All told, there were 627 women assigned to Vietnam who were not recognized as combatants nor associated with any fighting group. They were not with the USO. As a Lieutenant assigned as Ordnance Advisor to the Brown Water Navy, I never ran across them in my travels in I-3 and I-4, but heard of them.
I submit that those of us in dialysis could profit from associating with our own “Donut Dollies” from time to time. We, too, need care, and our morale boosted from time to time. I’ve included below more information from Perplexity about this incentive, and at the end, a YouTube video about them.
Donut Dollies in Vietnam were American Red Cross women whose primary mission was to boost the morale of U.S. troops and give them a brief emotional break from the war. They were officially part of the Red Cross Supplemental Recreational Activities Overseas (SRAO) program and not combat personnel.redcross​
Core purpose
The central purpose of the Donut Dollies was to bring “a touch of home” to service members by offering recreation, conversation, and sympathetic listening in an otherwise brutal and isolating environment. Their presence was meant to remind soldiers of normal life, family, and home, reducing feelings of loneliness and emotional strain.aarp+2​
How they carried out the mission
These women ran and staffed recreation centers where troops could play games, listen to music, and relax, and they also created and led structured morale-building activities and programs. Because many units were in remote areas, they frequently traveled by jeep, truck, or helicopter to firebases and outposts to interact directly with soldiers who could not reach the centers.armyhistory+2​
Emotional and psychological support
Beyond organized games and events, Donut Dollies provided informal counseling by listening to troops’ worries, fears, and stories without judgment. Veterans later described them as helping men feel less abandoned and “cut off” from what they held dear, giving many a temporary escape from the horrors of combat.wtvr+2​
Name and distinction from earlier wars
The nickname “Donut Dollies” came from earlier Red Cross workers in World War II and Korea who actually served coffee and doughnuts from clubmobiles. Still, in Vietnam, the role had evolved to focus on recreation and morale rather than handing out food. In Vietnam, most accounts emphasize that they rarely, if ever, served donuts due to the climate and changed mission, even though the inherited nickname stuck.moaa+2​
Risk and commitment
Although their role was noncombatant and recreational, Donut Dollies routinely operated in war zones, traveling into areas subject to rocket attacks, sniper fire, and other dangers, and a few were killed in the line of duty. Their purpose, however, remained consistent: voluntarily accept those risks to support the mental and emotional well-being of American service members in-country.wtvr+1
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- https://armyhistory.org/the-donut-dollies-of-vietnam/
- https://www.donutdollies.com
- https://www.moaa.org/micro/vietnam-unchronicled/vietnam-donut/
- https://www.aarp.org/veterans/donut-dollies-vietnam-war/
- https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/donut-dollies-vietnam-war-march-14-2025
- https://veteransbreakfastclub.org/do-you-know-these-donut-dollies-of-vietnam/
- https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/2021/donut-dollies-supported-us-service-members-during-vietnam-war.html
- https://charliecompany.org/2013/11/15/donut-dollies/
- https://www.ghostsofthebattlefield.org/articles/the-donut-dollies-of-vietnam-the-saga-of-the-american-red-cross-girls-in-country
- http://publications.militaryfamilies.com/articles/hello-dollies
- https://www.redcross.org/local/california/southern-california/about-us/news-and-events/news/donut-dollies-remember-vietnam-war-.html
- https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/discover/artifacts/donut-dollie-uniform
- https://www.aarp.org/home-family/voices/veterans/info-2021/donut-dollies-vietnam-war.html
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