In 1938, the first-ever National Donut Day was celebrated in Chicago, and the history of The Salvation Army’s “Donut Lassies” was officially immortalized. In 1917, these women were sent to France to establish field bases near the front lines. In makeshift huts, thousands of soldiers would come to stock up on essential goods and grab a sweet treat baked by the “Lassies”.
Both the presence of these courageous women and the donuts that tasted of home brought a light of hope and happiness to the battlefield — a much-needed morale boost for languishing soldiers. Supplies were often sparse, so the Donut Lassies resorted to using cans and even steel helmets to fry up these patriotic pastries!
In fact, the Donut Lassies are also widely credited with popularizing the donut in the United States after the troops (commonly known as “doughboys”) came back from fighting in Europe.