The phrase was scrawled on desolate beachheads, notable landmarks and on walls everywhere. The message was believed to have been left by an American, although it was often discovered by the first American troops to enter areas formerly occupied by enemy troops. The phrase irritated German and Japanese troops to no end but delighted (and also bewildered) American forces as it added much needed levity to the brutality of war. It also provided a great deal of mystery about who Kilroy was and how he got to so many areas of the war before anyone else.
Kilroy was not the only one of his kind during World War II. The Canadians had their version (Clem) and the British had two (Chad and Mr. Foo), and there was one central to Los Angeles, California. At the conclusion of the war, the American Transit Association decided to put a face on the mysterious Mr. Kilroy. After sponsoring a radio contest to draw out the phantom, they declared James J. Kilroy of Halifax, Massachusetts the "Kilroy". Mr. Kilroy explained that as a part of his work, he would write the phrase "Kilroy was here" on the wall of any area he inspected in order to let others know that it had already been inspected. The Association awarded him a 22-ton streetcar which he eventually converted into sleep quarters for some of his children. In 1946, the New York Times put a different spin on things, declaring that Kilroy had actually written the words inside of the sealed ship hulls he had inspected.
