The Red Cross Angels contributed to this story.

During the Vietnam War, hundreds of female American Red Cross workers deployed overseas to provide support and a sympathetic ear to millions of U.S. service members.

Nicknamed “Donut Dollies” as an homage to the Red Cross women who handed out donuts to troops in previous wars, these Red Cross workers were part of the Red Cross Supplemental Recreational Activities Overseas (SRAO) program.

Recently, Red Cross Donut Dolly Mary Jo Shenk shared her story at a meeting of the Angels, a support auxiliary group for the Tampa Bay Chapter of which she is also a member. It was her job to bring “a bit of home to the combat zone” — and compassion and comfort when service members needed it most. 

“I never saw a donut,” she said, referencing the young women who served coffee and donuts to service personnel during WWII. Instead, she brought games, puzzles and hope to troops stationed in Vietnam. “When you would bring forth these silly games, they would be screaming and yelling.  It was a release for them,” she said.

Shenk said she was finishing her studies at Florida State University she heard about the Donut Dolly positions. The standards were higher than those of the military: Donut Dollies had to be at least 25 years old, college-educated, able to pass physical exams, as well as have an “outstanding personality.”

“I guess they figured if you could do four years of college, you could stand one year of this,” said Shenk, who traveled by helicopters, boats and jeeps to meet the various units stationed in Vietnam.

While the Donut Dolly program has retired, the Red Cross continues to deploy workers alongside military. Today, the Red Cross provides in-person support for troops on more than 35 overseas installations including the Far East, Middle East and Europe, and deployments in-theatre to provide on-the-ground comfort and build morale.

The priority for these deployed Red Crossers is to help military families communicate with their loved ones and facilitate their return home to deal with emergencies on the home front through our Hero Care Network, and to support military morale programs with the same caring touch for over 140 years. 

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