First off, to the best of my knowledge, Styx was always named Styx. Second, the WWII Kilroy Was Here part may or may not be significant to the song. Kilroy Was Here was a concept album, and tells a story. It's about censorship, and a man named Kilroy, who was a rock artist, portrayed by Dennis DeYoung. He was imprisoned by the MMM (Majority for Musical Morality), because he was a rock artist. At his last performance, a murder was staged, and the MMM believed that Kilroy killed an MMM protestor. However, it turned out that a member of the MMM had killed them. To get back on track, this song is about Kilroy's escape. He finds a roboto suit -- robots who are officers of the MMM -- and uses it to escape. "The problem's plain to see -- too much technology / Machines to save our lives. Machines dehumanise" shows that the robotos, who are taking over the manual labour tasks of humans as well, are forcing humans to become something they aren't. The fanfiction based on the story is called "Whispers in the Night", and you should be able to find it on most any search engine.
The Legends of "Kilroy Was Here"
WWII Kilroy Was Here legends Horizontal Line
The Legends of "Kilroy Was Here"
WWII Kilroy Was Here legends Horizontal Line
There was one person who led or participated in every combat, training or occupation operation during WWII and the Korean War. This person could always be depended on. GI's began to consider him the "super GI." He was one who always got there first or who was always there when they left. I am, of course, referring to Kilroy Was Here. Somehow, this simple graffiti captured the imagination of GI's everywhere they went. The scribbled cartoon face and words showed up everywhere - worldwide. Stories (some even true) abound.
Legend #1: This Legend of how "Kilroy was here" starts is with James J. Kilroy, a shipyard inspector during WWII. He chalked the words on bulkheads to show that he had been there and inspected the riveting in the newly constructed ship. To the troops in those ships, however, it was a complete mystery – all they knew for sure was that he had "been there first." As a joke, they began placing the graffiti wherever they (the US forces) landed or went, claiming it was already there when they arrived.
Kilroy became the US super-GI who always got there first – wherever GI's went. It became a challenge to place the logo in the most unlikely places. It was said to be atop Mt. Everest, the Statue of Liberty, the underside of the Arch de Triumphe, and scrawled in the dust on the moon. An outhouse was built for the exclusive use of Truman, Stalin, and Churchill who were there for the Potsdam conference. The first person to use it was Stalin. He emerged and asked his aide (in Russian), "Who is Kilroy?"
Trolley being delivered
Click image for larger view
Image thanks to Brian Fitzgerald (Kilroy grandson)
WWII UDT (Under Water Demolition - later Navy Seals) divers swam ashore on Japanese held islands in the Pacific to prepare the beaches for the coming landings by US troops. They were sure to be the first GIs there! On more than one occasion, they reported seeing "Kilroy was here" scrawled on make shift signs or as graffiti on enemy pillboxes. They, in turn, often left similar signs for the next incoming GIs.
The tradition continued in every US military theater of operations throughout and following WWII.
Boston American, December 23, 1946
Click image for larger view
Image thanks to Brian Fitzgerald (Kilroy grandson)
In 1946 the Transit Company of America held a contest offering a prize of a real trolley car to the person who could prove himself to be the "real" Kilroy. Almost forty men stepped forward to make that claim, but James Kilroy brought along officials from the shipyard and some of the riveters to help prove his authenticity. James Kilroy won the prize of the trolley car which he gave it to his nine children as a Christmas gift and set it up in their front yard for a playhouse.
First off, to the best of my knowledge, Styx was always named Styx. Second, the WWII Kilroy Was Here part may or may not be significant to the song. Kilroy Was Here was a concept album, and tells a story. It's about censorship, and a man named Kilroy, who was a rock artist, portrayed by Dennis DeYoung. He was imprisoned by the MMM (Majority for Musical Morality), because he was a rock artist. At his last performance, a murder was staged, and the MMM believed that Kilroy killed an MMM protestor. However, it turned out that a member of the MMM had killed them. To get back on track, this song is about Kilroy's escape. He finds a roboto suit -- robots who are officers of the MMM -- and uses it to escape. "The problem's plain to see -- too much technology / Machines to save our lives. Machines dehumanise" shows that the robotos, who are taking over the manual labour tasks of humans as well, are forcing humans to become something they aren't. The fanfiction based on the story is called "Whispers in the Night", and you should be able to find it on most any search engine.
WWII Kilroy Was Here legends
WWII Kilroy Was Here legends
The Legends of "Kilroy Was Here" WWII Kilroy Was Here legends Horizontal Line
The Legends of "Kilroy Was Here" WWII Kilroy Was Here legends Horizontal Line
There was one person who led or participated in every combat, training or occupation operation during WWII and the Korean War. This person could always be depended on. GI's began to consider him the "super GI." He was one who always got there first or who was always there when they left. I am, of course, referring to Kilroy Was Here. Somehow, this simple graffiti captured the imagination of GI's everywhere they went. The scribbled cartoon face and words showed up everywhere - worldwide. Stories (some even true) abound.
Legend #1: This Legend of how "Kilroy was here" starts is with James J. Kilroy, a shipyard inspector during WWII. He chalked the words on bulkheads to show that he had been there and inspected the riveting in the newly constructed ship. To the troops in those ships, however, it was a complete mystery – all they knew for sure was that he had "been there first." As a joke, they began placing the graffiti wherever they (the US forces) landed or went, claiming it was already there when they arrived. Kilroy became the US super-GI who always got there first – wherever GI's went. It became a challenge to place the logo in the most unlikely places. It was said to be atop Mt. Everest, the Statue of Liberty, the underside of the Arch de Triumphe, and scrawled in the dust on the moon. An outhouse was built for the exclusive use of Truman, Stalin, and Churchill who were there for the Potsdam conference. The first person to use it was Stalin. He emerged and asked his aide (in Russian), "Who is Kilroy?"
Trolley being delivered Click image for larger view Image thanks to Brian Fitzgerald (Kilroy grandson)
WWII UDT (Under Water Demolition - later Navy Seals) divers swam ashore on Japanese held islands in the Pacific to prepare the beaches for the coming landings by US troops. They were sure to be the first GIs there! On more than one occasion, they reported seeing "Kilroy was here" scrawled on make shift signs or as graffiti on enemy pillboxes. They, in turn, often left similar signs for the next incoming GIs.
The tradition continued in every US military theater of operations throughout and following WWII.
Boston American, December 23, 1946 Click image for larger view Image thanks to Brian Fitzgerald (Kilroy grandson)
In 1946 the Transit Company of America held a contest offering a prize of a real trolley car to the person who could prove himself to be the "real" Kilroy. Almost forty men stepped forward to make that claim, but James Kilroy brought along officials from the shipyard and some of the riveters to help prove his authenticity. James Kilroy won the prize of the trolley car which he gave it to his nine children as a Christmas gift and set it up in their front yard for a playhouse.