In our thirteenth edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, Lou Breen Rundle talks about how she did programming events for the soldiers to try to take their mind off the war for a little while, experiencing a rocket attack at Cam Ranh Air Base, and flying in a Caribou cargo plane affectionately known as Santabou, to hand out the free goodies to servicemen.

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 Lou Breen Rundle…

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

I went mainly because I was curious about the war. There were just too many people at home doing nothing but complaining. I hoped I could help in this program.

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

I served in Qui Nhon from Aug-Oct ’71 and at Cam Ranh Air Base (CRAB) from Oct ’71-Apr ’72, and I was known as Lou.

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

In Qui Nhon it was traveling every day. Get up early; call for a chopper; run to the chopper pad on the beach & hitch a ride; thank our pilots with a grease pencil smiley chopper drawn on their window; then program; visit; listen; laugh; hand out short timer’s calendars; do card, string, or rubber band tricks or learn new ones from the guys; maybe serve lunch; and then head to another fire base.

At CRAB we were both mobile and had a recreation center. Some days we traveled and some days we worked at the center where we had lemon Kool-Aid and snacks, music, card games, pool tables, etc. We also did special events like plays, fashion shows, shave & haircut day, a Halloween carnival, etc. We “Kool-Aided the flight line” and visited patients at the hospital at Cam Ranh handing out care packages with games, crossword puzzles, short timer’s calendars, and a page dedicated to getting to know our Donut Dollie unit.

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

I remember the first time I saw tracer bullets when flying in a Huey, and asked, “What are those pretty things?” The pilots yelled that we were being fired at and took the chopper down to tree level to keep us safe. Another time there were rocket attacks at CRAB (see photo at left), but I slept right through them!

I never had any fear for my safety; these brave men always took extra precautions for us.

Were you ever injured while in Vietnam?

No.

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

I don’t think they sent us to see the badly injured men. We usually visited wards with men who could interact with us and do the silly things we asked of them.

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

My family and friends were happy to see me. We mainly talked about what I did on R & R and about the parties and fun events we had. I was able to get a job and started teaching in August of ’72.

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

We are all Americans who love our country. We wanted to do something to help, were fortunate to get a chance, and hope we made a difference.

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

I hope that when they think of us, they smile! 😎

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

I will never forget our Santabou Christmas of 1971 where three tactical airlift squadrons from CRAB painted their planes like Santa complete with a red nose & hat. They’d had raffles to raise money for fruit, candy, pretzels, alcohol, etc. and invited us to fly with them to bases and hand out the free goodies to servicemen who had not had things like this for many months. Our plane’s bartender, Joe, was even dressed like Superman! It was one of the best Christmases ever – all giving, sharing, and good will.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE ARE 12 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 twelfth edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, Sharon (Vander Ven) Cummings tells about visiting wounded soldiers was hard, yet rewarding, having Christmas dinner with the guys in Vietnam, and her experiences of meeting veterans at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the thank you’s she received while marching in a veterans parade.

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 Sharon (Vander Ven) Cummings…

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

Most of us were recruited from college campuses.  Requirements were for young women, minimum age of 21, single, with a college degree.  In my case, my Mom worked for the Red Cross and told me about the jobs opening up in Vietnam.  I flew to San Francisco and interviewed for the job, they asked me where I would rather go, Korea or Vietnam.  I chose Vietnam – it was 1966 and I figured not many people would volunteer to go there.  Within 6 weeks, I had gotten my shots and was in Washington, DC for two weeks of training.  Our training consisted of learning how to recognize the various branches of the military and their ranks, and how to behave like a lady in all situations.

When I went to Vietnam, I was the youngest girl in-country.  I look back and cannot believe how innocent and naive I was.  I had been raised as an Air Force brat and lived in Germany, the Philippines, and even graduated from high school in Goose Bay, Labrador, but had really lead a very sheltered life.  It was quite an experience! And knowing all I know now, if you’d ask me today, I’d go again.

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

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.  I was known as Shari in Vietnam.

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

First, it depended on where I was stationed and whether or not our unit had a recreation center or was strictly a clubmobile unit.  For me, as a Donut Dollie, my time was spent focusing on the guys — either playing pinochle, ping pong, or pool at the center; or writing & creating the next mobile program (we were each responsible for writing a program & making all the props); or spending the entire day traveling from site to site by either helicopter or jeep to the various units we’d be presenting a program to (we traveled in pairs when we programmed).  The days were long. It seems to me that we probably worked 6 days a week.  Those days where I’d be “off” were spent resting, maybe going into the village to go shopping or see the sites; at Cam Ranh we’d go to the beach.

We got up early every morning and got to bed late at night.  We also had strict curfews, although I cannot remember what time we got locked in.  And yes, we really were locked in for the night.

On four separate occasions, after arriving at a unit and setting up to do the program for that day, I had to adapt and let someone else do some real “performing.”  That someone was Martha Raye.   She was all over Vietnam, and for a while, it seemed she was following me wherever I went.  To say the least, there was no way I would ever have tried to compete with her!

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

No, I didn’t have any close calls.  I remember listening to “outgoing” rounds – they became part of the regular noise and we just got used to it.

Were you ever injured while in Vietnam?

No.

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

Sometimes it was really hard.  For me, though, this was a very important part of my job and extremely rewarding.  We took hospital books to break the ice.  But mainly, we were there, smiling and being our cheerful selves.  We had to let the guys know that we were not repulsed or shocked at how they looked — for if we could accept them the way they looked, then maybe things would be okay when they got home.  I think it was very important.

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

I was physically and emotionally exhausted.  I really didn’t know how to act.  I would walk down a street and smile at everyone, because that was what was expected in Nam.  Someone pointed out to me that I shouldn’t be smiling at everyone — it wasn’t right and people might get the wrong impression.  I got very angry one day when I was in the grocery store — there was this huge long aisle of cereal boxes.  It seemed like hundreds of different types of cereal.  And it was more important to choose the correct brand of cereal than to think and worry about our guys who were being blown to bits on the news every night.  Nobody seemed to get it that these guys were really dying and that was real blood.  I got so very, very angry – – and this was in 1967.  I felt lost.  I didn’t know what to do next.   Get another job?  Nothing could compare to the excitement and fulfillment I had while working with MY guys in Vietnam. The let down was very, very hard.

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

We were there because we wanted to be there.  We were there to bring some joy and distraction into the lives of the guys… and we did it the best we knew how!  We gave a lot of energy, and when we had no strength for another smile, we smiled anyway.

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

The veterans I have met at the Wall in Washington DC and at other vet events in California have been very appreciative of our work in Vietnam.  The first time I participated in a vet parade, lots of the guys told us “thank you” for all we’d done.  That brought me to tears.   I’d never thought we did anything special, but apparently, for many of the guys, we did.

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

I really miss the people – I really saw the good sides of people while there.  I also miss the intensity of the job and the satisfaction I got out of my job.  Now, when it is time to go home, I leave the job behind and never think about it.  All jobs have paled in comparison to the satisfaction I got while in Nam.   There was excitement and a real challenge to being a Donut Dollie!

On Christmas day, all the girls in our unit went out to different units in the field.  While there, we had Christmas dinner with the guys – when I say “the guys,” I do not mean the officers.  We almost always worked with the enlisted men (boys).  I was out at a forward location, so we ate in mess tents that had been set up.  Later, several helicopters took us to Cu Chi where we got to see the Bob Hope show.   It was quite a day!

I made two lasting female friendships from Vietnam.  The first was with a girl I trained with in Washington DC and then was stationed with during my first 6 months in country.  The second friendship was rekindled at the Vietnam Women’s Memorial dedication in Washington, DC (1993) with a woman who had been my unit director at my first assignment.  The other friendships were more temporary.  Male friendships were also temporary and based on where I was assigned.  Since 1993, I have made new friendships with women who also served.  It has been a wonderful learning and healing experience.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE ARE 11 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 eleventh edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, Maggie Connor Dutilly tells about her parent’s Red Cross work being one reason she choose to become a Donut Dollie, being in a fire-fight at Camp Viking, and being called up on stage by Bob Hope as a salute for the work the Donut Dollies did for our soldiers.

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 Maggie Connor Dutilly…

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

Both Parents had been involved with Red Cross work. My Mom (an R.N.) had been a Gray Lady at Valley Forge Army Hospital in Phoenixville, PA during WW II. My Dad had been a member of the War Production Board, so we (9 kids) grew up knowing service to the Country was a duty. Because of medical issues, none of my brothers could serve, but I had a sister who became a Navy Nurse. I think President Kennedy’s “Ask not…” speech affected my whole generation.

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

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. I went by Maggie while in Nam.

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

A routine day consisted of checking the Run schedule first thing to see whether I was assigned a Run or Recreation Center Duty. If a Run, I would climb into a ¾-ton truck with an assigned driver (Our Danang Run 1 Driver, Ronnie, eventually became my husband when our paths crossed 4 years after our time in Danang!) and another Donut Dollie (we always travelled in pairs) and go to the stops listed on the Run Schedule.

There were base Runs, where we would program in offices, maintenance bays, mess halls… wherever the Brass wanted us to gather with the guys.

There were forward Runs to firebases where we would fly out in a helicopter and would set up on top of bunkers, in artillery and mortar pits (when not in use, of course) and in mess halls if there was one on any particular firebase.

We would involve the GI’s in trivia, quiz games like Jeopardy and Concentration, and activities like water-balloon fights or Barber Call. Anything to get their minds off the war for a few minutes! Barber Call was when we would offer to give the GI’s shaves and hair-cuts (the First Sergeant would require the men to have standard hair-cuts and not show facial hair., even on firebases (I am thinking they would enforce that when things were slow to keep the troops busy.)

When I would participate in Barber-call, I would remove the blade from the razor I was using so I wouldn’t cut the GI!! Some of them didn’t really need a shave…they just wanted to be close to a Round-eye!

Our Programming lasted about 50 minutes, and we would repeat it on the base runs perhaps 8 times in a day at 8 different locations. (The Run Drivers were very important to us, for it was their job to get us to the right ‘next stop’ at the right time) and perhaps 3 or 4 times on each firebase.

If we were on a base at meal time, we would also man the serving line in the chow halls so we could greet the hungry GI’s as they came through for meals.

One day a week, I think it was Friday afternoons in Danang (In Cam Ranh the air base had their own Donut Dollie Unit) two of us would fill a big canteen with about 10 gallons of orange-ade and ICE, (a real treat in the tropics) load it on the tail-gate of an Air Force pick-up truck and head out to the flight-line at the air base. Hanging our feet off the back of the truck we would ride the flight-line, stopping at each hangar to visit with and dispense Short-timers’ Calendars to the mechanics who kept the Air Force planes running.

If we weren’t scheduled to travel, we would be assigned to the Center. There, we would play cards, shoot pool, play ping-pong, do art activities, join GI’s in the music room to play guitars, and, on special days like St. Patrick’s Day, would do program activities.

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

My second week ‘in-country’ my Unit Director, Pat, and I were caught in a fire-fight as we left Camp Viking …very scary…Turned out to be a sniper in the graveyard across from the Camp Gate…. we had to ride through exchange of pot-shots. No shots hit our truck… Lee (last name?) was driving… had a GI riding shotgun with a loaded M-16 in the truck back, as Pat and I rode nose to nose hunkered down on floor in the front seat.

It was that experience that made Lee decide we should learn how to drive the ¾ ton truck, so if that ever happened again, one of us could drive (we were not routinely permitted to drive any vehicle) while he joined the “shotgun” GI in protecting us.

On one firebase run, we landed right ahead of the General’s chopper, and, as was routine when the brass visited, a “practice red-alert” was started… What this usually meant was that, on a signal from the CO, x number of rounds of mortar and artillery were shot off. The problem that day was the when the rounds went out, one of the mortars doubled back and hit a bunker with GI’s in it. So the practice became a real thing! We quickly learned how to duck into the nearest bunker!

When the General’s chopper left with the wounded GI’s, the General called us into the TOC (Tactical Operations Center – a place we were NEVER permitted to enter for security reasons) and explained what had happened and how freaked out the whole firebase was at that “friendly fire” incident.

Then he said “You ladies have your work cut out for you today… Go out there and make those GI’s smile!”

It was one of the most difficult, yet rewarding days on my tour.

In Cam Ranh, our base had a ‘sapper-team’ come in at the start of the Easter Offensive of 1972… blew up some bunkers with GI’s in them… came through wire near the Minicourt we lived in. First time I heard outgoing artillery that wasn’t expected. (Had visited Artillery bases in Quang Tri so knew the sound…but wasn’t expecting it to wake us out of a sound sleep) Ended up we got evacuated to Cam Ranh Air Base… then they got hit… so went to Saigon and they started getting shelled!

Were you ever injured while in Vietnam?

Second week in country, a couple of days after the fire-fight I got a chance to go out to Spanish Beach on a day off with some GI’s from the radio station on Monkey Mountain… to an area known as “THE ROCKS”. As I was climbing down rocks, I slipped and cut my knee… Went to the dispensary on Camp Horn, where the medic dressed the wound… told me to come back the next day, gave me some crutches… went back, for several days, and noticed each time I went in there were more GI’s in “sick-call”… I wondered if they just wanted to see a “round-eye” getting her dressing changed… finally, when the gash wasn’t healing, I stopped into the Gunfighter Hospital on the Air Base and the Flight Surgeon took one look at the wound and said “It’ll never heal if they keep putting all that gunk on it”, so he ordered me into a cast for 10 days to, as he put it, “ keep the Army guys away from it so it would heal!”

Cast came off, and two weeks later I tripped down some steps on an Air Base run, sprained my ankle and had to go back to the same Flight Surgeon and same cast man and have a plaster splint on my other leg for 10 days!

When I went to the O club at XXIV Corps Headquarters, Camp Horn, (where we lived) for dinner that night, having missed chow-hall, I got a standing Ovation for my clumsiness!

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

Before going to Nam, I had been a Gray Lady at Valley Forge Army Hospital like my Mom had been years before, so I was familiar with hospital visits… The strange thing for me was seeing the GI’s straight out of the field… pretty challenging to deal with.

One day as we arrived at 95th Evac. we heard small arms fire. When we got to the door into the Red Cross Office, a stretcher with a body in a body bag was rolled past us to the ER…. Seems a GI had gotten orders back to the field after some weeks in the hospital and didn’t want to face going back out… so he talked a guard into taking a break for a smoke, and while the guard was away from his post, the patient took the guard’s gun and shot himself. THAT was a bad day!

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

My sister, the Navy Nurse, lived in California so when I returned to the states she talked me into staying with her a couple of weeks to ‘adjust’… I see now, having had a son go off to war, that I probably should have gone home to Pennsylvania, to my parents… but I didn’t want them to see the mess I was. I was dealing with a LOT of PTSD… in fact, until the LORD healed me several years later, I was a mess for several years.

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

We were a patriotic group… we saw our classmates, brothers, cousins, neighbors getting drafted, and we wanted to do our part. There weren’t a lot of opportunities for women to show their support for our troops.

The women who were nurses got the worst of the war… Our job was on the other side of the bed… we were blessed that we could make a difference!

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

I have had some very positive interactions with Vets in the past few years… One local group has invited me to be part of their Honor Guard at Memorial Day Ceremonies each year, and a local Vets group invited me to visit them for their monthly meeting… when I was introduced as a DONUT DOLLIE, I got a standing ovation. THAT meant a LOT!!

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

Fondest memories…. The whole tour!

Special:

#1 Being called up onstage at the Bob Hope show so he could salute the work we were doing.

#2 Meeting Sammy Davis Jr. when he performed in Cam Ranh. (For security, the Vietnamese ladies who did the laundry were not allowed on base, so our Unit was asked if we would consider ironing for the performers. Some of the DD’s were insulted, but I thought it would be fun! And it was!)

#3 Meeting my husband… and all the wonderful guys I knew over there.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE ARE 10 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 tenth edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, Bobbie Lischak Trotter tells about her experiences with close calls, making visits with the First Cav AG to each of his men at the Long Binh hospital, and sharing a truly personal 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 Bobbie Lischak Trotter…

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

I joined to serve my country because that’s what my family did.  I was also looking for adventure and found I way to afford it.

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

I was stationed in Qui Nhon, Bien Hoa and DaNang.  I served for one year from July 1970 – July 1971.   I was known as Bobbie in Vietnam.

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

There was no such thing as a typical day in Vietnam.  Anything could happen at any time and often did.  Work days started early and ended late, especially if you got stuck someplace because of “activity in the area.”  Days off could involve anything from water-skiing behind a Boston Whaler, visiting an orphanage or leper colony, to just chillin’ out in the barracks.

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

Close calls were common.  My first one was in Bien Hoa.  I was at the clinic getting stitches taken out of my knee from a cut with an exacta knife I gave myself while making a prop.  Several rockets hit the nearby air base and killed a couple of folks.  I was once trapped at the old Michelin Plantation while it was under attack.  Another time my partner and I were scooted off to places unknown when a Cambodian commander unexpectedly showed up to review his troops in Vietnam.  During my last six months in DaNang rocket attacks were almost a nightly event.

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

Hospitals, next to orphanages, were probably the hardest places to visit.  There, you could not escape the reality of war.  Also, you knew that some of the guys were never going to make it home and it was our job to comfort them and cheer them.  I learned to be a good liar.  I feel very privileged in that I befriended the First Cav AG in Bien Hoa, Col. Thomas Shaylor.  He made a weekly visit to every one of his troops in the Long Binh hospital and he took me along whenever I could go.  It was very special.

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

Coming home was hard.  Unlike the men, we women could hide if we chose to, but most of us did not.  We wanted people to know, but mostly no one wanted to listen.  I lost all my old friends, struggled with my family and sought company with military people.  I was fortunate in that I soon began dating a Vietnam vet and we were very supportive of each other.  I later joined the Air National Guard and was welcomed by a lot of Vietnam vets, which I will admit were surprised by a woman who chose to go to Vietnam.

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

I would like the world to know how brave and selfless we women were.  We truly, truly loved our fellow countrymen who also served, willingly or not.  We wanted them to live; we wanted to comfort them.  We wanted to bring a little peace to an otherwise hellish place and situation.

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

It’s an old joke about what’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this.  I did have a couple of bad experiences, an attempted rape and a fellow telling us to “go home and make babies or whatever it is you women do.”  But on the whole the men were most appreciative, most grateful to us for our presence.  Many have told me that we kept them sane.

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

I have many fond memories of fun and friendship, romance and adventure.  It wasn’t all dark.  I think I learned a lot about the human spirit, no matter the gender, race or nationality.  If it weren’t for our leaders stirring up fear of one another, I think most people just want to live and love each other in peace and tolerance.  I love the Vietnamese people, the Koreans, the Germans, the Brits and especially the Aussies!

PLEASE NOTE: THERE ARE 9 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)