A Touch of Home: The Vietnam War's Red Cross Girls

Austin premiere

St. Edward's University

Wednesday, October 28th 

Mabee Ballroom in the Ragsdale Center

St. Edward's University

3001 South Congress Avenue

Free and open to the public

A panel discussion with the filmmaker and veterans of the American Red Cross Vietnam War "Donut Dollies" program will follow the movie.

Parking Information:  All visitors will need to park in the visitor lots or in the parking garage.  A Visitor lot is next to Ragsdale Center - enter the campus from Woodward - the first street to your right is called Moody Drive, you will go past the Ragsdale Center and will then see the Lot. Or you can continue down Moody Drive to the Parking Garage - just past the 4-way stop at Theater Pass (next to the softball field) The Garage will be on your right about 200 yards ahead.

The Documentary

A Touch of Home: The Vietnam War’s Red Cross Girls captures the untold story of 627 young American women who served on the front lines of the Vietnam War as American Red Cross Supplemental Recreation Overseas personnel.  The adventurous and idealistic young women were airmobile to combat operating bases and landing zones, where they brought a listening ear, a distracting game, and a friendly smile to war-weary soldiers.  Now, for the first time, their words, photographs and home movies tell the captivating, extraordinary story of women who made a difference by bringing A Touch of Home to the combat zone.  Directed by Cheryl Fries.  Narrated by Holley Watts.  

Panelists

Director Cheryl Fries met her first Vietnam Donut Dollies during production of In The Shadow of The Blade, though her admiration for American women's service began at age 9 when she read a biography of Clara Barton.  Fries and her husband Patrick own Arrowhead Films.  She is a former Westlake High School English teacher and a graduate of St. Edward's University, where she received a Bachelor of Liberal Studies in English, history and secondary education.

Pat Rowan's first job was with the American Red Cross Supplemental Recreation Overseas program in Vietnam, where she served two tours: in 1967-68 and in 1970-71.  Her assignments took her from the Delta to the DMZ to the Central Highlands of Vietnam.  Ms. Rowan is the only "Donut Dollie" to return to Vietnam as a unit supervisor.  In 1987, Ms. Rowan helped coordinate the Great Texas Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Standown and Veterans March as a member of the Board of Directors of the Houston Foundation of Vietnam Veterans.  In 1989, Ms. Rowan returned to Vietnam with the Veterans Vietnam Restoration Project and International Mission of Hope to help build a surgical unit at the children's hospital in Vinh.  Ms. Rowan has a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and psychology from Texas Christian  University and a Master of Arts in criminology and corrections from Sam Houston  State University.  She worked as Assistant Director of the Harris County Youth  Village and as a Harris county juvenile probation officer before  moving to a career in human resources as HR Director  for Capitol Metro.  She is currently Human Resources Director for  Wesleyan Homes, Inc. 

Joyce Denke received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor in Belton, Texas.  She served  as a Red Cross "Donut Dollie" in Danang and Cam Rahn Bay, Vietnam from 1970-71.  She remained with the American Red Cross for seven years, where she worked in the Youth Services Program in Kansas City, Missouri and Atlanta, Georgia. She was also among the first women to be hired as "typewriter repairman" by IBM in Atlanta.  She established her own independent insurance agency in the Groesbeck, Texas area in 1981 and recently retired in May of 2009.   Joyce is an active volunteer spokesman for MADD. She jumped right in to another unique experience this summer when she went to Winter Park, Colorado to volunteer at the Snow Mountain YMCA Ranch for three months.  She is married and is an avid fisherman and hunter.  She just took up fly fishing and plans her first elk hunt in Colorado in October. Joyce has been recognized as one of the "Outstanding Young Women of America", "Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities", and "Who's Who in Executives ".

A Touch of Home: The Vietnam War’s Red Cross Girls is a production of Austin's Arrowhead Films, which also produced the award-winning documentaries In The Shadow of The Blade, An Ocean Away, and Believe It. Live It.  A Touch of Home won Best Narrative Short at the 2009 GI FILM FESTIVAL.  

www.arrowheadfilms.com/atouchofhome.html

www.intheshadowoftheblade.com.