The Donut Dollies

This week we're polishing our shoes and making sure our collars are starched for inspection as we reconnect with the Women's Army Corps! Our guest this week is Jean LaBelle, daughter of WAAC Edith 'Johnny' Johnston and author of the book Private Johnny Johnston: WAAC. If you remember back to last quarters extra books, this was one of our picks, and now we're sitting down with Private Johnny Johnston's daughter to learn about who she was beyond her uniform. While the book is Johnny's own first-hand account of her boot camp and service up until the WAC bill was approved and she reenlisted, Jean tells us just who Johnny was when she was simply Edith, or Mom. Want to know more about inside WAAC boot camp, ill fitting uniforms and lifelong friendships? Well, fall in! The Cluubmobile is open and the coffee and sinkers are fresh as we roll into Women's Army Auxiliary Corps! 

We're back for part two of our special Italian-American heritage episode with Gabby and special co-host Jaclyn Basilone. Can we offer anyone a slice of pizza? And just how does that tie into the Italian culture, aside from the obvious? How about a trip around New York during feast season? Do you know anyone who doesn't think mob culture is fascinating? We sure don't, and we're not just talking about Mario Puzzo's The Godfather either! Our culture's, traditions and stories that we heard growing up have shaped us and brought some of the most culturally pivotal films and tv shows along with it, and some stereotypes, but we try not to let those get to us. Part 2 is here and The Clubmobile is still open, so come on in and grab a slice as we round out this pizza pie shaped episode!  

This week Gabby is joined by a very special Co-Host; Jaclyn Basilone makes her return to The Clubmobile for a special two-part episode brought to you by two proud Italian-American's. Every October it feels as if the Italian-American culture comes more alive than normal, and with good reason. October is Italian-American Heritage month, and we're honoring that heritage with someone who knows a thing or two about the importance of Sunday Sauce (not gravy), the staggering number of Italian immigrants in the early 1900s and just how those numbers impacted the statistics of service men, and women, during the war. We've traded sinkers for cannoli this week, so grab your coffee and join us for the first part of this special episode! 

We're back with another bonus episode, which also means Sage, our Book Club Correspondent is back with us! It's time to recap the third quarter of this year's book club picks and this quarter found us with some good reads, familiar authors, and some questionable choices but that's half the fun in reading! Susan Tate Ankeny's telling of her father's wartime service in The Girl and The Bombardier walks us through a personal story that was discovered by a daughter long after the events occurred. Celia Imrie's Meet Me At Rainbow Corner brought us back to the Red Cross, in a historical fiction retelling of the women of the ARC Aero Clubs, and cameos by the ATS and numerous GIs. The cast list at the start of the book kept us informed and on our toes! Kick Kennedy's story left us underwhelmed, and quite frankly, mad. Want to know why? We'll tell you in the episode! Last but not least we dove into the story of All American Girl Baseball player Maybelle Blaire in All The Way. Her trailblazer life has left an impact on generations of women, and all that long before there was a movie! Want all the gritty details of this quarters reads? Grab your coffee and a fresh sinker and join us in The Clubmobile for another Book Club recap! 

If you've been following along, over the summer we covered the history of the Women's Army Corps from their inception as an auxiliary to the US Army, to the WAC bill that militarized the first women of the war. This week we're uncovering the history of the 401st WAC Band, a journey that Gabby began back in April with a visit to the Fort Hamilton Army Base. Joining us this week are the two individuals who we would consider the keepers of the 401st history; Tracy Bradford and Justin Batt. Tracy is the curator of the US Army Women's Museum and Justin, the curator of the Harbor Defense Museum where the 401st WAC Band served, and their history still remains to this day. This story is unique and filled with the kind of history we always hope to find when uncovering the stories of women during the war. The coffee is hot and the sinkers are fresh, so join us in The  Clubmobile as we listen to the band play! 

This week it's two donuts and one...Taff? You read that right! Joining us this week is Leighton Hughes, the man behind Currahee Signings and We Happy Few 506. A military veteran and now a central member of the WWII and Band of Brother's community, he's sharing the story of how it all came to be, and how one idea can quite literally change everything. He's also giving us a look behind the curtain of his newest endeavor; Two Taff's in A Pod, his new podcast with Band of Brothers alumn Nick Aaron and just why they're calling themselves Taff's, something that Gabby learned quite early in this episode. Join us in The Clubmobile for hot coffee and fresh sinkers, and plenty of laughs! 

The Clubmobile is rolling into the dustbowl once again, for more than just coffee and sinkers! This week we're joined by Ms. Penni Evans who served with the American Red Cross Supplemental Recreational Organization as a Donut Dollie during The Vietnam War, and Emma Spencer, creator of the documentary Welcome Home Sister. The subject? Penni Evans and her service with the SRO during Vietnam. Penni and Emma share a unique, and beautiful friendship that's documented in the way they speak of each other and in the way that Emma has captured Penni's life and spirit on film. The experience, while showing the strength of a woman who wanted to serve her country, was not without risk, and Penni shares those horrors with us. Join us for coffee and fresh sinkers as we welcome home Penni Evans. 

How do you define a legacy? For Erin Miller, it transcends generations; her mother, Terry Harmon was a Donut Dolly and served in Vietnam. Before that, her grandmother served in The WASP during WWII. Three women, three generations, all carrying a legacy. This week Erin joins us to tell the story of her grandmother, Elaine Harmon, the journey of her service, and the fight after WASP militarization that Erin and her mother Terry undertook to ensure that even in her death, Elaine was buried as part of the US Military and how that fight led her to write her first book, Final Flight, Final Fight. The coffee is hot and the sinkers are fresh, so grab your flight gear and taxi over to The Clubmobile! 

We're back for part 2 with the fellas from What's The Scuttlebutt podcast, and Don, Jeff and Dennis have more to share with everyone! As conservators of the history of the greatest generation what exactly does it entail? What are their upcoming projects and how do they plan to further the conservation and history of a generation that is rapidly disappearing. They're also sharing current reads, favorite movies and advice for any budding historians, or someone who wants to get involved in the community of professional and armchair historians. Let us top up your coffee while you grab another fresh sinker, or perhaps a stick of Juicy Fruit as we continue this conversation amongst friends in The Clubmobile. 

It's a full house in The Clubmobile this week, as we're joined by the fellas from What's The Scuttlebutt Podcast! Don, Dennis and Jeff are joining us to dig into the nitty gritty of WWII, how the three of them met and came to be a knowledgeable and successful podcast, and just what is the difference between preservation and conservation. From three different historical backgrounds came one question: what's the scuttlebutt? The fellas do their best to answer that question, share what's on the horizon for them as their journey continues. This is a hearty episode, filled with honesty and friendship, so grab your coffee and a fresh sinker, and join us in The Clubmobile for part one of our time with the Scuttlebutt Fellas!