In our 57th edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, Diane tells how patriotism led to her join the SRAO program in Vietnam, that she was one of the few Donut Dollies who were injured in-country and how she didn’t allow it to discourage her from completing her one year tour, and how she met her future husband in Vietnam, to whom she’s been married 51 years.

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 Diane Love Crocker…

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

I was raised in a very patriotic family with many aunts and uncles that served both in WWI, WWII and Korea.   My father was too young for WWI and too old for WWII, although he did a great deal of work for the government during WWII.  I had always felt that as one of three girls in our family, that if there was ever a war, of course I would go.  I never had any desire for a military career, but when I read about the SRAO program it sounded like a good fit, even though the Red Cross had a few doubts about me due to the fact that I had been raised in comfortable surroundings.  Little did they know about the strength of Southern women!!

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

I arrived in-country in November, 1966 and was sent to An Khe with the First Air Cavalry Division for about 6 months.  I then was transferred to Bien Hoa with the 173rd Airborne, where I served as the Program Director from April to mid-July, 1967 (I had to wait for my jaw to heal, but more on that below). My last assignment was from mid-July to late November, 1967, back to the highlands at Pleiku with the 4th Infantry Division, where I was the Unit Director. I felt so fortunate to serve with two incredible Generals – General  Norton with the 1st Air Cav and General Peers with the 4th Infantry.  They both were so very supportive of the work we were doing and did everything in their power to get us where we were most needed.

I’ve always been known as Diane.

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

There were very few routine days for us, at least in the units I was in.  In An Khe we had 8 girls and different areas to cover – the on-base recreation center (card games, pingpong, snacks, etc.), trips to firebases in the forward areas – weather permitting, and visits to different units on base camp where we would present a program.  We always had at least two people in the recreation center, the forward areas had 2- 4 girls who would go out in 2 separate aircraft and the remaining 2 – 4 women would be on base camp.  We had to fit in time for program planning and preparation, housekeeping and everyone had one day off for laundry, etc.

We never went anywhere alone, so sometimes there might have been 3 people in the recreation center, with one of them working on the next week’s program.  It was very day to day and even though we planned the week as best we could, we always knew there would be changes.  Also, each unit had different priorities.  The 173rd Brigade was smaller, with more on-base programing and less firebase visits.  The 4th Division had a lot of forward area firebase visits, as well as on-base programs.  But anything I could say about the units I served with could be the exact opposite of what happened in other units.  Support units were very different from combat units – I have always felt that Vietnam was contradictory on almost every level. 

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

I think most of us that served with combat units had an occasional “close call”.  Once we were headed out to a forward firebase and the helicopter crashed after it had dropped us off.  A couple of times they dropped us at a firebase only to return after a few minutes to pick us back up due to enemy activity in the area.  Almost all of us experienced occasional trips to the bunkers due to incoming fire, but strangely I never was really frightened.  

The scariest thing I can remember was going to the latrine one night and looking to my right to see a giant fuzzy spider on the wall.  I let out a yell and the poor MP on duty came running and thankfully called out to see if I was OK, instead of barging in:)   One day we were visiting an artillery unit and as we safely stood on a high hill, we watched an infantry company below racing through rice paddies with rifles at the ready.  As so often happened in Vietnam, it was a very surreal moment.

Were you ever injured while in Vietnam?

I was one of the ones who was injured in Vietnam.  While driving to do a program at the Long Bien base on one of the few paved roads in Vietnam, our driver took a turn a little quickly and I was throw out of the Jeep.  I looked up and my Donut Dollie partner and the driver looked at me as though I was a ghost.  Apparently my chin and the road found each other and there was a lot of blood.  Thankfully, the head of dental surgery happened to be at the base that day and he stitched my chin and wired my broken jaw, and after a few days I was sent back to Bien Hoa.  The driver felt so bad that he drove to the airbase every day to get me a milkshake, since I could only eat soft food. 

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

Visiting the men in the hospitals was so rewarding and could also be very sad, depending on the situations.  It meant the world to the men and we tried to wear our blue uniforms as often as we could.  If they saw us in our uniforms, how bad could it be?  Sometimes we had to wear our fatigues due to weather and other conditions.  I will feel so grateful that I had the opportunity to give something back to those incredible young men.

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

The transition home was another surreal experience.  I left Vietnam 2 days after being at a forward firebase with a raging battle going on a mile away  – I cant remember the name of the battle, but what I do remember was watching the wounded coming in and being lifted into helicopters.  After I was home and watching the news, they were discussing THAT firebase and THAT battle – it was very hard to absorb and I had mixed emotions of wishing I was back there and being so grateful to be home.

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

The majority of the women I served with were incredible.  I have been fortunate to be able to keep in touch with some of these wonderful women.  I have always felt that I received so much more than I could have ever given.  It was a truly life changing experience for me. 

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

At the time I served in Vietnam, there were men that doubted our morals and our sincerity.  Being from a very loving and protective family, I never had either of those virtues questioned and it was hard emotionally to deal with that.  However, once they saw us in the field, many minds were changed and many apologies came my (and our) way. 

So many men called my parents when they returned home and my sister said our house was often like a USO canteen with GIs coming for lunch or dinner while in Atlanta.  In 1993, veterans lined Constitution Avenue in Washington, DC when the Vietnam Women’s Memorial was dedicated, and so many of us were allowed to march and welcomed with thank yous from the men that had served.  It was such an incredible and moving day.

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

This is a hard one, but I will try.  

Living with so many wonderful and interesting women is one.  

Meeting my future husband is another, although I did not know he would be my future husband – he had extended his service for 6 more months after I left.  Gary came through to meet my family in Atlanta and to see if what we felt in Vietnam on his way to his next assignment in Washington, DC was still there. We did feel that it was real and lasting, so we dated back and forth from his base in Washington, DC to Atlanta. We got engaged in the fall of 1968 and married in April of 1969:)

Having the opportunity to visit the Montagnard villagers that the 1st Air Cav had rescued and relocated was amazing.  

We were asked to lunch by an ARVN Colonel (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) – needless to say we contacted our headquarters in Saigon and they sent someone up to accompany us for that visit.  It was a very interesting and insightful day.  

Occasionally we had a long weekend of R&R that allowed us to visit Red Cross units in other areas of the country – for me it was Danang, Qui Nhon, Nha Trang and Cam Ranh Bay.  

One of my fondest memories is of flying over the gorgeous country to our various programing destinations – via helicopters of various types, the C-130, Chinooks, the C-47, the Caribou and a little fixed wing plane that I can’t remember the name of.  

Another fond memory is Christmas with a small unit – a beautiful church service followed by us serving Christmas dinner to the men.  Although we missed the Bob Hope show in An Khe, our Christmas was so meaningful.  

So many other memories come and go through my mind – hopefully I will start to write them down for the grandchildren.

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In our 56th edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, Peggy tells how she joined the Donut Dollie program to support the men who were drafted, how just hearing a female voice over the phone brightened the day of the men on the Tuy Hoa base, and that following her year in Vietnam she signed up for an additional year with the Red Cross in the states and then with the Department of the Army in West Germany.

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 Peggy Lynd Kelly…

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

As a history/political science major at University of New York at Albany, I was intensely interested in the news and felt that it was so unfair that only males were drafted and expected to serve their country.  I wanted to help end the war or at least make it better for those who were there.

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

My first assignment was at Tuy Hoa Air Force Base where I served from November ’69 – February ’70, I then transferred to Cu Chi and was there from February ’70 – July ’70 and during my time there, I did TDY (temporary duty assignment) at Cam Ranh Bay Air Force in May of ’70.  My last assignment was at II Field Force from August ’70 – November ’70.  My formal name is Margaret, so my nickname is Peggy.

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

At my first assignment in Tuy Hoa, we lived in trailers and walked every day to the Red Cross recreation center, and worked either a morning shift or an afternoon shift, with 2 of us on at night.  It was the monsoon season, so many of our clubmobile runs by chopper out to the firebases were cancelled.  In the morning we taped a phone message for the dining hall and the name of the movie and other activities happening at the recreation center.  All the guys loved calling that number just to hear a female voice.

At my last 2 units we would be on a chopper by early morning heading out to a firebase.  Sometimes some 19-year-old Warrant Officer chopper pilot would try to scare us with some moves, but the longer we were in country, the more we got used to it.  

When programing for the men, we would have an audience participation program with the infantry and then also do one with the artillery unit.  We would usually eat at the base and noticed that the artillery unit usually had better meals.  We would then go on to another firebase and do it all over again, introducing ourselves and telling what state we were from.  The guys always loved that.

Sometimes it seemed like ages waiting for a chopper to come pick us up and take us back to Cu Chi.  There were times that all of us were waiting for the water truck to fill the water tank for the shower in our Quonset hut known as the “Doll House”.  All of us would have a layer of red clay all over our exposed bodies and couldn’t wait for the shower.  We all had “lifer tans” on our arms and legs showing where our uniform sleeves and hem stopped.  Since we were in the sun much of our work day, most of the Donut Dollies had a distinctive tan.  On weekends we worked in our office and had to go to Commanding General Mess.  

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

One time we were on a chopper heading to Bearcat base, when the pilot informed us that there was incoming fire going on there, so we had to go another base.

The day our Donut Dollie class was heading back to the world, the flight was cancelled and we had to stay at a hotel in Saigon.  I shared a room with a gal who was at Cu Chi when a newly arrived Donut Dollie was killed there in August of ’70 (see more details at www.donutdollies.com/tag/ginny-kirsch).  Needless to say, my classmate was having a rough time.  In the middle of the night, someone knocked on our door and yelled out our names and saying, “I know you are in there”.  Never again would I ever write my first name at a hotel, initial only.

Were you ever injured while in Vietnam?

No

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

One time at II Field Force our runs were cancelled, and we did visit a hospital.  When you are doing your job, you see all those men serving and you know there are some on the firebases suffering in their own way. We found that those in the hospital didn’t want our pity.

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

I flew on a red eye from San Francisco the night before Thanksgiving sitting next to a college friend who flunked out of law school, got drafted and was coming back from a year in Thailand.  While everyone else was asleep we caught up on college news, etc.

My family met me at the airport in Rochester, NY and holding on to the cold railing, I realized I was home!  Later at a big family dinner, the only person I could relate to was my cousin, Larry Lynd, who served in Vietnam the year before in one of the units I visited, the 199^th Infantry Brigade near Long Binh.

I was able to continue to work for the American Red Cross as a Youth Director in Wheeling, West Virginia.  As part of my job, I gave many speeches and show slides of the activities of the Red Cross. 

I was not happy there, so after one year I left and got a job with the Department of the Army, similar to the Donut Dollies as a Program Director of a Recreation Center on an US Army installation in West Germany. There were many Donut Dollies who did the same thing.  For those who went with the Army, I called us “Stale Donuts”. 

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

We were all different and had different reasons for being there.  Even though I only had a sister and didn’t have lots of experience with males, I found the GIs were like my brothers.  From then until today, I can talk to a group of guys and not feel intimidated.  Also, as a mother of 2 sons, I feel very fortunate. 

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

They are grateful and I have had the opportunity to participate in the Story Telling at the Vietnam Women’s Memorial, both on many Memorial Days and this past Veterans Day.  All kinds of guys, ‘Our Brothers”, would come up and chat with me. 

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

When I was at Cu Chi, a guy from my neighborhood came to the Doll House (our Quonset hut) to visit.  All I could think of was memories of him as an altar boy and a young kid shooting baskets in our backyard.

At the end of my tour, some guy loaned me the book “Love Story”, that I read on the plane home.  I made sure to send it back to him, since his wife sent it to him and wrote a personal note inside of it. 

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

Please share the Donut Dollie Detail with family, friends and veterans you may know, and make sure to like/follow us on Facebook to learn when the next edition is posted.  

Please meet Red Cross Donut Dollie Kit Sparrow Cotton…

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

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

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

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

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

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

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

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

Were you ever injured while in Vietnam?

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

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

I don’t remember visiting soldiers in hospitals.

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PLEASE NOTE: THERE ARE 54 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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My name is Joanne, but I go by Jody.

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

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

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

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

Were you ever injured while in Vietnam?

No

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

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

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Please share the Donut Dollie Detail with family, friends and veterans you may know, and make sure to like/follow us on Facebook to learn when the next edition is posted.  

Please meet Red Cross Donut Dollie Nancy Calcese…

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

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

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

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

What was a routine day like in Korea?

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

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What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

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

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

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

Were you ever injured while in Korea or Vietnam?

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

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

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

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Please share the Donut Dollie Detail with family, friends and veterans you may know, and make sure to like/follow us on Facebook to learn when the next edition is posted.  

Please meet Red Cross Donut Dollie Karen Kent…

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

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

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

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

I had no nickname in Vietnam.

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

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

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

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

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

Were you ever injured while in Vietnam?

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

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

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

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

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

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Joyce MacConnachie Kirk…

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

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

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

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

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

What was a routine day like in Vietnam?

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

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

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

Were you ever injured while in Vietnam?

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

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

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

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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In our 46th edition of the Donut Dollie Detail, Gloria tells that thanks to a Korean baker (Mr. Kim), she was able to bring donuts to the men, how the Donut Dollies would visit the men of the Mobile Riverine Force, and that she and the other women loved their country and serving the men.

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 Gloria Glover Gates…

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

The offer to go to South Korea and serve with our military.  How exciting and different from anything I could have imagined doing right out of college. 

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

After two weeks of training at the American Red Cross headquarters in Washington, D.C., we boarded a flight to Tacoma, Washington.  There we waited for the next military flight to Seoul, Korea.  We arrived in Korea on September 12, 1967. After more training at SRAO headquarters in Seoul we traveled to our assigned units.  I was stationed at Camp Humphreys, home of the 28th Field Support Group from September until the first week of January of 1967.  In early January of 1968 I left Korea for Vietnam and arrived at the Bear Cat base (9th Infantry Division).  I was known as Gloria in both Korea and Vietnam.

What was a routine day like in Korea and Vietnam?

In Korea, we lived on base and worked out of an office provided by the military. We had a truck and driver assigned to us, and a baker, Mr. Kim, who made dozens of donuts every day.  We delivered them to the  men we visited. Our programs were popular, but the men really loved the donuts. We carried boxes with 5 dozen donuts in each box. If we were headed out on a long run we would tie 5 boxes together. We traveled by truck, train or bus that would get us to the village closest to the unit we were visiting. Riding the train or bus gave us opportunity to meet many of the Korean people. Of course the children knew our schedule better than we did. We gave away many of the donuts before we got to the men. That is why we took so many. Our programs provided fun opportunities to give the men time away from their daily routine. They were so glad to have us visit and loved to talk with us about home and family.  

Two of us volunteered to transfer to Vietnam after some of the Donut Dollies had to go home early. We left Korea in early January of ‘68 and stayed in Saigon about a week for training. The TET holiday started about two weeks after I arrived in country.  I was assigned to the unit at Bear Cat, home of the 9th Infantry Division. We lived in a one story wood building called a billet. Each of us had a small room, with barbed wire crisscrossing the ceiling, a single bed, small dresser, but no air conditioning. We shared a bath with showers. Water for the showers was brought in by truck and stored on the roof in 50 gallon barrels. Our Mamasan washed our uniforms and did some light cleaning. Our billet was surrounded by a high fence with barbed wire on the top. A single gate was the only way in or out. An MP was assigned to guard the gate or sit inside the fence, depending on any security threat. We did live inside a big base, but the enemy was right outside the perimeter.

The helicopter base was right next door, so getting a ride to the delta every morning was easy, but the dust, was really bad. Our rooms, clothes, and hair stayed dusty all the time.  The pilots, crew and mechanics were some of our favorite people, so we never complained.

We traveled around Bear Cat to visit units, the hospital or to work on our programs in our office. But most days we flew out by helicopter to visit fire support bases, a cleared area with big guns and lots of bunkers. We usually ended up at Dong Tam or on one of the Navy ships on the Mekong River. The Mobile Riverine Force used these ships for resupply.  We visited and served meals if asked too, and shared goodies that Red Cross units back home sent us for the men.  Socks (any kind) and magazines were their favorite items. We had to be back every night by sundown. We usually caught a Huey back to Bear Cat by listening for a chopper and getting the radio operator to ask if they were going our way. Most were very happy to land and pick us up. 

My next unit was in beautiful Nha Trang, right on the South China Sea. We had a recreation center where men who had come in from the field would come for coffee, Kool-aid, ping pong, checkers, chess, and arts and craft.  The base was huge and every branch of our military was there. We scheduled visits if we were asked and did our programs on truck beds, ship decks, motor pools, and open fields. Our billet was a ‘French’ villa left behind when the French lived in Nha Trang. Walled and with a guard at the gate, we felt safe in our house. But the guard went home at night and we had most of the mortar attacks during the night. 

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

No close calls, just mortar attacks

Were you ever injured while in Korea or Vietnam?

No injuries. 

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

When visiting the hospitals, I tried only to remember faces, not names. Then when names of those lost were called, it didn’t hurt as much. Hospital visits involved seeing men wounded with terrible injuries. Burns were the worst. 

How was the transition returning home to the United States?

My year ended with a C130 flight back to Saigon. I had spent the most exciting year of my life with some amazing men.  But now I was going home. Real bread and milk on the freedom bird tasted so good. Everyone on this flight was so excited, but had to be reminded to change into civilian clothes once we were in San Francisco. We did make an emergency landing on Adak in the chain of islands off Alaska because a civilian on board being returned to the states became very ill. The pilot dumped fuel and we landed on a very short runway. The man was taken for medical care, the plane was refueled and we were on our way again.  I came home with 5 boxes of slides. When groups found out about where I had been, I was asked to speak and share my slides all over North Mississippi, parts of west Tennessee, and even Arkansas.

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

They loved their country, its military, and wanted to be a part of what our country was trying to do for the Korean and Vietnamese people.

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

They were surprised we were there, but grateful we came. 

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

The women I worked with loved their country, its military and wanted to do something for the men.  They were smart, talented and kindhearted women who had volunteered to do a very hard job.  The days were very long, danger was always there, but they never failed to do what was asked of them.  Long hours in a bunker at Bear Cat or under the stairwell in Nha Trang were just another part of their job. 

Both countries were so beautiful. Traveling by train in Korea, visiting the Pearl Buck orphanage in Seoul, programming on the Navy ships that resupplied the Mobile Riverine Force, R&R in Australia, early morning helicopter flights into the Delta, and James Brown and Martha Ray coming to BearCat.

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