Joe I never seen Red Cross until I arrived in Seattle from South Pacific and I did get free dough-nuts and Coffee. Like civilian life ,there were a lot of con men in the service. Here is a couple of letters from Pacific Area
Red cross sold me a carton of "Donated" Camels when I was in the 312th Evac Hospital in Chu-Lai. I paid 2 bucks for the carton and when I opened it I found out that it had been donated by a VFW post in the states. I was taken out for some treatment and when I came back my smokes were gone from the bedside table. I got the ward nurse to call for the "Gray Lady" and when she came back she sold me a carton of camels for 2 bucks. It was the same carton she had sold me about 3 hours before.
The donut dollies used to come out to the firebases and sell us coffee that they had gotten from our mess halls. The donuts were probably made by our cooks as well.
You all probably remember the "Other Business" that the donut dollies conducted at $65.00 a pop, or one month's hostile fire pay.
BTW did you know that the Red Cross "Sells" blood to the Military Services for around $75 a pint? This is the blood that folks Donate. Most of the regional bosses in the Red Cross are pulling down a 6 figure salary every year.
I gave my last pint of blood to the Red Cross around 15 years ago, and my last dime to them when I was in Vietnam. I'll donate to the Salvation Army because the folks there are not "Skimming the take" for themselves.
papa Art