--- title: "‘Kilroy Was Here’ was the World War II-era viral meme" description: "Memes aren't just for Facebook. \"Kilroy was here\" might have been the greatest of WWII, but how did this whole thing start?" date: "2022-07-02" modified: "2025-08-15" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/kilroy-was-here-was-the-wwii-era-viral-meme/" categories: - "History" - "War History" - "World War II" tags: - "Military Culture" - "Military History" - "World War II" --- # ‘Kilroy Was Here’ was the World War II-era viral meme ![Kilroy was here]() *Engraving of "Kilroy" on the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. (Blake Stilwell)* Kilroy, the bald guy with the long nose hanging over a wall, may be the world's first viral meme. While it didn't originate with U.S. servicemen in World War II, it resonated with them. And Kilroy has had staying power all over the world, well after the war ended. --- The graffiti originated with a British doodle called "[Mr. Chad]()," who commented on rationing and shortages during the war. Often accompanied by the phrase "Wot? No Sugar", "Wot? No engines?", or anything decrying the lack of supplies in Britain at the time. "Eventually," etymologist Eric Shackle writes, "the spirit of Allied unity merged, with the British drawing appearing over the American phrase." ![kilroy was here]() *The infamous "Kilroy was here" graffiti on a piece of the Berlin Wall located in the Newseum in Washington, D.C., USA. (Blake Stilwell) The infamous "Kilroy was here" graffiti on a piece of the Berlin Wall located in the Newseum in Washington, D.C., USA. (Wikimedia Commons)* The little graffiti doodle became a national joke. GIs and civilians alike would compete to draw "Kilroy was here" in the most remote, obscure places. "Kilroy was here" suddenly appeared on the torch of the Statue of Liberty, the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the Marco Polo Bridge in China, a girder on the George Washington Bridge in New York, and even the bellies of pregnant women in hospitals. ![Kilroy was here]() *And still shows up in the most random of places.* Kilroy – the name, not the person – is widely considered to originate from J.J. Kilroy, a welding inspector at the Bethlehem Steel Shipyards in Quincy, Massachusetts. [*The New York Times* told the story]() of how Kilroy, tired of co-workers claiming he didn't inspect their work, began writing "Kilroy was here" with a crayon, instead of making the usual chalk mark. When these ships came in for repairs in worldwide ports, wartime workers would open sealed compartments to find the doodle. These random appearances would be a fantastic feat from the repair crews' perspective, since no one would have been able to access those areas. For years, rumors and theories abounded about the origin of the name. In 1946, the American Transit Association held a contest, offering a full-size streetcar to anyone who could prove they were the real Kilroy. J.J. Kilroy entered and corroborated his story with other shipyard workers. The ATA sent the trolley to Kilroy's house in Halifax, Mass., where he attached the 12-ton car to his home and used it as living space for his nine children. ![kilroy was here]() *How we should treat all our heroes.* ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()