[September 8, 2026] Richard Sands has, once again, shed light on an important chapter in the history of Americans serving Americans in combat. For that, thank you, Richard. In his newest book, “Hidden History: The Donut Dollies in Vietnam,” he tells us about the overlooked and underappreciated service of the women who served in the Red Cross Supplemental Recreational Activities Overseas (SRAO) program. In his earlier book, Edison 64, he allows the men and women who were part of Edison High School to tell their stories about the lives lost in Vietnam. In this book on Donut Dollies, he now helps give a voice to those young women who volunteered to bring a “touch of home” to our troops serving with “boots on the ground” in Vietnam.
Richard sets the stage for why the program was needed, the special request made by the senior military commander in-country, and the restrictions placed on the SRAO program. This story is about more than patriotism and giving back, although that played a part. These young women were all volunteers, and it takes a special person to put themselves in harm’s way. Using their own words, Donut Dollies tell us about their service in Vietnam, the reasons they gave for their efforts, the training, the troops, and the many rides in jeeps, trucks, and helicopters as they traveled throughout the country, often in grave danger themselves. Why did they do it? Read their words. Listen to what they have to say. And do one thing we all should be doing. Whenever you meet a Donut Dolly, be sure to say, “Welcome Home.”
Todd De Pastino, Ph.D., was correct when he said, “It was an impossible job.”
The book just hit bookstores, so I recommend downloading it immediately to begin reading this wonderful book. One question I was asked, and that is addressed in Richard’s book, is, “Are these Donut Dollies heroes?” In part, this is answered by noting that who we consider ‘heroes’ and why we do so have changed over the past few decades. If you had asked me half a century ago, when I joined the U.S. Army, I would have said I didn’t know. Today, my mind has changed. Indeed, these Donut Dollies are heroes (heroines?). Their mission was not to carry weapons or destroy the enemy, the primary task of our military, but to help improve morale. And that they did.
During my service in the Iraq War, there were no SRAOs employed by the Red Cross. Those who came were under either the USO or AFE (Armed Forces Entertainment). And, like in past wars in the 20th century, there were big names and not-so-big names. They were all great in my mind, and everyone I knew did their best to see the entertainment they brought. In Vietnam, those small, hard-to-reach bases were visited by the Donut Dollies, who certainly earned their pay. We owe them a great debt of gratitude.
I give Richard’s book an enthusiastic five-star rating.
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Thank you for the review, sir. I’ll be ordering my copy TODAY.
Richard Sands wrote this fine book called Hidden History: The Donut Dollies in Vietnam that shares the story of young women who served with the Red Cross in the war. These Donut Dollies volunteered to bring a touch of home to American soldiers who were far away and under fire. They put themselves in harm’s way even though they did not have to go. The book lets the women speak in their own words about their reasons, their training, and the many rides they took in jeeps, trucks, and helicopters. They often faced real danger as they traveled from base to base. One writer called their work an impossible job, and the stories in the book prove that point. These women did not carry weapons, yet they lifted the spirits of the troops and that makes them heroes. Anyone who meets a Donut Dolly should look her in the eye and say “Welcome Home.” This is a five-star book that should be read right away.
THANK YOU RICHARD SAND
More heroes walk among us than we are aware of.
Susie Q. is right that more heroes walk among us than most people ever notice. The Donut Dollies did not carry rifles, but they still put themselves in harm’s way to bring a bit of home to soldiers who needed it. That kind of quiet courage counts. Many of those young women rode helicopters and trucks through dangerous country just to lift morale. We should thank them when we meet them and say welcome home. Books like this one help us remember people who were easy to overlook. Real service is not always loud or famous. It often looks like a smile, a donut, and a willing heart. We owe them respect.
Richard Sand has done us all a favor by writing this book. The Donut Dollies were highly valued by the men who fought in Vietnam, and other wars prior. And they loved those ladies too. However, the US government must have thought little of them, or just didn’t care because the DDs never received the recognition or any benefits from being in Vietnam other than their pay. Our men will never forget.
👍👍👍👍👍 give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️