In our twenty ninth edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, Linda tells how hearing a presentation at her college by General Lewis Walt prompted her to join the Donut Dollies program, how she and a fellow Donut Dollie had been dropped off to program at a location where there were no soldiers and needed to be extracted quickly, and that she came home from Vietnam with a trunk load of memories, but didn’t open it for years.

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Please meet Red Cross Donut Dollie Linda Sullivan Schulte…

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

Throughout my college life I marched in anti war protests.  In my senior year (1967-68) at Western Maryland College (now McDaniel), General Lewis Walt had just returned from Vietnam and came to speak to our students.  He impressed me greatly with his articulate presentation, his concern and his integrity.  I decided I needed to go to Vietnam to learn more… we had a number of classmates serving there.. I wanted to see what Vietnam was really about.  I wrote to a variety of nonprofits looking for an organization to send me there.  The Red Cross interviewed me.. the job was for one year and they wanted women ages 21 to 25 with liberal arts degrees.

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

I arrived in Vietnam in July of 1968… a month after graduation.  I was stationed in Lai Khe with the 1st Division… the Big Red One.  In October I was transferred to Dong Ba Thin to close that unit and move it to a new Air Force Base at Tuy Hoa.  Then in February or March, not sure exactly, I was sent up north to Phu Bai.  No nicknames in Vietnam, just Linda.

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

There were seldom any routine days, but I was mostly involved in clubmobile units traveling generally by helicopter out to different field units.  We Donut Dollies averaged around 1,500 miles a week in our travels.  I’m not sure of the origin of that figure, but it was in my journal.  We would mainly program to troops, handout supplies and mail, etc.

Donut Dollie Suzie and I got dropped off once at the Loch Ninh air strip through a mix up.  There were no U.S. soldiers there… it was just us holding our program bag.  Fortunately, General Talbott, Commanding General of the Big Red One, swooped down in his chopper and removed us quickly.

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

We all had incidents like getting gassed, watching occasional rockets come into the base and sniper fire, but nothing serious, as the troops took care to protect us.

Were you ever injured while in Vietnam?

Not injured.

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

We visited those who were truly injured in hospitals.  It was always difficult, as many of those visited were just a few years younger than us.

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

The transition home was easy.  I got home with a trunk loaded with Vietnam memories and vowed to not open it for a while.  I went to the Baltimore Red Cross to thank them for allowing me to be a part of SRAO and was offered a job.  I started it a week or so later.  I didn’t open that trunk for years, which allowed me to spoon out those memories in select doses… and manage the emotions that way.  I joined Ron Kovic in DC protesting the poor care Vietnam vets were receiving from the VA.

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

I’d hope that people remember all of the women who served in Vietnam, but also remember that it took decades for those Vietnam vets to get welcomed home.. and some have never been.

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

My best memories are all about the people there, as well as the Donut Dollies that I am still fortunate to call friends.

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In our twenty eighth edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, Teri tells how she joined the Donut Dollie program and convinced two friends to join as well, how she visited the wounded soldiers on the USS Sanctuary Hospital ship in the South China sea, and that even after a long and exhausting day, see was happy to know that she gave a morale boost to the men.

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Please meet Red Cross Donut Dollie Teri Fisk Hermans…

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

I wanted to travel and do something exciting when I left college.  Also, I was an Army brat.  I was aware of some Red Cross programs, so I sent a letter to the Red Cross asking about job opportunities, and received information about the SRAO (Donut Dollie) program.  I told 2 of my friends from the University of Nebraska and they both joined the SRAO program, with one going to Korea and the other to Vietnam.

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

I attended the training class in Washington, DC at the end of July, 1969, and I was first stationed at Camp Eagle with the 101st Airborne Division from August – November, ’69; then Cam Ranh AFB from November ’69 – May ’70; and then at Cu Chi with the 25th Infantry Division from May – July ’70.  I was known as Teri in Vietnam.

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

At Camp Eagle and Cu Chi, which were both division base camps, we had clubmobile units that visited firebases.  Two women at a time rotated to do program development one week, and then 2 or 3 weeks in the field.  The week we developed a program, we stayed at the base camp, came up with original ideas, developed all the props for audience participation type games that would last one hour and could be carried in one large bag. The weeks we were in the field we were up at 6:30 or 7, had breakfast at the mess hall, 2 of us would meet our designated chopper with our bag of programs, fly out to firebases and do a one hour program, getting as many men involved in the activities as we could.  The men loved the deviation from their regular duties and/or boredom, if only for an hour.

A chopper (usually a Huey) was assigned to shuttle us from firebase to firebase, usually 4-5 firebases per day, then back to our base camp.  At the end of the day we were tired, hot, sweaty, dirty, and very gratified to know that we had boosted the morale of the guys in the field.  At Cam Ranh AFB we did not spend much time in the field, as we ran two recreation centers, much like USO Clubs, where there was coffee, pool tables and card games.  We planned all kinds of activities during the day that were well attended by the guys; some of them were pie eating contests (see photo), different tournaments, taking the guys to an orphanage, doing fashion shows, etc.

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

I experienced incoming several different times at Camp Eagle, usually at night, which kept our unit in the bunker.  Once at a firebase, we spent a long time in the TOC (Tactical Operations Center) due to incoming, and somehow we did not seem phased.  We always felt well protected… youth has its advantages!

Were you ever injured while in Vietnam?

Yes… this is ridiculous… I twisted my knee while dancing and had to wear a cast. Also, in our hooch at Cu Chi, while repairing a board for one of our programs that had a nail on it, it fell and hit my head, for which I had a few stitches.

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

Depressing in Vietnam, as they were always injured quite badly, but the guys always appreciated our visits.  I also had the opportunity to program on the USS Sanctuary Hospital Ship in the South China Sea…. those guys really appreciated our visit.  From 1970-71, I was with the Red Cross at the Long Beach and San Diego Naval Hospitals – most of the men in these facilities were not badly wounded, so we planned outings to baseball games, trips to the zoo, etc.

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

It was difficult… no one to talk to about my experiences and I couldn’t find a job. I visited my friend for a while in Arizona, then rejoined the Red Cross.

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

That it was a memorable, positive experience for most of us.  The work we did was appreciated and morale boosting…not to mention exciting.  We were young, loved what we were doing, didn’t think much about the dangers of war, and we felt we were helping in a way that we could.

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

Most veterans appreciated what we did… and yes, many friends/vets have thanked me.  A couple years ago I was in Santa Fe… my Colorado license plate holder says Donut Dollie in pretty small letters.  It was about 6AM, and this car is coming up behind me and the guy started honking and honking, then he pulled up beside me and said he was a vet, and asked if I was a Donut Dollie?  I said yes, and he thanked me.

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

The camaraderie of the women.  Many of these women (and their husbands who were vets) are still good friends.  We lived together, worked together and had experiences that most women never had.

The welcoming, wonderful guys.  We were so appreciated and felt we were doing something positive to help them.

I met my husband (to be) in Cu Chi and after 46 years, 2 kids and 4 grandchildren, it is still a great marriage.

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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.

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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.

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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)