Portion of Brookfield road to be renamed for woman killed in Vietnam

BROOKFIELD — State Sen. Sean O’Brien of Bazetta, D-32nd, and other local officials will have a dedication ceremony at 1 p.m. Sunday to mark the re-naming of a portion of state Route 7 in honor of Virginia “Ginny” Kirsch.

The ceremony will be on the Brookfield Green at Route 7 and Warren-Sharon Road.

Hirsch, a graduate of Brookfield High School, went to Vietnam to serve with the American Red Cross “Donut Dollie” program, which sent teams of young women to conduct morale-boosting audience participation programs for soldiers stationed there.

She was murdered in her quarters at the 25th U.S. Infantry Division base camp at Cu Chi, Vietnam in the middle of the night Aug. 16, 1970.

O’Brien’s legislation designates the section of Route 7 between Routes 82 and 62 as the Virginia E. “Ginny” Kirsch Memorial Highway.