Good afternoon. I am a summer resident down in South Bristol, ME. I wanted to share one perspective with you regarding the war in Vietnam.
In 1967 I was one of the seven year total of 627 American women who served in VN with the American Red Cross Supplemental Recreational Activities Overseas Program (SRAO) but we were better known as Donut Dollies (DD's). We appeared to provide 'fun and game's but it was really psychological Health and welfare to the men in country while representing their wives, sisters, mothers, girlfriends and sweethearts. With out sounding corny we were "home" to the guys and they were our boys. During the seven years of existence the DD's travelled over 2 million miles, via jeep, chopper, fixed wings, boats and trucks to see the guys. We were what was considered a 'close military support groups' and wore our powder blue uniforms in the massive sea of OD green. That made us highly visible targets for both the good and bad possibilities. Three of the DD's were killed.
Personally, I was stationed in Nha Trang, then Da Nang, and finally down in Phan Rang with the AF. I arrived with eleven other girls in 1967 on a flight filled with nervous and frightened men. I finally left during Tet in 1968 after being stuck in Saigon but managing to eventually get out of CRB headed to Oki. While there I learned to listen to the men and hear their stories and share their concerns. I was not a nurse so the hospital visits were a challenge. The programming stops out in the firebases right after mail call when 'Dear John' letters arrived were very difficult. However, I tried to hear what they were really saying and share a forward looking thought with them. Even though I did not know many of their real names (due to high attrition rates) I knew them all. They were my brothers! Regardless of how old and fluffy we all get, they still are my brothers or as I can now say "My boys", with a bond that is unspoken and indescribably complicated. The highs were great and the lows really stunk but we all learned to continue on. Personally, I learned to smile when I did not want to do so, and advocate that a everything would be okay. I also learned to smile when nobody was around when I found a scrap of paper with a sweet handwritten note on it. Such a heartfelt gesture meant so much to me in the insanity of war. Thanks guys!
Like the men, the DD's faced hostility when they came home. However, it was easier for us to fade into the background bc women in a war didn't exist back then. Like the vets, our numbers are decreasing, but it is important to share our stories with other generations. For any of the women who were there, we broke barriers and made a difference. We are proud of that.
As I often say, VN was my million dollar education and though the laws were against me being 'in the military' I am proud to say I too served in Vietnam.