Do you remember Kilroy was here?
The scrawling left by G.I.’s across Europe and the Pacific is iconic.
Did you know, a rivet inspector on the Quincy shipyard in Massachusetts, James J. Kilroy, is said to be the originator of the “Kilroy was here” craze? According to LiveScience.com, he chalked the words on the ships he had inspected each day to ensure he was credited with the work. However, the war necessitated ships be sent to action before they could be scrubbed of inspectors’ markings.
The words “Kilroy was here” were seen on ships around the world, initially leaving soldiers and sailors mystified. Soon, G.I’s adopted phrase as their own and added the well-known image. Not longer after, Kilroy’s presence spread far and wide. Kilroy began popping up on buildings and walls in France, Italy, and the Pacific Islands – even “top secret military installations.”
Kilroy is just another fascinating example of why the greatest generation is unique and special. We’ll never be able to forget Kilroy and we must do all we can for the greatest generation which created him!
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