What were Donut Dollies in Vietnam?

Female Red Cross workers answered the call to duty again during the Korean War. In its early stages, they earned the endearing nickname, “Donut Dollies,” turning out up to 20,000 donuts a day for American Soldiers disembarking troop ships in Pusan. The Donut Dollies were most visible to troops serving in Vietnam.

What did Donut Dollies do in Vietnam?

The women he wanted to thank were “Donut Dollies,” two among 600 women working with the American Red Cross who traveled to Vietnam to give a few hours of respite to troops longing for home, to play word games or just sit and chat.

How many Donut Dollies died in Vietnam?

Three Donut Dollies died in Vietnam: one from an illness, one in a Jeep accident and one, newly arrived in 1970, was stabbed to death in her quarters in Cu Chi, outside Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City.

What is a Donut Dollie?

Donut Dollies was the popular term used to refer to the American Red Cross women who volunteered to work overseas in mobile service clubs called clubmobiles.

When did the Donut Dollies start?

The Donut Dollies program was first created in World War II and was brought back during the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam. Popel was a Donut Dollie from September 1969 until November 1970. "You had to be a college graduate. I went to Washington, D.C., for two weeks of intensive training," she said.

Meet The Donut Dollies...

What did the Red Cross do in Vietnam?

Red Cross staff served on military installations throughout South Vietnam, providing help with personal and family problems, help in emergency situations and aid with communications to and from home. At its peak in 1969, the Red Cross operated 67 field stations in Vietnam staffed by more than 200 field personnel.

How many US soldiers served in Vietnam?

Fighting resumed and South Vietnam eventually surrendered to the forces of North Vietnam in April 1975. Approximately 2,700,000 American men and women served in Vietnam. It was the first war in which the US failed to meet its objectives. It was also the first time America failed to welcome its veterans back as heroes.

What is the Red Cross in ww2?

The American Red Cross involvement in World War II preceded the entrance of the United States into the conflict. When hostilities began in Europe in 1939, the Red Cross became the chief provider of relief supplies for the civilian victims of conflict distributed by the Geneva-based International Red Cross Committee.

What did the Red Cross do in ww1?

The American Red Cross made a major contribution to aid the wounded during World War I. Within weeks of the outbreak of the war it dispatched The Mercy Ship, which brought surgeons, nurses, and medical supplies to Europe.

What was the women's role in World war 2?

Approximately 350,000 American women joined the military during World War II. They worked as nurses, drove trucks, repaired airplanes, and performed clerical work. Some were killed in combat or captured as prisoners of war. Over sixteen hundred female nurses received various decorations for courage under fire.

Did Jim Roberts find the two Donut Dollies?

Roberts and the two former Donut Dollies were finally brought together after an article was published in The Washington Post on Veterans Day detailing his quest to find them. The piece prompted hundreds of comments, emails and phone calls. Former soldiers talked about their own special moments with Donut Dollies.

Why were American troops critical of their South Vietnamese allies?

Why were American troops critical of their South Vietnamese allies? They did not seem to fight as hard as their North Vietnamese and NLF counterparts. A person who, for moral or religious reasons, refuses to fight in the armed services or bear arms is called a _____.

Why was Vietnam's movement toward communism a threat to the United States?

Why was Vietnam's movement toward communism a threat to the United States? As more and more of East and Southeast Asia fell to communism it seemed like a threat to Japan who was a US ally.

What happens when you get shell shocked?

The term "shell shock" was coined by the soldiers themselves. Symptoms included fatigue, tremor, confusion, nightmares and impaired sight and hearing. It was often diagnosed when a soldier was unable to function and no obvious cause could be identified.

What was his ambulance for the Red Cross covered with Walt?

True to Disney form, Walt covered his ambulance with his creative drawing and cartoons, as seen in the picture above. His duties for the Red Cross included being a driver for mechanic supply trucks and an ambulance. Even though Disney stayed busy with his Red Cross duties, he found time to develop his passion for art.

Who won World War 1?

Who won World War I? The Allies won World War I after four years of combat and the deaths of some 8.5 million soldiers as a result of battle wounds or disease. Read more about the Treaty of Versailles. In many ways, the peace treaty that ended World War I set the stage for World War II.

What did POWs eat in ww2?

Most prisoners of war (POWs) existed on a very poor diet of rice and vegetables, which led to severe malnutrition. Red Cross parcels were deliberately withheld and prisoners tried to supplement their rations with whatever they could barter or grow themselves.

Did German POWs get Red Cross parcels?

German POWs after World War II

Accordingly, the Red Cross was denied the right to visit German POWs in American prison camps, and delivery of Red Cross parcels to them was forbidden.

How did the Donut Dollies get their name?

Female Red Cross workers answered the call to duty again during the Korean War. In its early stages, they earned the endearing nickname, “Donut Dollies,” turning out up to 20,000 donuts a day for American Soldiers disembarking troop ships in Pusan. The Donut Dollies were most visible to troops serving in Vietnam.

What unit saw the most combat in Vietnam?

# 1: The 23rd Infantry Division

The amount of top awards earned by Soldiers of the 23rd are numerous for their heroic actions in Vietnam. The Americal Division (23rd Infantry Division) was formed from elements of Task Force Oregon in Chu Lai, Southern First Corps, Republic of South Vietnam on 26 September 1967.

What is the average life expectancy of a Vietnam veteran?

Death rates from disease-related chronic conditions, including cancers and circulatory system diseases, did not differ between Vietnam veterans and their peers, despite the increasing age of the cohort (mean age, 53 years) and the longer follow-up (average, 30 years).

How many Red Cross personnel were in 1969 in Vietnam?

Services to the Military

The number of Red Cross workers in Vietnam and support areas in Southeast Asia peaked at nearly 500 in the 1968-1969 period, at the same time that American troop strength was at its height.

What role did Thailand play in the Vietnam War?

Thailand hosted seven air bases that launched American military aircraft daily on missions to strike strategic targets in Laos, North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The United States funded the rapid expansion of a naval base and port facilities that brought war-related supplies into the region.

Is the Red Cross in Vietnam?

Vietnam Red Cross Society is a humanitarian social organization; The Vietnam Red Cross conducts humanitarian activities with all people in Vietnam regardless of ethnicity, religion and gender.