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Donut Dollies, The Women Who Helped Fight World War II With Donuts
A special group of women with the Red Cross helped provide nourishment and comfort to soldiers in even the most dangerous places during WWII
World War II was a horrible and costly global conflict. Some estimates have placed the total human toll at around 70–85 million deaths from combat, disease and famine. Officially lasting six years and one day (1939–1945), many people played a part in the war and had a role in helping bring about its end. One of the most unique was a group of American women in the Red Cross known as the Donut Dollies, who helped bolster the morale of front line troops by traveling with them and making donuts for the beleaguered soldiers.
In addition to providing medical care, the Red Cross was also responsible for providing initiatives to keep the spirits of soldiers high. Volunteers from the organization had started a donut distribution program for troops during World War I. While it was much smaller scale in both concept and execution, it proved popular enough to be re-imagined on a larger scale during World War II. The effort was helped by the Doughnut Corporation of America, who loaned 468 donut machines to the Red Cross, with each being capable of producing around 48 dozen donuts per hour.
