The Star Spangled Salute is presented by

Today’s Star Spangled Salute honors Vietnam Veteran Jim Roberts and the Donut Dollies.  The two Donut Dollies were part of a group of 600 women working with the American Red Cross who traveled to Vietnam to give a few hours of respite to troops longing for home, to play word games or just sit and chat. A forced landing by a helicopter with mechanical problems brought the Dollies to the remote village where Roberts was a lonely and forlorn adviser to Vietnamese troops, along with two other soldiers.  It was that visit that left a lasting impression on Jim and he spent decades looking for those two women to say thank you and let them know how important their time was.  A few days ago, he finally got to say the words. His eyes welling with tears, Roberts saw for the first time in 50 years the faces of the women he’d met so long ago: Gwen Hejl Roussel and Karen Jankowski.  Thank you Gwen and Karen for your important work so many years ago and Jim, THANK YOU for your service.