Virginia E. Kirsch, best known by her nickname Ginny, graduated from Brookfield High School in Brookfield Township, Ohio in 1966. That same year, Kirsch enrolled in Miami of Ohio college in Oxford, Ohio where she joined the Alpha Chi Omega sorority and became a cheerleader. A good student, Kirsch graduated in 1970 at the age of 21 but rather than enter into the workforce, she decided to join the American Red Cross (ARC) and chose to serve in the ARC's Supplemental Recreational Activities Overseas (SRAO) program. Women in the SRAO program were known by U.S. troops as Donut Dollies.
The SRAO program traced its roots back to the ARC's Clubmobile Service which began in late 1942. A clubmobile was a converted bus or GMC truck that contained a doughnut maker and primus stove with the kitchen side of the bus opening outward for serving food and drinks. In the rear of the clubmobile was a lounge with bench seating (that doubled as beds), a Victrola record player, speakers, a record collection, books, snacks (such as candy and gum), and cigarettes. Each clubmobile had a British driver and was manned by three ARC women. By June 1944, some 100 clubmobiles were in the European theater following the invasion and traveled within the rear area of each U.S. Army Corps. Clubmobiles remained in service until 1946. The SRAO program itself began in 1953. While the ARC had clubs within Korea during the war, they were not mobile which meant soldiers in posts outside of divisional and corps areas could not partake of the clubs that troops in those areas enjoyed. Following the armistice in July 1953, the SRAO revived clubmobiles with the first clubmobile arriving in South Korea on October 3, 1953 and commencing operations near Inchon as part of ASCOM (Army Support Command) though the majority of SRAO operations finally wound down by 1960 although some services remained open. In May 1965, the U.S. Army officially called on the ARC to provide recreational support to U.S. forces in Vietnam as, at that time, only two USO clubs were operating (one in Saigon, the other in Danang) and the U.S. Army's Special Services (sports, film exchange, and mobile library) were mainly confined to the Saigon region. By September 1965, the first clubmobile was set up in Danang, a second operating at Bien Hoa by October 1965, and a third clubmobile unit in Nha Trang by December 1965. As more U.S. troops poured into Vietnam, the SRAO stood up more and more clubmobile operations to support them. By the time 1970 came, the women had to contend with poor morale in the men they served and not only did they have to maintain their own cheerfulness in order to help improve the mood of the soldiers they interacted with, but also to keep up their own morale.
After receiving her training, Kirsch was deployed to Vietnam for her one year hitch, arriving in-country on August 2, 1970. Her clubmobile unit was based at Cu Chi, the home of the 25th. Infantry Division. Cu Chi was sixteen miles to the northwest of Saigon. Kirsch quickly took to her mission and adjusted to the environmental conditions of the region, to include enemy fire. Kirsch and her fellow Donut Dollies often flew in helicopters to firebases and outposts which the clubmobiles couldn't reach, bringing with them refreshments, doughnuts, recreational materials, and their smiling selves to lift up the spirits of the men manning those posts. Except, it wouldn't be enemy fire that took Kirsch's life on August 16, 1970.
At 1:45am, Kirsch retired to her room. At 3:30am, one of the other women in the billet had been unable to sleep and was washing dishes when she heard a commotion. As she went down a hall to investigate, a man in civilian clothes exited Kirsch's room, ran past her and out the door behind her. The woman looked into Kirsch's room and found Kirsch dead, covered in blood, a knife on the floor near her. Military Police (MP) and U.S. Army medics soon arrived and while the medics fought to save Kirsch's life, she was pronounced dead at the base's hospital, the cause of death being hemorrhage caused by the multiple stab wounds. MPs, had, in fact, seen the man running from the billet at 3:40am but could not catch him. The MPs locked Cu Chi down and the ARC evacuated all of their women personnel from the base. Two suspects were questioned. One was caught with property stolen from one of the ARC women though he denied killing Kirsch. The other suspect claimed that, while under the influence of heroin, he stabbed someone in a dark room and with this confession, the soldier was charged on November 6, 1970 with unpremeditated murder under the USMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice) and was shipped back to the United States to stand trial. Unfortunately, the case was dismissed in 1971 for insufficient evidence as the man could not be identified in a line-up by one of the eyewitnesses.
The first suspect was investigated by military authorities for larceny for the stolen property but nothing came of these charges as the man was declared unfit for duty (mental disability) and was discharged from the U.S. Army. Returned to his home state of Wisconsin, the man was charged with murder of another man and while in custody, confessed to having killed Kirsch. The U.S. Army CIC (Criminal Investigation Command) sent an agent to Wisconsin and took a statement from the man on June 22, 1972. However, on September 6, 1972, the authorities holding the man were informed the U.S. Army had already closed the Kirsch case as the man had been discharged. The man was eventually found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity and was committed to a mental institution. To this day, Virginia Kirsch has not received any justice for her murder.
The photograph shows Kirsch (on the left as you look at the picture) and a fellow Donut Dolly on a M48 Patton main battle tank, likely belonging to the 1st. Battalion, 69th. Armor which was under the 25th. Infantry Division. She is wearing the usual ARC in-country uniform which consisted of a pale blue short-sleeved dress. On her left collar is a red enameled cross while on the right would be a pin with the letters A.R.C. There does seem to be something above the A.R.C. pin but what it is cannot be determined. On the left sleeve of the dress is the round ARC patch which was white with a red border, a centered red cross with American Red Cross in red around it. On Kirsch's right sleeve is the “Tropic Lightning” unit patch of the 25th. Infantry Division. The name plate was standard U.S. Army, being black with the last name in white with a white border. Footwear was typically sneakers, tennis shoes, or in some cases, casual loafers. Kirsch's companion is wearing the ARC boonie hat, also in pale blue to match the uniform. The dress uniform was a pale blue two-pocket, button-down blouse and skirt, black low-heeled pumps, and a pale blue cap.
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