By Lori Baker, Communications Volunteer

As an American Red Cross Donut Dolly volunteer, Margaret “Maggie" Goodrich Hodge served in Vietnam helping service members get a bit of the United States while overseas.

Her life was defined by her profound patriotism and spirit of service. At age 28, she joined the American Red Cross Supplemental Recreational Activities Overseas (SRAO) program.

Known to U.S. troops as a Donut Dolly, Maggie volunteered directly in active war zones during the Vietnam War from 1966 to 1967 at Army, Marine and Air Force military bases.

She braved daily dangers and mortar attacks, traveling by military helicopters and jeeps to isolated forward-operating bases to host interactive games, listen to homesick soldiers, and bring a vital touch of home to combat zones. It was the single most defining chapter of her life.

Armed only with smiles and hand-made games, the Red Cross Donut Dollies risked their lives every day to achieve their mission of cheering up U.S. troops during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

At the Albuquerque Veterans Memorial on June 20, the Red Cross honored Maggie, who had passed away on May 23 at age 88. Over 50 individuals paid their respects and swapped stories of their connection and experiences with the beloved Red Cross Donut Dollies. They included people who knew Maggie, veterans who honored her service but didn’t know her personally, and others who knew veterans who had spoken highly of Maggie or of Donut Dollies in general.  There was even one Vietnam Donut Dolly present at the service.

“From Vietnam to Washington D.C., to New Mexico, Maggie touched the hearts of so many and helped to inspire a generation of upcoming Red Cross volunteers,” said John Gravel, Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces Arizona and New Mexico Regional Program Director.

Maggie published a book, “Armed With a Smile, Memoir of a Vietnam Donut Dolly,” about her life experiences with the Red Cross. It can be downloaded at no charge at https://www.tinyurl.com/armedwithasmile.

Maggie’s uniform and several personal artifacts will be donated and displayed at the Veterans Memorial Museum as an integral part of  Red Cross history.

After Vietnam, Maggie’s career as an analyst of federal programs included the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Drug Enforcement Agency, Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy. As a volunteer, she spent two decades advocating for the Vietnam Women’s Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and served on the Board of Directors for the Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Her work culminated in the dedication of the iconic sculpture of a nurse holding a wounded soldier at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Learn more about the Red Cross Donut Dollies during the Vietnam War on the Army Historical Foundation’s website: https://armyhistory.org/the-donut-dollies-of-vietnam/