JIm FUlner reviewed Donut Dolly by Joann Puffer Kotcher (Number 6 in the North Texas military biography and memoir series)
None
3 stars
I wanted to read this book after hearing the author on public radio. returnreturnDonut Dolly was the nick name of the American Red Cross girls. Something I had never heard of before. The American Red Cross had sent young women (who had to be college educated and unmarried and under 25) to the war front to make the men feel more at home. In Korea they handed out donuts hence where the name came from. returnreturnIn Vietnam donuts would melt in the hot sun, so it was more just kool-aid and being able to see a pretty american girl. The world has changed so much in the near 60 years since Vietnam that I still have a hard time fathoming.returnreturnI kept expecting her boyfriend to die since she kept talking about how much danger she was in and the last name on the authors page wasn't the same as Bob's, …
I wanted to read this book after hearing the author on public radio. returnreturnDonut Dolly was the nick name of the American Red Cross girls. Something I had never heard of before. The American Red Cross had sent young women (who had to be college educated and unmarried and under 25) to the war front to make the men feel more at home. In Korea they handed out donuts hence where the name came from. returnreturnIn Vietnam donuts would melt in the hot sun, so it was more just kool-aid and being able to see a pretty american girl. The world has changed so much in the near 60 years since Vietnam that I still have a hard time fathoming.returnreturnI kept expecting her boyfriend to die since she kept talking about how much danger she was in and the last name on the authors page wasn't the same as Bob's, the ending was a bit of a surprise still. returnreturnShe left Flint a Christian pacifist, she came home a right-wing reactionary warhawk (my words not hers)returnreturnThe book was fine. A general memoir of her every day adventures in the war. I didn't feel like I had any more understanding of their role than I did during her interview on the radio. I wouldn't really recommend it unless you have a particular interest in knowing all of the Vietnam War.