Was Kilroy Here?

[deckardcanine]

We tend to see memes as a modern-day thing.
It’s true that the Internet gave them some zing,
But one of the oldest known memes to appear
Began in the ‘30s: It’s “Kilroy was here.”
GIs used the phrase back in World War II.
The peeking-man doodle would shortly ensue.
On army equipment, the phrase was so common
It’s said to have baffled both Hitler and Stalin.
So who was the namesake? We can’t say for sure.
I know of two candidates, rather obscure.
The first, James J. Kilroy, a shipyard inspector,
Would write out the phrase as a quirky protector:
The usual method to signal approval,
A small mark in chalk, was too prone to removal
By welders who hoped to get double their pay,
So James made it harder to take his away.
The other known Kilroy, a Francis J., Jr.,
Was noted as such in a newspaper sooner.
The airman and sergeant wrote “Kilroy will be
Here next week” on a bulletin board back when he
Was stuck at a Florida base with the flu.
His buddies repeated it till he came thru,
And that’s when the short variation began.
You think that sounds probable? I dunno, man.
It seems lexicographers mostly conclude
The phrase wasn’t named for an actual dude.
I’m thinking it’s just like some memes of today:
They don’t need a reason; just spread ‘em, OK?