Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Kilroy Was Here

     Kilroy was here. That phrase should be very familiar to the most prominent Korner age group.
     Loren Frazier, BHS-58, wrote, "I wonder how many of our readers remember "Kilroy was here?" I received some material on this from Vern Snyder, BHS-57, and thought I would pass it along. I remember I used that signature a few times as a kid growing up in Boone and playing war around the neighborhood but I don't recall that I ever used it during my Navy years, served in the Western Pacific aboard the USS Saint Paul (Ca-73)."
     With the help of some material that Vern sent to Loren and on to the Kornerman, we can add a bit to the story. Nobody seemed to know why this phrase became so well known worldwide but everybody seemed to get "into it."
     In 1946, for some reason, a radio station sought out someone named Kilroy and offered a sizable prize to a respondent. Forty people did respond but only one, a James Kilroy from Massachusetts, was verified as having the proper identification credentials.
     James Kilroy was a 46-year old shipyard worker who checked on the number of rivets he completed. A rivet is a short metal pin or bolt for holding together two plates of metal as required by various types of war materials. Eventually, he decided to mark his "check" with the words, "Kilroy was here." Because of this, servicemen all over the world eventually had access to those words and, oftentimes, placed them in various locations.
     Long story, short........"Kilroy was here" is scrawled in the dust on the moon and a picture Vern/Loran sent even shows the phrase painted on the outside of Osama Bin Laden's former house.
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    How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?
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     You will recall that Gary Knox revisited some of those smaller Boone County gymnasiums of years past in the last edition. His interest in that was spurred by an email he received from Darel Browning, Jordan HS-53, wondering about the dimensions of the old Jordan basketball floor.
     Here's what Darel wrote, "I did some research on basketball floors and found out that the standard size for college, pros and most high schools is 50x94. Alternate high school standard size floors were 80' long with various widths. I think the Jordan floor was close to the 80' in length but I don't think it was that wide."
     Darel actually went into much more detail, with measurements from the Jordan center circle and the free throw circle to out-of-bounds etc. etc.. supporting the fact that yes, that old Jordan gym had some length but not much width.
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     Have you ever noticed that Tarzan does not have a beard? Why not?
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     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: Marvin Leichliter, 80, Ada, OK. Grew up in Boone County. Had moved from Idaho to Ada six months ago. Was a U.S. Air Force veteran. Later, worked in the aerospace industry. Married Sharon Kaye Butler of Boone in 1955. His wife survives.........Eldon Blanshan, 86. Escondido, CA. Former Boone resident. Will be buried along side his late wife, Madonna, in Boone Sacred Heart cemetery. Services later this spring or summer.........Darlene Sego, 68, Pilot Mound. Lived in Boone County her entire life. Was a homemaker, babysitter and tended bar in Pilot Mound. Boone area survivors include her daughters, DeAnna Zinnel of Boone, and Angie Betts of Boxholm........Maxine Nelson, 87, Stratford. Attended Stratford schools. Worked in a pharmacy and owned a clothing store in Stratford. Moved to the Stratford Specialty Care Center in 2014. Boone area survivors include her daughters, Donna Sanders of Dayton, Lynn Smith of Stratford, and Brenda McMahon of Boone, her brother, Lyle Richey of Stratford, and sister, Janice Ford of Dayton.........Margaret Friesen, Indianola. Boone area survivor is a sister-in-law, Sandy Friesen of Ogden. Burial near Ogden.
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     Worldwide Korner headquarters are located at 710 Aldrich, Boone, Iowa 50036-4703. Phone number is 515-432-1530. To email your stories/memories/comments/SUPPORT.......
kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.
     

    

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