After 50 years, the mystery of these Vietnam War photos of ‘Donut Dollies’ is solved

It took half a century to get a chance to say the words. Just “thank you.” That’s all.

For Jim Roberts, this desire had become a fixation, part of a years-long process of coming to terms with the darkness he’d seen as an Army lieutenant in the Vietnam War.

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. A forced landing by a helicopter with mechanical problems brought the Dollies to the remote village where Roberts was a lonely and forlorn adviser to Vietnamese troops, along with two other soldiers.

Agree.

Encountered the ladies in DaNang in the III MAF Reception Center. I processed through it when rotating out of Vietnam in late 1969. Stayed there overnight waiting for a seat out on a flight to Okinawa. Got rained on, slept in a drafty barracks, and came down with a terrific cold that ruined the first weeks of my home leave. C’est la vie.

As for donuts, if you had access to a vehicle, you could always stop in at the free coffee shop in the Force Logistics Support Group (FLSG) Bravo compound near Namo Bridge. It was run by the FLSG Bravo Bakery Company and served coffee, bug juice, and quite a variety of pastries 24/7.
Their regular customers were the Marines stationed in the compound but anyone who could get there was welcome.

It was a regular stop for our Comm Plt Marines when going out to check radio equipment at the battalion’s company compounds. At the time, we were guarding key locations along Highway 1 from Namo Bridge and north through the southern part of Hai Van Pass. Ate there a couple times myself.

Whew! Over half a century ago now; surprised I can remember all that detail. Must have felt it was important or something.

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