Publish date: 2023-12-10
The Donut Dollies of the Vietnam War were officially called the Supplemental Recreational Activities Overseas staff, a section of the Red Cross, according to the Red Cross. It just doesn't have the same ring to it, and the name Donut Dollies represented the comforting nature of the young American women that came to Vietnam. But the name began even earlier with the "Donut Lassies" of World War I. When the initial idea to have female volunteers offer a respite from the horrors of war was launched by the Salvation Army, the intention was to boost morale by reminding soldiers of some of the joys of home, like the presence of a friendly girl-next-door type, the chance to play games, talk, and get coffee and food, according to The Smithsonian. Because they couldn't serve, women volunteered. During World War I, one of their unexpected ways to help morale was making donuts.
In 1917, two women named Margaret Sheldon and Helen Purviance had the idea that making hot donuts would bring smiles to soldiers' faces. They could get the ingredients needed, and so they set about bringing happiness to the men with unexpected donuts. As the popularity of their pastries increased, between the pair of them they figured out how to make 2,500 donuts a day, according to The Smithsonian. This name stuck, and it followed women volunteers in the Red Cross for years to come, even when they weren't serving donuts.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qL7Up56eZpOkunCDj29tcWhfqbWmedSnq6iklGLBs8HToWSonl2ptaZ51aKcraaRonq4rdGsZJ2nnqrBbrDOpaOinaNk
