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Meet Red Cross Donut Dollie Jan Small Woods
Published April 3, 2020 by Jim

Meet Red Cross Donut Dollie Jan Small Woods

In our 43rd edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, Jan tells how the Peace Corps’ loss was the Red Cross’ gain, that she had a close call with the VC and how she may have saved a young medic.

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 Jan Small Woods…

Donut Dollie Jan Small Woods holding the Special Forces snake

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

My plans to go into the Peace Corps fell thru so when I saw the ad in the Philadelphia paper I jumped at the chance to travel and maybe support our troops. 

—

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

I was at First Division my whole tour.  Not sure why (maybe the powers that be wanted me close to Saigon).  I was in Di An from November ’66 to April ’67.  I was TDY (temporary duty) in Lai Khe from April ’67 to May ’67 (our new hooch at Phu Loi wasn’t finished yet) and I was in Phu Loi from April ’67 to July ’67. 

No nickname with the troops (other than Jan), but I was given the name Jelly Donut from some of the reporters, because of my red hair.

Donut Dollie Jan Small Woods in the Recreation Center

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?   

Ha… no such thing as a routine day.  We tried to plan our helicopter trips to visit troops in the field, but often those plans would change depending on enemy troop movements.  In Di An, we had a very nice recreation center, so that was a little more “normal”.  We planned activities for the enlisted men at the center, sometimes even having little parties.

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Donut Dollie Jan Small Woods flying over Vietnam

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

Quite a few actually.  Many times we would have to run to the bunker – sometimes stuck in there for long periods of time – sometimes with our Vietnamese mamasans.  One time we were lifting off from a forward base and I started to wave to some people down in the woods, it turned out they were VC and they started shooting at us.  I imagine the red hair and blue dress was a little noticeable.    Luckily the door gunner took care of the problem.

Were you ever injured while in Vietnam?  

I did fall into some concertina wire late at night, but that was my own fault.  I forgot that the guards put the wire around our “hooch” at night.  That was a painful and stupid mistake.

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

These were very emotional times for us and I will never forget a GI I was talking to who was so upbeat and happy.  When I asked him why, he said because he was going home.  He had lost an eye and an arm, but he was happy?

How was the transition returning home to the United States?   

I went to NYC to study photography, as I wanted to go back and shoot the “true” war.  At that time in the summer of ’67 there were a lot of anti-war marches and it was very difficult to witness!!

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

Maybe we didn’t save the troops like the nurses did, but I truly do believe that we did a lot to  help with the mental aspect of these men.  I know personally that I “saved” one young medic who was losing it from being in the field for 8 months, so I went and made sure that his Captain got him on an R and R to recoup.  He later came to me to thank me for probably saving his life. 

How do you think the Veterans think of your time serving with them now?  Have any Veterans expressed their feelings to you directly?     

My ex-husband, who was a helicopter pilot in 1st Division, feels that women do not belong in a war zone – period!  So we never discussed the war.  The vet friends that I know on Facebook and from various conventions I’ve attended have all been supportive.   They realize our smiles made their day.   

Donut Dollie Jan Small Woods in the field with GI’s at Quan Loi

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

Visiting the troops in the field and making them laugh, visiting the orphanages run by the Catholic nuns, trips to Saigon to get my hair done and a good meal!!  

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PLEASE NOTE: THERE ARE 42 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)

The Donut Dollie Detail

air base American Legion American Legion Auxiliary AMERICAN RED CROSS OVERSEAS ASSOCIATION An Khe Ancient Way Film Festival ARCOA BERKSHIRE BERKSHIRE COUNTY Berkshire International Film Festival Bien Hoa Binh Thuy Cam Ranh Camp Eagle Camp Enari Chu Lai Cu Chi CUMMINGTON Da Nang Danang Di An Dian Documentary Dong Ba Thin Dong Tam Donut Dollie Donut Dollie Detail Donut Dollies DONUT DOLLY donutdollies.com donutdollys.com GI Film Festival Grand Teton Film Festival HAMPSHIRE COUNTY HELICOPTER Ho Chi Minh City Huey Julien Dubuque International Film Festival Korea Korean War Lai Khe Long Binh memories Nha Trang Palm Springs International Film Festival Phan Rang Phoenix Film Festival Phu Bai Phu Loi Pleiku Quang Tri Quy Nhon RED CROSS Saigon Schertz SRAO Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas thedonutdollies.com Tiburon International Film Festival Tuy Hoa veterans Veterans of Foreign Wars Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Vets VFW VFW Auxiliary vietnam Vietnam Vet Vietnam Veteran Vietnam Veterans Memorial Vietnam War VVMF Xuan Loc

Published March 9, 2020 by Jim

POSTPONED – Donut Dollies screenings at the Phoenix & Tiburon Film Fests

*****UPDATED INFORMATION — Unfortunately, we must announce that our screenings of the Donut Dollies Documentary scheduled on March 27th & 28th as part of the Phoenix Film Festival, as well as on April 18th as part of the Tiburon International Film Festival have been postponed.*****

Here are the details for the three screenings:

*****POSTPONED***** Phoenix Film Festival

*****POSTPONED***** Friday, March 27th @ 5:20 PM

*****POSTPONED***** Saturday, March 28th @ 9:10 AM

————

*****POSTPONED***** Tiburon International Film Festival

*****POSTPONED*****Saturday, April 18th

We look forward to seeing you at a screening in the near future.  Please check www.facebook.com/TheDonutDollies, www.DonutDollies.com or your email for the announcement of additional screenings in the coming months.

In The News

air base American Legion American Legion Auxiliary AMERICAN RED CROSS OVERSEAS ASSOCIATION An Khe ARCOA BERKSHIRE BERKSHIRE COUNTY Bien Hoa Binh Thuy Cam Ranh Camp Eagle Camp Enari Chu Lai Cu Chi CUMMINGTON Da Nang Danang Di An Dian Documentary Dong Ba Thien Dong Tam Donut Dollie Donut Dollie Detail Donut Dollies DONUT DOLLY donutdollies.com donutdollys.com HAMPSHIRE COUNTY HELICOPTER Ho Chi Minh City Huey Korea Korean War Lai Khe Long Binh memories Nha Trang Palm Springs International Film Festival Phan Rang Phoenix Film Festival Phu Bai Phu Loi Pleiku PSIFF Quang Tri Quy Nhon RED CROSS Saigon Schertz SRAO Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas thedonutdollies.com Tiburon International Film Festival Tuy Hoa veterans Veterans of Foreign Wars Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Vets VFW VFW Auxiliary vietnam Vietnam Vet Vietnam Veteran Vietnam Veterans Memorial Vietnam War VVMF Xuan Loc

The Donut Dollies appear on Palm Springs radio, TV and in newspaper feature
Published January 20, 2020 by Jim

The Donut Dollies appear on Palm Springs radio, TV and in newspaper feature

The Donut Dollies Documentary Team worked hard on getting the word out on the story of the Red Cross Donut Dollies at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.  In fact, the Donut Dollies hit the media trifecta of appearances on radio, TV and in print.  The first appearance took place on Friday the 10th with Norm Anderson (our film’s director) sitting down for an interview with news anchor Jeff Stahl on KESQ Channel 3 News.  You’ll find our behind the scenes video below, including the moment when anchor Angela Chen suggests that Donut Dollie Dorset, Norm’s mom, join them at the end of the segment.  Click here to see video

The Donut Dollies appear on KESQ-TV (L-R) Jeff Stahl, Norm Anderson, Dorset Anderson and Angela Chen

Norms’s next appearance was on the Joey English Show on KGX radio on Saturday the 11th.  Norm was the second of three filmmakers who had films showing at the PSIFF, with Norm’s segment running from the 7:40 – 11:40 marks at http://joeyenglish.com/2020/01/palm-springs-international-film-festival-segment (to scroll to the specific time, click in the light gray upper area of the audio player box)

Norm Anderson and Dorset Anderson following an appearance on the Joey English Show on KGX

The Donut Dollies final media appearance in Palm Springs was a feature article with interviews with Donut Dollies Dorset Anderson, who’s featured in our film and Linda Pelegrino, who is a local Palm Springs area Donut Dollie.  As you’ll see in the second paragraph, we were honored with reporter Winston Gieseke’s comparison of “The Donut Dollies” to Penny Marchall’s classic, “A League of Their Own”. Click on the photos below to expand and read the newspaper page (if text is too small, click on the photo again to magnify).

We were honored to bring the Donut Dollies story to the big screens of the Palm Springs International Film Festival, showing to two sold out crowds and one near sell out, to an audience of nearly 800.  We hope you’ll enjoy sharing in our excitement.  We thank you all for your support!

In The News

air base American Legion American Legion Auxiliary AMERICAN RED CROSS OVERSEAS ASSOCIATION An Khe ARCOA BERKSHIRE BERKSHIRE COUNTY Bien Hoa Binh Thuy Cam Ranh Camp Eagle Camp Enari Chu Lai Cu Chi CUMMINGTON Da Nang Danang Di An Dian Documentary Dong Ba Thien Dong Tam Donut Dollie Donut Dollie Detail Donut Dollies DONUT DOLLY donutdollies.com donutdollys.com HAMPSHIRE COUNTY HELICOPTER Ho Chi Minh City Huey Korea Korean War Lai Khe Long Binh memories Nha Trang Palm Springs International Film Festival Phan Rang Phu Bai Phu Loi Pleiku PSIFF Quang Tri Quy Nhon RED CROSS Saigon Schertz SRAO Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas thedonutdollies.com Tuy Hoa veterans Veterans of Foreign Wars Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Vets VFW VFW Auxiliary vietnam Vietnam Vet Vietnam Veteran Vietnam Veterans Memorial Vietnam War VVMF Xuan Loc

The Donut Dollies has second sold out screening at the Palm Springs International Film Festival
Published January 16, 2020 by Jim

The Donut Dollies has second sold out screening at the Palm Springs International Film Festival

Our third screening of The Donut Dollies at the Palm Springs International Film Festival on Sunday was sold out!  Prior to entering the theater a few of the Donut Dollies handed out donut holes to those waiting on line. 

Dorset Anderson at left (Vietnam ‘68-69 – featured in our film) and Karen Millar (Vietnam ’68-69), who served together in Cu Chi, handing out donut holes to the sold out crowd for our third screening of the Donut Dollies Documentary.

The Donut Dollies in attendance for this screening were: Dorset Anderson (Vietnam ‘68-69 – featured in our film), Cindy Broyles (Vietnam ’68-69), Karen Millar (Vietnam ’68-69), Linda Pelegríno (Vietnam ‘67), Cathie Rubins (Korea ’72) and Judi Stewart (Korea ’70-71).  

Norm Anderson, director of the Donut Dollies Documentary listens to the Q&A responses of Donut Dollies Dorset Anderson (Vietnam ‘68-69 – featured in our film), Linda Pelegríno (Vietnam ‘67), Cathie Rubins (Korea ’72), Karen Millar (Vietnam ’68-69 – holding the microphone) and Judi Stewart (Korea ’70-71).

Following the film, Jessica Eskelin of PSIFF led a Q&A session with Donut Dollies Dorset, Linda, Cathie, Karen and Judi.  During the Q&A, Karen shared that although the Donut Dollie’s experiences were unique, the film encapsulated their experience and Cathie stated that the film brought back so many memories.  Judi said that now people who didn’t know about the Donut Dollies will know they were for real.

A sold out crowd at our third screening at the Palm Springs International Film Festival listening intently to the Q&A session. Left to right are: Jessica Eskelin of PSIFF, Norm Anderson (director), Dorset Anderson (Vietnam ‘68-69 – featured in our film), Linda Pelegríno (Vietnam ‘67), Cathie Rubins (Korea ’72), Karen Millar (Vietnam ’68-69) and Judi Stewart (Korea ’70-71).

We thank the staff, volunteers and supporters of the Palm Springs International Film Festival for allowing us to share the Donut Dollies story with nearly 800 people.  We also thank all of the Donut Dollies, veterans and audience members who joined us in making this a memorable experience.   

The Donut Dollies Team, along with friends, family and supporters take flight to the next stop on this adventure. In the basket are: Bill Wishard of Wings Over Wendy’s, Norman E Anderson II, Jane Dorset Hoogland Anderson, Laura Garcia, Angeline Herron, Alexey Staroselets, Nok Sirikakan, NJ Sirikakan, Jim Gardner, Smith Glover and Jess Hill.

In The News

air base American Legion American Legion Auxiliary AMERICAN RED CROSS OVERSEAS ASSOCIATION An Khe ARCOA BERKSHIRE BERKSHIRE COUNTY Bien Hoa Binh Thuy Cam Ranh Camp Eagle Camp Enari Chu Lai Cu Chi CUMMINGTON Da Nang Danang Di An Dian Documentary Dong Ba Thien Dong Tam Donut Dollie Donut Dollie Detail Donut Dollies DONUT DOLLY donutdollies.com donutdollys.com HAMPSHIRE COUNTY HELICOPTER Ho Chi Minh City Huey Korea Korean War Lai Khe Long Binh memories Nha Trang Phan Rang Phu Bai Phu Loi Pleiku Quang Tri Quy Nhon RED CROSS Saigon Schertz SRAO Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas thedonutdollies.com Tuy Hoa veterans Veterans of Foreign Wars Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Vets VFW VFW Auxiliary vietnam Vietnam Vet Vietnam Veteran Vietnam Veterans Memorial Vietnam War VVMF Xuan Loc

Published January 11, 2020 by Jim

Donut Dollies recognized at the U.S. House of Representatives

We are excited to share a video of Rep. Flores recognizing the Donut Dollies from the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday.  Rep. Flores is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas’s 17th district.  It’s possible that Rep. Flores was moved by a magazine feature on Donut Dollie Mary Bowe in the Schertz (TX) Magazine released earlier this month.  

As you know, Mary is one of the Donut Dollies we feature in our film, documenting their return to Vietnam for the first time in almost 50 years.  You can view Mary’s article and scrolling to pages 34-36 — https://issuu.com/schertz/docs/schertzmagazine_january2020_issuu

In honor of all Donut Dollies who served, please share Rep. Flores’ video far and wide.

In The News

air base American Legion American Legion Auxiliary AMERICAN RED CROSS OVERSEAS ASSOCIATION An Khe ARCOA BERKSHIRE BERKSHIRE COUNTY Bien Hoa Binh Thuy Cam Ranh Camp Eagle Camp Enari Chu Lai Cu Chi CUMMINGTON Da Nang Danang Di An Dian Documentary Dong Ba Thien Dong Tam Donut Dollie Donut Dollie Detail Donut Dollies DONUT DOLLY donutdollies.com donutdollys.com HAMPSHIRE COUNTY HELICOPTER Ho Chi Minh City Huey Korea Korean War Lai Khe Long Binh memories Nha Trang Phan Rang Phu Bai Phu Loi Pleiku Quang Tri Quy Nhon RED CROSS Saigon Schertz SRAO Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas thedonutdollies.com Tuy Hoa veterans Veterans of Foreign Wars Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Vets VFW VFW Auxiliary vietnam Vietnam Vet Vietnam Veteran Vietnam Veterans Memorial Vietnam War VVMF Xuan Loc

The Donut Dollies draws sold out crowd at second showing at the Palm Springs International Film Fest
Published January 10, 2020 by Jim

The Donut Dollies draws sold out crowd at second showing at the Palm Springs International Film Fest

The Donut Dollies Documentary screened to a sold out crowd on Tuesday (Jan 6th) at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and we were honored to have six Donut Dollies in attendance, they are (L-R): Judy Odenbreit (Vietnam ’65-66), Linda Cranor (Korea ’70-71), Linda Pelegríno (Vietnam ‘67), Dorset Anderson (Vietnam ‘68-69 – featured in our film), Mary Cohoe (Vietnam ‘68-69) and Larry Hines (Vietnam ‘68-69).

The Q&A following the screening included (L-R) Jess Hill (producer), Norm Anderson (director), Dorset Anderson (Vietnam ‘68-69 – one of the Donut Dollies featured in our film) and Doug Bradley (Vietnam veteran and author).  While the photo below shows an animated moment during the Q&A session, following the screening a young woman who had recently served our country approached us to say that she hadn’t heard of the Donut Dollies before, but was glad to have learned about these women.  We are honored to know that the Donut Dollies story reaches across the years and can connect with a wide audience. 

We thank everyone who attended this screening and our heartfelt thanks go out to Judy, Linda, Linda, Dorset, Mary and Larry!

At Tuesday’s screening of our film to a sold out crowd at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, we were honored to have six Donut Dollies in attendance, they are (L-R): Judy Odenbreit (Vietnam ’65-66), Linda Cranor (Korea ’70-71), Linda Pelegríno (Vietnam ‘67), Dorset Anderson (Vietnam ‘68-69 – featured in our film), Mary Cohoe (Vietnam ‘68-69) and Larry Hines (Vietnam ‘68-69).
The Q&A following the screening included (L-R) Jess Hill (producer), Norm Anderson (director), Dorset Anderson (Vietnam ‘68-69 – one of the Donut Dollies featured in our film) and Doug Bradley (Vietnam veteran and author).

In The News

air base American Legion American Legion Auxiliary AMERICAN RED CROSS OVERSEAS ASSOCIATION An Khe ARCOA BERKSHIRE BERKSHIRE COUNTY Bien Hoa Binh Thuy Cam Ranh Camp Eagle Camp Enari Chu Lai Cu Chi CUMMINGTON Da Nang Danang Di An Dian Documentary Dong Ba Thien Dong Tam Donut Dollie Donut Dollie Detail Donut Dollies DONUT DOLLY donutdollies.com donutdollys.com HAMPSHIRE COUNTY HELICOPTER Ho Chi Minh City Huey Korea Korean War Lai Khe Long Binh memories Nha Trang Phan Rang Phu Bai Phu Loi Pleiku Quang Tri Quy Nhon RED CROSS Saigon Schertz SRAO Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas thedonutdollies.com Tuy Hoa veterans Veterans of Foreign Wars Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Vets VFW VFW Auxiliary vietnam Vietnam Vet Vietnam Veteran Vietnam Veterans Memorial Vietnam War VVMF Xuan Loc

Capacity crowd attends first screening at the Palm Springs International Film Festival
Published January 8, 2020 by Jim

Capacity crowd attends first screening at the Palm Springs International Film Festival

We had the first screening of our film at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and we were honored to have five Donut Dollies in attendance, they are (L-R): Larry Hines (Vietnam ‘68-69), Lou Rundle (Vietnam ’71-72), Dorset Anderson (Vietnam ‘68-69 – featured in our film), Mary Cohoe (Vietnam ‘68-69) and Linda Pelegríno (Vietnam ‘67).

During the Q&A session following, the responses from each of the DD’s were emotional and moving. This was a first time viewing for four of the Donut Dollies and they stated that the film represented their experiences accurately, with one explaining that the film provided a sense of healing and allowed her to feel comfortable in sharing her own story. One of the highlights came from Mary Cohoe, who is the only Native American woman who served as a Donut Dollie, and she presented a greeting to the audience in her Navajo Indian Language.

We thank everyone who attended this screening and our heartfelt thanks go out to Larry, Lou, Mary, Linda and Dorset!

At our first screening of our film at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, we were honored to have 5 Donut Dollies in attendance, they are (L-R): Larry Hines (Vietnam ‘68-69), Lou Rundle (Vietnam ’71-72), Dorset Anderson (Vietnam ‘68-69 – featured in our film), Mary Cohoe (Vietnam ‘68-69) and Linda Pelegríno (Vietnam ‘67).

In The News

air base American Legion American Legion Auxiliary AMERICAN RED CROSS OVERSEAS ASSOCIATION An Khe ARCOA BERKSHIRE BERKSHIRE COUNTY Bien Hoa Binh Thuy Cam Ranh Camp Eagle Camp Enari Chu Lai Cu Chi CUMMINGTON Da Nang Danang Di An Dian Documentary Dong Ba Thien Dong Tam Donut Dollie Donut Dollie Detail Donut Dollies DONUT DOLLY donutdollies.com donutdollys.com HAMPSHIRE COUNTY HELICOPTER Ho Chi Minh City Huey Korea Korean War Lai Khe Long Binh memories Nha Trang Phan Rang Phu Bai Phu Loi Pleiku Quang Tri Quy Nhon RED CROSS Saigon Schertz SRAO Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas thedonutdollies.com Tuy Hoa veterans Veterans of Foreign Wars Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Vets VFW VFW Auxiliary vietnam Vietnam Vet Vietnam Veteran Vietnam Veterans Memorial Vietnam War VVMF Xuan Loc

DonutDollies.com surpasses 100,000 views
Published December 22, 2019 by Jim

DonutDollies.com surpasses 100,000 views

Today we thank all of the Donut Dollies, veterans and supporters who have viewed our posts, videos and photos at DonutDollies.com, helping us reach the 100,000 views threshold!  Additionally, we’ve also just surpassed the 500 comment mark and really appreciate everyone who have used our website to share memories of their service during the Korean and Vietnam Wars.  

By sharing DonutDollies.com with family, friends, Donut Dollies and veterans, you will help our site continue in spreading the story of the Donut Dollies.

In The News

air base American Legion American Legion Auxiliary AMERICAN RED CROSS OVERSEAS ASSOCIATION An Khe ARCOA BERKSHIRE BERKSHIRE COUNTY Bien Hoa Binh Thuy Cam Ranh Camp Eagle Camp Enari Chu Lai Cu Chi CUMMINGTON Da Nang Danang Di An Dian Documentary Dong Ba Thien Dong Tam Donut Dollie Donut Dollie Detail Donut Dollies DONUT DOLLY donutdollies.com donutdollys.com HAMPSHIRE COUNTY HELICOPTER Ho Chi Minh City Huey Korea Korean War Lai Khe Long Binh memories Nha Trang Phan Rang Phu Bai Phu Loi Pleiku Quang Tri Quy Nhon RED CROSS Saigon Schertz SRAO Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas thedonutdollies.com Tuy Hoa veterans Veterans of Foreign Wars Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Vets VFW VFW Auxiliary vietnam Vietnam Vet Vietnam Veteran Vietnam Veterans Memorial Vietnam War VVMF Xuan Loc

The Donut Dollies win Best Documentary Feature award at the 2019 GI Film Festival San Diego
Published October 5, 2019 by Jim

The Donut Dollies win Best Documentary Feature award at the 2019 GI Film Festival San Diego

We are so excited to share the moment (9/28) our film, The Donut Dollies, won Best Documentary Feature at the GI Film Festival San Diego!  We thank the women and veterans that served in Korea and Vietnam, especially those who shared their stories and archival materials with us, all of the donors who have supported our project over the last five years, the songwriters and musicians who shared their music with us, and all of the people who generously provided advice, guidance and support to bring our project to fruition.  

Enjoy this special moment with Dorset and Mary by viewing the video here.

In The News

air base American Legion American Legion Auxiliary AMERICAN RED CROSS OVERSEAS ASSOCIATION An Khe ARCOA BERKSHIRE BERKSHIRE COUNTY Bien Hoa Binh Thuy Cam Ranh Camp Eagle Camp Enari Chu Lai Cu Chi CUMMINGTON Da Nang Danang Di An Dian Documentary Dong Ba Thien Dong Tam Donut Dollie Donut Dollie Detail Donut Dollies DONUT DOLLY donutdollies.com donutdollys.com HAMPSHIRE COUNTY HELICOPTER Ho Chi Minh City Huey Korea Korean War Lai Khe Long Binh memories Nha Trang Phan Rang Phu Bai Phu Loi Pleiku Quang Tri Quy Nhon RED CROSS Saigon Schertz SRAO Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas thedonutdollies.com Tuy Hoa veterans Veterans of Foreign Wars Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Vets VFW VFW Auxiliary vietnam Vietnam Vet Vietnam Veteran Vietnam Veterans Memorial Vietnam War VVMF Xuan Loc

Published September 6, 2019 by Jim

An award nom and a sneak peak at The Donut Dollies Documentary

Dear Donut Dollie Documentary supporters,

We are nearing the official public release of this labor-of-love project and wanted to share with you some exciting updates.

When we originally envisioned this documentary, we had a timeline that we thought was ambitious but do-able. There have been some unexpected twists and delays along the way, but we believe the added time and effort has allowed us to make the best film we could. There’s been an outpouring of interest and support – including terrific interviews with Donut Dollies and veterans all around the country, and a generous sharing of amazing and mostly unseen archival film and photos from 80 different individuals.

It’s truly taken a village to make this film, and everyone’s efforts are culminating in a project we think and hope is worthy of the Donut Dollies. Here are a few major milestones:

Color Grading – our film has been professionally graded (color corrected and balanced) and mastered in 4K by The Mill in Los Angeles, CA. This has brought an amazing balance and life to the archival film, photos and filmed interviews included in our documentary.

Final Audio Mix – filming on location in Vietnam brought with it a lot of audio challenges. Our talented audio mixers completed the final sound mix at Westwind Media in Burbank, CA earlier this summer. Both companies, and the talented teams that worked their magic on our film, regularly work on film and TV projects that are seen around the world, and we are honored to have them be part of our project.

Another important component of our film is the music, which we believe will provide viewers with an added memorable and emotional experience.  We’re finishing up the music licensing for 51 songs from 16 artists and groups. We’re proud that all of our music comes from talented independent musicians, providing a unique and moving accompaniment to the unique, amazing stories of the Donut Dollies.

The next step in the process of completing the film is submitting it for final legal/clearance review to a law firm that specializes in independent documentaries. This is a crucial step to ensure everything is in order with licensing, clearances, appearance releases, etc., before we can make and share DVDs of the film and seek widespread distribution via broadcast and/or streaming services.

Speaking of sharing the film, we’ve been selected to screen at the GI Film Festival in San Diego, CA at the end of September. And we’ve been nominated for their Best Documentary Feature award (our first)! If you’ll be in San Diego on September 28th, please get your tickets soon and see the film on the big screen. https://gifilmfestivalsd.org/2019/movies/the-donut-dollies

We’re also hoping to screen the film at other festivals around the country, so if you know of one in your area – or know anyone involved in festival programming – please let us know!

I know some folks have wondered when/if the film would be completed, and everyone who’s supported us is eager to see it. I want to thank you for your support, encouragement and patience, and I assure you the film will be coming your way soon. I believe you’ll feel it’s been worth the wait and helps ensure the Donut Dollies are honored and remembered for their role in American History.

If you haven’t previously reserved a DVD or digital download, please email us at memories@donutdollies.com or sign up for our mailing list on DonutDollies.com or at list@donutdollies.com to get updates about availability and screenings.

In the meantime, please enjoy a 3 minute sneak preview – an intro segment from near the beginning of the film: https://youtu.be/FA0d_YW-giY

Thank you again for your support, and stay tuned for more updates soon!

Gratefully,

Norm and the Donut Dollies Documentary Crew

In The News

air base American Legion American Legion Auxiliary AMERICAN RED CROSS OVERSEAS ASSOCIATION An Khe ARCOA BERKSHIRE BERKSHIRE COUNTY Bien Hoa Binh Thuy Cam Ranh Camp Eagle Camp Enari Chu Lai Cu Chi CUMMINGTON Da Nang Danang Di An Dian Documentary Dong Ba Thien Dong Tam Donut Dollie Donut Dollie Detail Donut Dollies DONUT DOLLY donutdollies.com donutdollys.com HAMPSHIRE COUNTY HELICOPTER Ho Chi Minh City Huey Korea Korean War Lai Khe Long Binh memories Nha Trang Phan Rang Phu Bai Phu Loi Pleiku Quang Tri Quy Nhon RED CROSS Saigon Schertz SRAO Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas thedonutdollies.com Tuy Hoa veterans Veterans of Foreign Wars Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Vets VFW VFW Auxiliary vietnam Vietnam Vet Vietnam Veteran Vietnam Veterans Memorial Vietnam War VVMF Xuan Loc

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The Donut Dollies Documentary - © Right Hand Man Productions LLP 2014 - 2021