HONORING OUR VETERANS

The Falls County Historical Commission honored our nation’s veterans on Saturday, Nov. 11, at the Falls County Courthouse, third floor District courtroom. The program this year is entitled “Donut Dollies of Vietnam.” During World War II the American Red Cross enlisted numerous teams of female volunteers to operate clubmobiles equipped with a kitchen area,  stove for heating water for coffee and a built in donut-making machine. During the Vietnam War the Donut Dollies were most visible.  Between February 1962 and March 1973, they logged over 2,000,000 miles by jeep and helicopter visiting combat troops at remote fire bases from An Khe to Yen Giang (there is no “Z” in Vietnamese).  The speaker Joyce Denke is a veteran of the Donut Dollies serving in Vietnam from October 1970 to October 1971. She is a native of Central Texas where she graduated from Mary Hardin Baylor College with a degree in sociology and a minor in physical education.