could and if the Donut Dollie you were working with, fell apart, you did the best to pull it all back together.  We learned to make jokes, laugh at ourselves, take a deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep breath, gather composure and Smile!

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

While in country, I had experienced serious illness, been sexually harassed, experienced a person break into my quarters, and dealt with peeping toms.  I even had to deal with being told that my Donut Dollie photos had been found on a captured VC.  These challenges and dangers refined my thinking and attitude.  Seeing so many wounded along with the attrition rate, made me realize it was not my time.  Sometimes there was no rhyme or reason why things happened or people died, so that was part of why I developed that attitude.

Were you ever injured while in Vietnam?

Nope, not injured in Vietnam, but I did get amoebic dysentery while in Nha Trang and ended up being carried over to the hospital by Kathy Wickstrom, who was my roommate.  I was not in good shape and Kathy had to move out of our room.  Bein the housemaid, took care of me until I could move.  I could barely walk, so Kathy helped me get to the dispensary.  Then the doctors wanted to take my temp and I started heaving all over again.  They placed me in a private room off one of the wards to recover.  All the guys on the ward knew I was in the room.  The worst part was, I had to try and walk to the nurse’s head, and when I finally needed it, they served onion soup, which made me gag all over again. Just a memorable moment in my life…

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

First of all… I can hardly put a bandage on someone… I had NO medical training.  None – zip, nah dah!  I did have empathy and compassion like many of the nurses and I had a job goal.  Theirs was medical, mine was psychological.

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

Returning home was difficult.  Life in Wisconsin was so mundane and boring.  My father was very pragmatic and his attitude was, “Okay Jeanne, get on with your life.  What are you going to do now?”  I had been accepted into a Graduate program, so I knew what I was going to do.  I tried to get a menial job for 3 months, screwing tops on pots, but the company would not hire me.  So I called the Red Cross and they sent me back to work at Great Lakes Naval Hospital until I was ready for school.  I was a wild/cocky/not wanting to follow strict rules person.  Wear a cap?  I would carry it until I walked to the door.  Put it on my head and walked through the door, then took it off again.

In Madison, the students were protesting and I had learned very quickly I could not share my experiences of Vietnam with them.  I just did not like what I heard people saying and thinking about the Vietnam War and the veterans who were “my boys”, and always will be, for as long as they/we live.

We lost many good friends and have witnessed the fallout of our country for those who only did as they were told.  We (in a very collective way) refuse to let that happen again.  However, we were exclusive self-managing teams who went were other feared to go.  We broke barriers and the standards for what the next generation of women could do.  We did it with pride and dignity.  Like our silent role over there, we are still doing many silent tasks that make a difference in the communities we live in.

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

I am always reminded that I am not a veteran!  I have no DD214 form, I have no healthcare or pension.  I have no access to veteran’s programs and benefits.  I have nothing but my memories.  A bitter pill?  Yes and no… because that was a historical time, and I recognize that only 3% of the total military could be women.  I knew the military needed medical people, intelligence personal and support staff (The Marine Corps actually had a woman’s patch).  I had been an Art Major, so the MOS (military occupational specialty) options were not for me.  Several years later the quota was raised to 11%, but combat slots were not available for women for many years to come.

I had never been debriefed for the traumatic events that I had experienced, and I really needed someone to talk to.  A dear Air Force friend was the decompression person.  He was a good buddy who could tell me like it was and I respected his opinion.  So I went to see him and that gave me time to pull my thoughts together.

We dared be in an unpopular national crisis, but had little to say, yet we supported so many.  For what it was worth, I did write protest letters to the President when I was back in the states.

Well, the men just saw us as the girl back home… they saw their mom, who had cared for them, and they saw us as angels and bitches all at the same time.  Angels because we were in light blue and ‘smelled good” and often flew into their locations (as if dropping in from the sky).  Bitches because we talked to everyone, and sometimes we had to put a guy who wanted exclusive attention or physical attention, in their place.

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

When I first became involved again back in the 1980’s… I ran into a few vets who did not really know a Donut Dollie.  However, I must admit I ran into more who did know who we were and valued our connection.  In fact one vet who heard I was a DD gave me a big sweep you off your feet hug and a huge kiss before walking away.  One group of vets in DC, during one of the early events, turned to my husband (a Vietnam era vet) and said “she’s not your wife, she is our Donut Dollie”.  He has never forgotten that reality check, but totally understands the perspective and depth of meaning.  I feel it was a moment when my husband knew I would always be his wife, but my heart would remain with another group of veterans until my and their dying day.

During the past decade or two, I have had nothing but kind words from the vets as they shared their past difficult and wonderful experiences.  Even if they never had a DD visit their unit or firebase, they have learned from other vets about DD’s, who did know what we did and valued our efforts.  Many remain surprised we ‘volunteered’ to go and did what we did.  What sometimes surprises me is just walking about and having a younger vet walk past and they say “thank you for your service”.  I am always taken back a bit, but feel very flattered that they care that we cared for their brothers.  On the other hand, I also care about their service and sacrifices and say so.  There will always be something special about our collective experiences.

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

Nothing but memories… it is not meant as a negative, but a reality.  Today, when I think about how Vietnam affected my life, it is both a positive and negative.

The positives = I can and will do darn near everything I set my mind to… some may say I’m bullheaded or determined, but I think it is just knowing what I want.

I have seen and done a lot during my lifetime… and I can understand the historical perspective for example, regarding the roles of women and the role of caregiving.

I made good friends, lost good friends, but have continued to move in a forward motion.

I learned a heck of a lot about myself – We only cry for ourselves, so quit crying and get going.  Life is a revolving cycle and we have to enjoy the moments.  I learned to laugh at crazy things.  Life has been interesting.

The negatives = I lost a lot of faith in the integrity of governments.  Not just ours, because they all play a different game, but in the way alternate truths and realities often skew various perspectives.

War is a nasty game, I wish we would never have war again.

I was tough on my children when they snibbled and whined; I was the drill Sergeant and made them get moving.  Actually that was not bad, but I do see the attitude coming back sometimes.

I still can have a hard surface… (for example when my students give me their excuses).

I learned to laugh at crazy things when it sometimes is not generally appropriate.

Vietnam was my million dollar education.  I learned so much about the world, men, other people, but mostly about myself.  How strong, and even tough, I could be and how much I could accomplish.  I learned to dig deep within myself and address those often difficult decisions we have to make in life.  Would I do it again?  Absolutely, but of course I am no longer 21 years old.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE ARE 24 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)

In our twenty fourth edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, Diane tells that she went to Vietnam to support the troops, why Donut Dollies would drink 6-8 Cokes in a day, and how she repelled from a helicopter over Camp Evans.

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. You can also share your email address with us at list@donutdollies.com for updates on the upcoming release of the Donut Dollies Documentary (we will not share/sell your email and will only use it for Donut Dollie related updates).

Please meet Red Cross Donut Dollie Diane Johnson Tucker…

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

My reasons were twofold.  I wanted to travel and see the world (ha!) and I felt like we needed to support our troops that were being sent to war.

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

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.  I was known as Diane during my tour in Vietnam.

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

A routine day consisted of flying by helicopter to 6-8 firebases and putting on our unique programs.  The troops always wanted to give us something and the only thing that they had to offer were Cokes.  We would drink 6-8 Cokes in a day, because they seemed hurt if we did not accept!!!  After returning to base camp we were often invited to attend a dinner or some sort of celebration.

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

While stationed at Qui Nhon and Camp Eagle we had to run to our bunker 5-6 times, but none of us came close to being injured.

Were you ever injured while in Vietnam?

No

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

I found visiting the soldiers in the hospital very difficult, because I had a hard time figuring out what to say to them.  Especially if they were missing limbs.

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

I had no problem with the transition home.   Surprisingly I was greeted favorably upon landing (we had to land at Oakland).

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

Over the years I have learned that the world consists of givers and takers. The ladies that I worked with in Vietnam were definitely “givers”!

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

Many years went by and not much was said, however, recently I have been hearing “thank you’s” from veterans and have spoken to a couple groups about my experiences.  It seems that there has been an awakening of interest in the Donut Dollies.

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

One of my most interesting memories is of a 1st lieutenant whose wife had come into the country!  There was no place for her to stay, so she stayed with us!  While her husband worked, we took her with us on our trips to the firebases and she helped us serve lunch to the troops!  That could have meant trouble for ALL of us!!!

Another memory is repelling from a helicopter over Camp Evans.  Very unfortunately, however, the young captain was demoted for allowing this, but his purpose was to show the Vietnamese that he was training, how not be be afraid.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE ARE 23 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)

In our twenty-third edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, René tells how she wanted to find out for herself why the U.S. was in Vietnam, that visiting the more critically injured soldiers in the hospitals was challenging, and how after her 1-year tour as a Donut Dollie, she missed Vietnam so much that she returned with U.S. Army Special Services in the Service Club division.

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. You can also share your email address with us at list@donutdollies.com for updates on the upcoming release of the Donut Dollies Documentary (we will not share/sell your email and will only use it for Donut Dollie related updates).

Please meet Red Cross Donut Dollie René Johnson…

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

As an Army brat whose father had been in Vietnam, who dated soldiers who had been there, and a college student in the late ‘60s, when the anti-war movement was very strong, I felt a need to go there and try to find out for myself why we were there.

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

I was 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.  Both were Clubmobile-only units (daily flights to firebases).  I never was assigned to a recreation center (on base duty).  René actually was a nickname then.  Now, it’s my legal name.

The Red Cross program that we worked for was “Supplemental Recreational Activities Overseas”.  But we were called Red Cross Girls or Donut Dollies, not “SRAOers”.  In fact, I never personally heard the term “SRAO Donut Dollies”.  A unit was generally referred to by its location, such as “Americal Red Cross Girls”, “Dong Tam Red Cross Girls”, “Lai Khe Red Cross Girls”, etc., etc.

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

Get on a helicopter around six in the morning, go to one or two fire support bases (dependent on size), program for at least 5 hours of the day, serve lunch to the guys, fly home, shower and then work on the next program we were developing.  Maybe one or two nights a week go to one of the clubs with friends.

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

I had one, not on a base, not in a vehicle. It wasn’t really frightening until after it was over and I was back at a base and fully realized what had happened.

Were you ever injured while in Vietnam?

No.

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

It depended on which hospital.  At the 2 med-surg units at Chu Lai, a lot of the guys had sustained fairly minor wounds, or had contracted malaria or some other illness, and were recovering and usually going back into the field.  They were easier to talk and kid around with, although some were bitter about having to go back into harm’s way.  At the major evac hospital, the wounds were far more critical, limbs lost, faces badly damaged, so hard to look at, and trying to convince the guys that their girlfriends or wives would still love them, would not be bothered by the way they would now look.  Those were the days when it was really hard to keep that smile going, when it felt so ‘plastic’ and insincere.

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

Difficult.  I went back to Vietnam.  Then I had to come home again.  I’m not sure that it was ever a complete transition; part of me stayed behind.  I didn’t ever experience any insults or shown disrespect for having gone, but neither did any but a few really understand or care about what we did over there.

After my first tour in Vietnam, I stayed with the Red Cross and was stationed at Camp Lejeune, NC.   But I missed so much about Vietnam, especially the daily flying to the men in the field.  I didn’t feel as though I had finished my job.  The opportunity arose to return to Vietnam with U.S. Army Special Services in the Service Club division not long after arriving at Camp Lejeune, and I jumped at the chance.  Working in a Service Club was very much like working in a Red Cross Center.  It was anticlimactic, to say the least, and not nearly as fulfilling as my Donut Dollie year.  Morale of the troops had sunk lower than ever, and drug use had increased dramatically, both in numbers and types of drugs used.  It was not at all the same.

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

That we were there because we cared about the military personnel, to provide support for them, even if we did not support the war.

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

I’ve heard personally from many Veterans, and seen so many positive comments on web sites and Facebook pages.  I do not allow people to post to my FB page, but I’ve got a long, long list of really wonderful posts that were sent to me but which do not appear on my time line.  I’ve never had a derogatory comment made directly to me, but every once in a great while I will see one on another page or site, but then other veterans take that person to task!

The majority have very positive impressions, and I have heard from the men who feel that way often.  Now, because I am an admin on a large Vietnam Veterans Facebook page, I get positive feedback, via either comments or private messages, almost daily.

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

Christmas week of 1969, caroling with a mixed group of military men, nurses, Special Services women and us Donut Dollies, followed by two days of doing a little play, the whole unit flying in one helicopter, to many firebases, and being given our own private outhouse on Nui Ba Den as our Christmas present.

Driving around the base camp at Duc Pho in a jeep with a Scout Dog handler during our lunch hour, around, around, around ………. And having time to really talk.  (His first daughter was named for me.)

My 2nd week at my first assignment, being ‘bugled in’ by the bugler for ‘B’ troop, 2/17th Cav, 101st Avn.  The unit had come down from Phu Bai to assist Americal during Operation Lamar Plain.  The afternoon they arrived, their CO called our office and wanted to know when we were going to visit his men.  Well, I’d never heard of them, but our Program Director came to the office right after the call, so we got our driver to take us up to where the CO had told us they were setting up.  Sure enough, when we turned the corner, the bugler proceeded to blow “Charge” and guys came running from everywhere!!!  It was one of the most truly amazing moments of my time there.

NOTE: Never did I serve doughnuts, cookies or anything else (other than meals in the chow line) except on a few rare occasions when mess sergeants would make something because they knew we were coming, and then let us ‘serve’ them.  Yet, strangely, we still hear from guys who think that they remember us coming out to the field with boxes of doughnuts or cookies.  When our email group has discussed this, no one recalls ever doing that.  However, we are only about 100 of the 627 who served, but we do represent pretty much all of the years and all of the units.  I did serve Kool-Aid.  Lots and lots and lots of Kool-Aid!

PLEASE NOTE: THERE ARE 22 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)

In our twenty-second edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, Nancy tells how her father, who had two tours in Vietnam supported her decision to go to Vietnam, about being in a helicopter when it was struck by enemy fire, and that working in Vietnam was a “once in a lifetime” experience.

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.  You can also share your email address with us at list@donutdollies.com for updates on the upcoming release of the Donut Dollies Documentary (we will not share/sell your email and will only use it for Donut Dollie related updates).

Please meet Red Cross Donut Dollie Nancy Olsen Hewitt…

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

I was graduating from the University of Washington in June 1970 with a minor in recreation and was considering going into the Special Services or hospital recreation, when I heard about the Red Cross Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas.  I just knew the SRAO program was what I wanted and I also knew I wanted to go to Vietnam.  My father was in the Army and had two tours in Vietnam.  He was in Vietnam when I signed up to go, but was home before I left for Washington, D.C. to start my training.  My dad knew about Donut Dollies and was supportive of me going to Vietnam, my mother wasn’t as sure.

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

I arrived in country in August, 1970 and was first stationed at Phan Rang Air Force Base.  I stayed there until January, 1971 when 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.  I only went by Nancy while in-country.

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

Every day was different and we had to be flexible with our schedules because of weather and transportation.  We would get up early, get ready in our blue dress or blue culottes, grab our ditty bag filled with cards, small games, puzzles and ear plugs, head to the recreation center or to the flight line to hitch a ride to another base for a clubmobile run.  All of the units I was stationed at had a recreation center and clubmobile runs.

Our day was comprised of planning for activities in the center, staffing the center, greeting our guests, making props for our clubmobile runs, flying to firebases, or riding in a jeep or truck to go to another base, visiting the hospitals, serving lunch in a mess hall, waiting for a chopper to come pick us up.  On occasion we were able to fly to a Navy ship off shore and visit with the men.  We put in close to 18 hour days, but the days went by quickly and there were never enough hours in a day.

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

We took some direct hits on a helicopter when we were returning to base from a clubmobile run and found bullet holes in the aircraft upon arrival.  Another time a helicopter had taken us to Tuy Hoa and was returning to pick us up when they crashed due to a mechanical failure.  Unfortunately, some of the crew were killed.  We visited the surviving crew in the hospital after they were rescued.  We had many mortar attacks on the bases and a fuel dump was hit.

Were you ever injured while in Vietnam?

No

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

The men were appreciative of our visits, but it was hard emotionally on us to keep smiling and seem positive.   Some had malaria and others were combat related.  One of the sailors I visited in the hospital was injured on guard duty.  I knew him from one of our program stops and was called to visit him in the hospital after his admittance.  He was eventually sent home.  The “happy ending” to this, is that I saw him in the summer of 2016 when I went to visit a Donut Dollie friend in Iowa.  They both live in the same town and she called him up, so we had a great reunion.

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

Transitioning to the U.S. was difficult.  We were so use to being on the go every day and all day long that it was hard to not have something to do.  I missed the friends, the activities, the flying, the sound of the helicopters, the traveling, and the weather.  For a long time, if I heard a helicopter flying over, it would trigger a memory of Vietnam.  It was difficult to talk about my experiences to someone who had not been there.  I worked at Oakland Naval Hospital upon returning to the states and I could talk to some of the patients there about Vietnam.  My husband also served in Vietnam and I knew him from Cam Ranh Army, so we are able to talk about Vietnam, even though our experiences were different.

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

I feel those of us who went to Vietnam, went there to show our support for the troops.  We had a choice in going and we could choose to leave, they couldn’t.  We wanted to serve our country in some way.  We didn’t mind leaving the comforts of home.  We were willing to travel and endure the hardships of living in a war zone.  Working in Vietnam was one of those “once in a lifetime” experiences and I will never regret going.  The friendships that were formed there have lasted to this day.

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

I have mostly had veterans thank me for being there and only two who said we weren’t much help.  The two veterans who expressed those thoughts to me were in isolated areas and didn’t have much or any contact with a Donut Dollie.

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

There are so many memories!  I remember the reactions of the men when we would talk on the radio or record the daily menu on the phone, working in the recreation center and visiting with the men, performing “A Thousand Clowns” on stage at Phan Rang, flying in the Santabou (Christmas themed Caribou airplane) and handing out ditty bags, visiting the orphanages, going on R&R, serving the men in the mess hall, going on the flight line to serve Kool-Aid, programing at an isolated firebase, eating M&M’s, drinking tons of soda pop, the willingness of the men to help with projects in the center, and the huge paper mache snowman we made one Christmas.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE ARE 21 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)