Vietnam Veterans of America
Recently, I was alerted that Sharon Cummings, a Donut Dolly, attended a Vietnam Veterans of America monthly meeting, so my thoughts immediately turned to establishing an interview session with her.

Soon, Sharon, one of 642 Donut Dollies, and I met and we carried on for two hours.  Here’s Sharon’s amazing story.

Air Force Brat
Sharon Cummings was born December 18, 1944 at Redlands Community Hospital in Redlands, California, the very same day her father was piloting a bomber plane over Italy.

Sharon Cummings

Being an Air Force brat, Sharon grew up in various bases throughout the United States, as well as abroad.

She attended the third, fourth and fifth grades at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines, but by 1955 Sharon and her family were back in America.

In 1961 her dad was assigned to Goose Air Base, fondly known as “The Goose,” in Labrador near Newfoundland.  Sharon graduated from Goose Air Base High School (GABHS) with a class of 20 students on June 22, 1962.

Afterwards, back at their home in Redlands, Sharon attended the University of Riverside in California for two and a half years before transferring to the University of California, Santa Barbara.

In January of 1966 Sharon received her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology with a minor in Anthropology.

Red Cross
After college graduation Sharon wasted little time searching for employment as she anxiously pursued freedom to live on her own.  Her sweet mother saw a Red Cross job advertisement which led Sharon to San Francisco for an interview.

Sharon was promptly hired that very day and was offered options to serve in South Korea or South Vietnam.  Sharon chose South Vietnam figuring not many young women would desire going there.

On Easter Sunday April 10, 1966 Sharon flew to Washington D.C.’s Red Cross Headquarters for Donut Dolly training which included vaccinations, etc.

Sharon Cummings ARC Hootenanny 1966

Two weeks later, on April 24 she flew to Travis Air Force Base in California prior to departing for Saigon’s Tan Son Nhut Airport.

Sharon said, “When I first stepped off that commercial jet airliner I was slammed by Saigon’s immense heat and humidity that took my breath away.”

Combat Zone Volunteer
Concurrent to Sharon volunteering for Vietnam, I shockingly received my draft notice which sent me there too!

The very last thing I wanted as a young man living life to its full extent was leaving everything familiar to me, landing in an odd foreign country in an infantry combat role.

Thus, I found Sharon’s volunteering to serve in the Vietnam War seriously brave and patriotic.

Serving in the Field
After two days in Saigon, Sharon was assigned to Cam Ranh Bay’s Army base.  The next six months Sharon and her fellow Donut Dollies spent long days operating a recreational center six days a week.

When not on duty at the center, they took Huey Helicopters, deuce and half trucks and jeeps to the field to visit the troops with their primary mission being entertainment with competitive games.

The Donut Dollies made up quiz games and physical challenges all designed to get their minds off combat.  I asked Sharon if she ever feared for her safety and she replied, “As young women we simply felt invincible, though we were serving near combat action.”

After departing Cam Ranh Bay, Sharon was assigned to the 2^nd Field Force in Long Binh for three and a half months while continuing to take Huey’s out to the field to entertain the troops.

Sharon Cummings Honorary 25th ID Member

Sharon’s last several months in Vietnam were spent at Cu Chi, home to the 25^th Infantry Division where she and her Donut Dollies were treated extremely well by the troops.

Sharon recalled the most common question posed by infantry soldiers as being, “What are you doing here?”

Sharon shares that their answer was always, “Because you are here.”

Back in the World
When Sharon left Cu Chi in April 1967, the commanding general awarded her an Honorary Member of the 25^th Infantry Division.

Sharon returned to her parents’ Redlands home with her main priority of landing a job so she could live on her own.  Initially, being back in “the world” was not easy transitioning to a normal life for Sharon.

Once in a grocery store she noticed women fretting over which cereal to purchase and she thought to herself, “Don’t these silly people know that we have young men dying every day in combat!?”

Soon after her return to Redlands Sharon was hired in the Dean’s Office at Berkeley University. While working in the Dean’s Office there Sharon met a Vietnam veteran.

Sharon and the fellow Vietnam veteran were infatuated with each other and 10 weeks later in October 1967 they were married at Redlands First Christian Church.

Sharon married quickly as she strived to live a normal life after Vietnam; however, the couple grew apart and they divorced 14 years later in 1981.  On a brighter note their union brought forth two beautiful daughters.

Westward Bound
Meanwhile, Sharon was working for American Gas Association near Akron, Ohio but in 1985 she was offered a position in Southern California by Teledyne Laars located in North Hollywood so she promptly packed up her girls and off to Valencia they went.

Her daughters ended up graduating from Hart High School here in Santa Clarita.

In 1994, Sharon visited Eternal Valley where the Vietnam Memorial moving wall was displayed. It was there that she met Larry Cummings, a 10-year Marine Corps Veteran who served two tours in Vietnam.

They hit it off, leading Larry to ask her out during a Vietnam Veterans of America Christmas party.  Their first date was at Universal Theater to see Tim Allen’s “Santa Claus” movie.

Several months later while visiting Burbank’s Vietnam Memorial Monument, Larry suddenly dropped to his knee and presented Sharon a dazzling diamond ring while asking for her hand in marriage.

Sharon & Larry Sept. 1995

Sharon promptly replied, oh yes.  It’s noted that this fallen warrior monument features names of Burbank’s war dead, including Larry’s best friend, John Anthony Gero, who was killed in action on June 29, 1968.

On September 2, 1995, on a gorgeous day at Santa Clarita’s Towsley Canyon under the trees, Sharon and Larry were married with family and friends present.

They’re currently enjoying their 25^th wedding anniversary, and over the years Sharon and Larry have traveled extensively to America’s National Parks but they really love taking Princess Cruises.

Thank you for your honorable service, Sharon and Larry.

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