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What It Was Really Like Being a Donut Dollie in Vietnam
What was it really like to be a “Donut Dollie” in Vietnam?In this episode of Ask a Vet, we sit down with Vietnam Red Cross Donut Dollie Diane Thornal to hear her remarkable story serving on the front lines of the Vietnam War.Diane was one of just 627 women who volunteered with the American Red Cross Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas (SRAO) program. Known affectionately by the troops as “Donut Dollies,” these women traveled by helicopter to remote firebases and combat outposts bringing games, conversation, and a brief reminder of home to soldiers in the middle of war. Diane shares how she volunteered to go to Vietnam at just 22 years old, flew by helicopter to visit units across the country, and even found herself pinned down overnight by an entire North Vietnamese battalion while visiting a firebase in the A Shau Valley. She also tells the unforgettable story of meeting her future husband, Army helicopter pilot Ben Thornal, at Camp Eagle — a wartime romance that began with a can of deodorant and a jar of olives.
For more of Diane and the Donut Dollies' story, watch the documentary:“The Donut Dollies: 627 Women Who Also Served in Vietnam.”
EPISODE CHAPTERS:
01:05 Red Cross Involvement & Discovering the Donut Dollie Program
08:55 Training with the Red Cross in Washington D.C.
11:40 Flying to Vietnam for the first time
16:40 Assigned to Da Nang and the center explosion
18:40 Traveling by helicopter to visit troops
20:10 The games that boosted soldier morale
22:15 Being pinned down by a North Vietnamese battalion
25:20 Visiting wounded soldiers on hospital ships
27:40 Life on bases and interactions with troops
29:45 Meeting helicopter pilot Ben Thornal
34:10 Rocket attacks at Camp Eagle
43:30 R&R trips to Hong Kong and Bangkok
45:30 A wartime proposal sealed with olives
47:40 Coming home early from Vietnam
49:40 Reflecting on the Donut Dollies’ impact
52:20 The Donut Dollies Documentary
54:40 Final reflections on service
If you or someone you know has a story that should be heard, reach out to us at [email protected]
View all episodes
By Curious HumanographyWhat was it really like to be a “Donut Dollie” in Vietnam?In this episode of Ask a Vet, we sit down with Vietnam Red Cross Donut Dollie Diane Thornal to hear her remarkable story serving on the front lines of the Vietnam War.Diane was one of just 627 women who volunteered with the American Red Cross Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas (SRAO) program. Known affectionately by the troops as “Donut Dollies,” these women traveled by helicopter to remote firebases and combat outposts bringing games, conversation, and a brief reminder of home to soldiers in the middle of war. Diane shares how she volunteered to go to Vietnam at just 22 years old, flew by helicopter to visit units across the country, and even found herself pinned down overnight by an entire North Vietnamese battalion while visiting a firebase in the A Shau Valley. She also tells the unforgettable story of meeting her future husband, Army helicopter pilot Ben Thornal, at Camp Eagle — a wartime romance that began with a can of deodorant and a jar of olives.
For more of Diane and the Donut Dollies' story, watch the documentary:“The Donut Dollies: 627 Women Who Also Served in Vietnam.”
EPISODE CHAPTERS:
01:05 Red Cross Involvement & Discovering the Donut Dollie Program
08:55 Training with the Red Cross in Washington D.C.
11:40 Flying to Vietnam for the first time
16:40 Assigned to Da Nang and the center explosion
18:40 Traveling by helicopter to visit troops
20:10 The games that boosted soldier morale
22:15 Being pinned down by a North Vietnamese battalion
25:20 Visiting wounded soldiers on hospital ships
27:40 Life on bases and interactions with troops
29:45 Meeting helicopter pilot Ben Thornal
34:10 Rocket attacks at Camp Eagle
43:30 R&R trips to Hong Kong and Bangkok
45:30 A wartime proposal sealed with olives
47:40 Coming home early from Vietnam
49:40 Reflecting on the Donut Dollies’ impact
52:20 The Donut Dollies Documentary
54:40 Final reflections on service
If you or someone you know has a story that should be heard, reach out to us at [email protected]