Saluting Vietnam Vets: Donut Dollies provided touch of home
Saluting Vietnam Vets: Donut Dollies provided touch of homeBy Alex McRae
The Times-Herald
Today, women serve in almost every job in every branch of the U.S. military -- but during the Vietnam War, far fewer females were members of the military, and most of those who served in Vietnam were nurses.
The work that female members of the military did was vital. Not long after the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall was dedicated in Washington, D.C., in 1982, an effort began to honor the more than 260,000 women who served in the military during the Vietnam era.
In November 1993, the Vietnam Women's Memorial was dedicated. The memorial depicts three nurses tending to a fallen soldier. It is the first memorial in the nation's capital honoring the military service of American women.
But while military nurses played a crucial role in the war and saved the lives of thousands of soldiers, Vietnam veterans will never forget another group of females who didn't wear military uniforms, but dresses that marked them as workers with the American Red Cross.
They served at bases across the country, lifting spirits, helping with day-to-day needs of the troops and providing what the women called "A touch of home in the combat zone."
These young women -- all recent college graduates -- were called Donut Dollies. Newnan's Gretchen Deichelbor was one of them.
"I was fresh out of college, and I wanted to see the world and do some good," Deichelbor said. "And so I signed up."
Deichelbor was born and raised in Minnesota, and attended the University of Minnesota before graduating from St. Cloud State College in 1966.
She planned to continue her education, but not until she took a break and saw some of the world.
"I thought I'd go back to school later, maybe become a lawyer," Deichelbor said. "But first I just wanted to get a kick out of things for a while. I wanted a job that would allow me to do that."
Deichelbor applied for work with the Peace Corps and the American Red Cross, which was looking for Donut Dollies to serve at American military bases in Korea and Vietnam.
A rapid escalation of the ground war in Vietnam had led to an increase in antiwar sentiment in America, but Deichelbor said politics weren't her concern when dealing with the Red Cross.
"They said they had openings for Korea and Vietnam, and I told them I wouldn't go to Korea, that I'd been through enough cold winters in Minnesota," she said. "I told them I'd be glad to go to Vietnam, though.
Who Designed The Vietnam Memorial - News
Not long after the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall was dedicated in Washington, DC, in 1982, an effort began to honor the more than 260000 women who served in the military during the Vietnam era. In November 1993, the Vietnam Women's Memorial was
A statue called “A Heroes Prayer” was unveiled Saturday morning at the Canby Blue Start Vietnam Era Memorial. Check out the photo gallery for images from the ceremony. "The statue arrived in Canby on Thursday August 4th, direct from Bozeman, Montana,
Wilkerson also designed the Freedom Memorial, which will consist of a central large monument with spokes radiating to obelisks representing the major conflicts since the Vietnam War. There will be room for expansion if needed.
LAWRENCE — Elementary and high school students from Andover, Lawrence, Methuen, Lawrence High, Central Catholic and Greater Lawrence Technical School received a total of $4400 in scholarships and awards from the Lawrence Vietnam Memorial Committee.
"This is not a war memorial," he said. "It is a humanitarian memorial. It's about hope." The nonprofit Vietnam Era Veterans' Memorial committee designed the memorial to focus on the "courage and struggle of a humanity caught up in war," he said.
PDX Traffic: Canby Fire Helps Dedicate Vietnam Memorial - Statue ...
News Release from: Canby Fire Dist.
CANBY FIRE HELPS DEDICATE VIETNAM MEMORIAL - STATUE UNVEILED
Posted: August 6th, 2011 4:01 PM
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Photo/sound file: http://www.flashalertnewswire.net/images/news/2011-08/864/46672/unvieling_statue.JPG (Sequential Unveiling)
Today, August 6th, at 9:00 AM the final element of the Canby Blue Star Vietnam Era Memorial, a statue titled "A Heroes Prayer", was unveiled with the help of Canby Fire's ladder truck known as Squirt 62. With a crowd of onlookers, the ladder truck lifted the drape cloth, unveiling the statue for public viewing.
The statue literally arrived in Canby on Thursday August 4th, direct from Bozeman, Montana, where artist Wayne Hyde and the foundry workers painstakingly completed the statue to meet the dedication deadline.
An official ceremony completed with color guard and bagpipes, military band, keynote speakers, and even a "Fly Over" served to make the ceremony and dedication not only memorable but meaningful. The memorial park is located adjacent to Burgerville USA at 909 SW 1st Ave. The audience was graced with nearly 500 spectators, including family members and friends from the two soldiers depicted in the statue as well as who flew the Bell UH-1 that is also part of the memorial park.
Who Designed The Vietnam Memorial - Bookshelf
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Describes the design behind the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the history of why it was built, and how it impacts those who see it.Booknotes, on American character
|_-l designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in] the fall of 1980. We were in class; we were studying funereal architecture. As a senior at Yale, ...Officer, nurse, woman, the Army Nurse Corps in the Vietnam War
“Vietnam Women's Memorial Project One-Stage Open Design Competition Program,” 6, CFA WDC. 139. The two cofinalists were Eileen Barry, who had designed a ...Culture wars, an encyclopedia of issues, viewpoints, and voices
Vietnam Veterans Memorial 579 uniforms. The group's membership peaked in 1972 ... for the memorial was widely favored, the unveiling of Lin's design led to ...The Complete Book of United States History
Its purpose was to pay for building a monument that would honor the Americans who died during the Vietnam War. The Memorial Fund needed a design for the ...Casual Report Directory
Vietnam Veterans Memorial - Wikipedia
User-generated article about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, which honors members of the U.S. armed forces who died in service in the Vietnam War.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial: Definition from Answers.com
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Monument in Washington, D.C., designed by Maya Lin . It consists of two low, black granite walls that meet to form a wide V
Who designed the Vietnam Memorial
Maya Ying Lin designed the Vietnam War Memorial and chose black granite for the walls. Over 58,000 names are inscribed chronologically by the date of casualty. ...
Onslow Vietnam Veterans Memorial | Home
The Onslow Vietnam Veterans Memorial is dedicated to all the men and women from all ... It honors the 303,704 service members who were wounded in Vietnam, as well as the POW ...
Design for Vietnam memorial visitors center wins approval ...
WASHINGTON -- A design panel gave its blessing Thursday to an underground visitors center and exhibit space to accompany the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on a grassy ...