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Dorner Carmichael, shown here at age 20, volunteers in Vietnam as a Red Cross “Donut Dolly.” Now 76, Carmichael recently completed a new tour as a volunteer supporting deployed U.S. military personnel in Powidz, Poland. (Sarah Williams/U.S. Army)
U.S. soldiers attend a farewell for American Red Cross volunteer Dorner Carmichael in Powidz, Poland. After volunteering more than five decades ago during the Vietnam War, Carmichael signed up for another stint in a Red Cross program that supports overseas U.S. personnel. (Dorner Carmichael)
Episode 3201 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the Vietnam War Donut Dolly who served in Vietnam and 5 decades later in Poland. The featured story is titled Red Cross volunteer draws on ‘Donut Dolly’ days in Vietnam for Poland tour 5 decades later and it appeared on the Stars and Stripes website. It was submitted by ShaTyra Cox.
Cox reported that Dorner Carmichael’s life of service came full circle more than five decades after it began. In 1970, fresh out of college and uncertain about her future, the 20-year-old left her Georgia hometown to volunteer with the American Red Cross during the Vietnam War as part of the Supplemental Recreation Overseas Program. Known as “Donut Dollies,” volunteers like Carmichael provided comfort, conversation, and morale to troops, often traveling by helicopter to remote firebases. Though untrained for the emotional weight soldiers carried, she listened with empathy, reminding them that the horrors of war did not define who they were.
That experience shaped Carmichael’s life. After returning home, she became a physician assistant, inspired by the medical personnel she worked alongside and empowered by the community of women pursuing meaningful paths. More than 50 years later, at age 76, she returned to the Red Cross for a six-month deployment to Powidz, Poland, supporting U.S. troops stationed there as part of NATO operations.
While the setting differed greatly from Vietnam, Carmichael saw the mission as essentially the same: offering presence, comfort, and a reminder that service members are not alone. In Poland, she organized therapeutic and morale-boosting activities such as art, music, crochet, and origami, helping troops decompress during demanding deployments. Her role evolved into that of a trusted listener and steady figure—someone she described as “the grandmother here.”
Carmichael’s return to service bridged generations, offering younger troops perspective and compassion rooted in lived experience. As she concluded her tour, she left behind more than programs; she left a legacy of empathy, connection, and lifelong dedication to serving others.
Listen to Episode 3201 and discover more about the Vietnam War Donut Dolly who served in Vietnam and 5 decades later in Poland.
