Laurie Pearl was born January 15, 1949 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. She grew up in that small town in a large family, against the backdrop of the “Fabulous 50s” and the Cold War. Even though her experience of the outside world was limited, Laurie recalls the pages of Life magazine, and how it opened up her world. There she saw early images of the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War, images that would impact her own life’s direction. Laurie was in college when she learned about a Red Cross program whereby young women could go to Vietnam to support the troops, and she decided to apply – and it in fact became her first job upon graduation. Laurie in fact went on to become a Donut Dolly in Vietnam, doing what she believed was right and necessary to support the troops. Donut Dollies did occasionally serve food, but mostly the job entailed keeping the troops entertained – playing games and music, and engaging the men in conversation and providing a distraction to the realities of the war. Laurie was in Vietnam in 1970-71, at a time when opposition to the war was much more noticeable – and that motivated her in the first place. She recalled that the divisions were seeping into Vietnam too, and that was becoming more manifest in the rear bases overseas too. When she completed her service she returned to the United States and moved on to the next phase of her life. We were lucky to meet Laurie via the Veterans Breakfast Club, and students had the chance to zoom with her in May 2024.
