Here are some photos of one of the test castings. On the right side the angle of the trouser pocket flap is pretty pronounced. The measurements of the front and the measurements of the backs are the same on both pockets, but the way the back portion of the left one is raised/wrinkled does make it not as pronounced as the right one so I can see where it could appear to be straight when looked at from different angles.
4 Likes
Iâm sorry to hear that the owner is very unwell, hopefully he recovers soon and the figures hit the shelves in the near future.
what do you use for all the vegetation and greenery?
4 Likes
The bamboo is a 3d printed product made by Black Ops Models out of Australia. It comes with 20+ stalks, half with leaves which I used as the background for the wounded GI, and the other half without leaves that can be used for making foot bridges and other bamboo items. Since they were 3d printed, there is no mold seam that needs to be removed like you find on the rubbery plastic offerings from other sources, so for me, they were much easier to use.
The rest of the vegetation are various preserved plant products from Dioramapresepe out of Italy. They have a very wide range of plants to choose from.
5 Likes
Iâm at a loss for words James, truly outstanding animation and painting, superlative work, 
.
G, 
5 Likes
@G-man69 ,
Thank you. Although there are figure painters who are much better than me, I try to make up for that by trying to make the poses and interaction between the figures as natural as possible.
5 Likes
This is such a unique and touching sceneâyou donât see Donut Dollies represented often in dioramas. The composition really tells a story, and the figures have so much personality. Did you base this on a specific photo or memory? Either way, itâs beautifully done.
4 Likes
@Pitar ,
Thank you. Youâre right, Donut Dollies are not depicted much in dioramas and in the few that I have seen, one can tell that the modeler depicting them really doesnât understand their purpose nor what they did because they seem to depict them as bimbos when in reality they worked very hard under harsh conditions to bring a few moments of home to the servicemembers they visited. Although two of the figures were manufactured to represent Donit Dollies, the expressions on the original faces did not convey the smiles and friendliness they were to project, so I changed them with heads that had appropriate happy features.
This diorama does depict an actual visit made by Emily Strange (seated near the guitar that she was known for bringing with her), Sherri Cozzalio (standing facilitating the game), and a Donut Dolly visiting from Long Binh where they spent a couple hours with Soldiers from the Scout Platoon and Charlie Company, 2d Battalion, 47th Infantry (Mechanized), 9th Infantry Division who were on a maintenance standdown at Binh Phuoc. This took place in the motorpool before they actually started conducting maintenance. The figures of the guys depict actual members of those two elements plus the guy without a hat with his hands in his pockets depicts one of the mechanics.
6 Likes
Wow, thank you so much for the detailed backgroundâthat gives this diorama even more emotional weight. I really respect the care youâve taken to portray the Donut Dollies accurately, especially replacing the heads to better reflect their warmth and purpose. That small change makes such a big difference in conveying their spirit.
Knowing this was based on a real visit with Emily Strange and Sherri Cozzalio makes the whole scene even more powerful. Itâs not just a modelâitâs a tribute. The attention to historical accuracy and the effort to honor the individuals involved is truly inspiring. Thank you again for sharing the story behind it.
8 Likes
@Pitar ,
Thank you. The majority of my work depicts actual Soldiers, events, and places as a tribute to honor those people and their service. Although there are way better modelers out there that could probably make the scene look more real, I try my best to tell these stories by matching up an event with something that I experienced during my time in the military to give the scene a bit of that type of reality. Then I make sure even the small details are correct for the time period and location and when accessories, stowage, and/or equipment are involved I try to make sure they are appropriate for the scene and action taking place. Although I grew up in this hobby in the late 1970s and 1980s where the few books about diorama techniques advised modelers to fill up empty space with accessories, I only include items that are appropriate, historically correct, and in amounts and locations where they make sense and do not impede movement in my work. Doing so does cause projects to take longer because I am trying to find heads that look like the people being depicted in regards to figures, making sure the figures interact like they would have during the actual event, and trying to include details that the Veterans being depicted mention while telling me about the event. When I model something that does not depict an actual individual, I can work much faster like I did with the last several figures I knocked out as single figures.
9 Likes
Wow it looks great.
1 Like
Beautiful build and finding this thread is kinda cool since I just listened to the Plastic Model Mojo Podcast episode where they are interviewing a modeler who is scratch building the truck that the Donut Dollies used in Vietnam.
2 Likes
Thank you.
1 Like
Thank you. I am glad you found this thread, too.
What kind of vehicle is that modeler scratch building? Most Donut Dollies had to rely on transportation from the units or bases they supported, so it would be interesting to know what kind of vehicle it is.
2 Likes
It is a GMC truck that they used to ride in, and it had the ability to make donuts and play music and distribute coffee. I might be wrong on the time frame, but they talk the builder for between one to two hrs on the pod cast itâs a hell of a listen I really suggest it. Iâve never heard the term donut dollies before and now it keeps popping up.
3 Likes
Are you sure he is not doing the WWII version which were known as âClubMobilesâ and were converted GMC CCKW 2 1/2 tons?
5 Likes
Yep, thatâs it my bad Iâm pretty well known for my terrible memory but still really cool.
2 Likes
9 Likes
Thats a really cool evolution of the Red Cross mission.
4 Likes