John W. Kirby, 96, of Effingham, IL, passed away on Sunday, October 18, 2020 at his home.
~~~~~
John W. Kirby . . . . Navy . . . . WWII
John W. Kirby was born May 7, 1924, the son of Evelyn (King) and Fred Kirby of Flora, Illinois. His mother remarried later and they moved to Effingham when John was in high school. He was a member of the Class of 1944 but left school early to serve in WWII.
He entered service in the Navy in October of 1942 and did his basic training at Great Lakes. He finished as an Honor Man because he was in the top 10 of his class. That allowed him to go to school to be a Pharmacist Mate . . . . a Corpsman. 300 in the Corpsman class went to the Fleet Marines, 40 went to the Naval Air Station in Chicago, and 10 (John included) went to Naval Office Recruiting.
John was sent to St. Louis for Naval Office Recruiting and received a stipend of $250 per month that had to include food and rent. The Recruiting Station was in the Board of Trade building at the corner of 12th and Olive. More WAVES were recruited than sailors.
PhM3/c Kirby's next assignment was to LCI(L) 427 (Landing Craft Infantry-Large) in September of 1944. They left Chesapeake Bay and headed down to Key West. On Christmas day of 1944 the ship left Key West. On December 31, 1944 the ship was changed to LC(FF) Landing Craft (Flotilla Flagship). There were only 3 flotillas, and 36 ships in a flotilla. They didn't pick up their flotilla until they reached Hawaii. They then headed for the active war zone in the Philippines.
When they left the Philippines they headed to Okinawa. A typhoon was coming, and they headed out to sea to ride out the typhoon. The ship was tossed around for 6 days and ran out of food and water. They were finally refueled at sea by a British ship and given 50 frozen sheep as food to hold them over until they could get back to Okinawa. They finally made it back to Okinawa and headed to Iwo Jima.
The flotilla was back in Okinawa when the bombs were dropped on Japan. They headed to Japan after the initial invasion to take in tanks, troops, and supplies. After the beaches were secured they headed in and delivered supplies, troops, and took out the wounded. John's ship, the 427, went into Yokohama Bay and stayed there until January of 1947. He recalled meeting Japanese families that were starving. John and his buddies made a point of going ashore with supplies to help the families and children. The war was now over, and they saw starving children and families that they could help. He still remembers the look on the face of a child seeing an orange for the first time.
PhM1/c John W. Kirby came home on the USS Ticonderoga. The ship sailed into Bremerton, Washington, and he received an honorable discharge in January of 1947. He had served from October of 1942 until January of 1947.
John came back to Effingham and his high school sweetheart, Patty Porter. John and Patty married in 1951 and raised their three daughters in Effingham. John worked hard and became a successful businessman. He still remembers his Navy days and is proud to have served his country.
Thank you for your service, John . . . . . . . you are not forgotten.
~~~~~
John W. Kirby . . . . Navy . . . . WWII
John W. Kirby was born May 7, 1924, the son of Evelyn (King) and Fred Kirby of Flora, Illinois. His mother remarried later and they moved to Effingham when John was in high school. He was a member of the Class of 1944 but left school early to serve in WWII.
He entered service in the Navy in October of 1942 and did his basic training at Great Lakes. He finished as an Honor Man because he was in the top 10 of his class. That allowed him to go to school to be a Pharmacist Mate . . . . a Corpsman. 300 in the Corpsman class went to the Fleet Marines, 40 went to the Naval Air Station in Chicago, and 10 (John included) went to Naval Office Recruiting.
John was sent to St. Louis for Naval Office Recruiting and received a stipend of $250 per month that had to include food and rent. The Recruiting Station was in the Board of Trade building at the corner of 12th and Olive. More WAVES were recruited than sailors.
PhM3/c Kirby's next assignment was to LCI(L) 427 (Landing Craft Infantry-Large) in September of 1944. They left Chesapeake Bay and headed down to Key West. On Christmas day of 1944 the ship left Key West. On December 31, 1944 the ship was changed to LC(FF) Landing Craft (Flotilla Flagship). There were only 3 flotillas, and 36 ships in a flotilla. They didn't pick up their flotilla until they reached Hawaii. They then headed for the active war zone in the Philippines.
When they left the Philippines they headed to Okinawa. A typhoon was coming, and they headed out to sea to ride out the typhoon. The ship was tossed around for 6 days and ran out of food and water. They were finally refueled at sea by a British ship and given 50 frozen sheep as food to hold them over until they could get back to Okinawa. They finally made it back to Okinawa and headed to Iwo Jima.
The flotilla was back in Okinawa when the bombs were dropped on Japan. They headed to Japan after the initial invasion to take in tanks, troops, and supplies. After the beaches were secured they headed in and delivered supplies, troops, and took out the wounded. John's ship, the 427, went into Yokohama Bay and stayed there until January of 1947. He recalled meeting Japanese families that were starving. John and his buddies made a point of going ashore with supplies to help the families and children. The war was now over, and they saw starving children and families that they could help. He still remembers the look on the face of a child seeing an orange for the first time.
PhM1/c John W. Kirby came home on the USS Ticonderoga. The ship sailed into Bremerton, Washington, and he received an honorable discharge in January of 1947. He had served from October of 1942 until January of 1947.
John came back to Effingham and his high school sweetheart, Patty Porter. John and Patty married in 1951 and raised their three daughters in Effingham. John worked hard and became a successful businessman. He still remembers his Navy days and is proud to have served his country.
Thank you for your service, John . . . . . . . you are not forgotten.
John W. Kirby, 96, of Effingham, IL, passed away on Sunday, October 18, 2020 at his home.
~~~~~
John W. Kirby . . . . Navy . . . . WWII
John W. Kirby was born May 7, 1924, the son of Evelyn (King) and Fred Kirby of Flora, Illinois. His mother remarried later and they moved to Effingham when John was in high school. He was a member of the Class of 1944 but left school early to serve in WWII.
He entered service in the Navy in October of 1942 and did his basic training at Great Lakes. He finished as an Honor Man because he was in the top 10 of his class. That allowed him to go to school to be a Pharmacist Mate . . . . a Corpsman. 300 in the Corpsman class went to the Fleet Marines, 40 went to the Naval Air Station in Chicago, and 10 (John included) went to Naval Office Recruiting.
John was sent to St. Louis for Naval Office Recruiting and received a stipend of $250 per month that had to include food and rent. The Recruiting Station was in the Board of Trade building at the corner of 12th and Olive. More WAVES were recruited than sailors.
PhM3/c Kirby's next assignment was to LCI(L) 427 (Landing Craft Infantry-Large) in September of 1944. They left Chesapeake Bay and headed down to Key West. On Christmas day of 1944 the ship left Key West. On December 31, 1944 the ship was changed to LC(FF) Landing Craft (Flotilla Flagship). There were only 3 flotillas, and 36 ships in a flotilla. They didn't pick up their flotilla until they reached Hawaii. They then headed for the active war zone in the Philippines.
When they left the Philippines they headed to Okinawa. A typhoon was coming, and they headed out to sea to ride out the typhoon. The ship was tossed around for 6 days and ran out of food and water. They were finally refueled at sea by a British ship and given 50 frozen sheep as food to hold them over until they could get back to Okinawa. They finally made it back to Okinawa and headed to Iwo Jima.
The flotilla was back in Okinawa when the bombs were dropped on Japan. They headed to Japan after the initial invasion to take in tanks, troops, and supplies. After the beaches were secured they headed in and delivered supplies, troops, and took out the wounded. John's ship, the 427, went into Yokohama Bay and stayed there until January of 1947. He recalled meeting Japanese families that were starving. John and his buddies made a point of going ashore with supplies to help the families and children. The war was now over, and they saw starving children and families that they could help. He still remembers the look on the face of a child seeing an orange for the first time.
PhM1/c John W. Kirby came home on the USS Ticonderoga. The ship sailed into Bremerton, Washington, and he received an honorable discharge in January of 1947. He had served from October of 1942 until January of 1947.
John came back to Effingham and his high school sweetheart, Patty Porter. John and Patty married in 1951 and raised their three daughters in Effingham. John worked hard and became a successful businessman. He still remembers his Navy days and is proud to have served his country.
Thank you for your service, John . . . . . . . you are not forgotten.
~~~~~
John W. Kirby . . . . Navy . . . . WWII
John W. Kirby was born May 7, 1924, the son of Evelyn (King) and Fred Kirby of Flora, Illinois. His mother remarried later and they moved to Effingham when John was in high school. He was a member of the Class of 1944 but left school early to serve in WWII.
He entered service in the Navy in October of 1942 and did his basic training at Great Lakes. He finished as an Honor Man because he was in the top 10 of his class. That allowed him to go to school to be a Pharmacist Mate . . . . a Corpsman. 300 in the Corpsman class went to the Fleet Marines, 40 went to the Naval Air Station in Chicago, and 10 (John included) went to Naval Office Recruiting.
John was sent to St. Louis for Naval Office Recruiting and received a stipend of $250 per month that had to include food and rent. The Recruiting Station was in the Board of Trade building at the corner of 12th and Olive. More WAVES were recruited than sailors.
PhM3/c Kirby's next assignment was to LCI(L) 427 (Landing Craft Infantry-Large) in September of 1944. They left Chesapeake Bay and headed down to Key West. On Christmas day of 1944 the ship left Key West. On December 31, 1944 the ship was changed to LC(FF) Landing Craft (Flotilla Flagship). There were only 3 flotillas, and 36 ships in a flotilla. They didn't pick up their flotilla until they reached Hawaii. They then headed for the active war zone in the Philippines.
When they left the Philippines they headed to Okinawa. A typhoon was coming, and they headed out to sea to ride out the typhoon. The ship was tossed around for 6 days and ran out of food and water. They were finally refueled at sea by a British ship and given 50 frozen sheep as food to hold them over until they could get back to Okinawa. They finally made it back to Okinawa and headed to Iwo Jima.
The flotilla was back in Okinawa when the bombs were dropped on Japan. They headed to Japan after the initial invasion to take in tanks, troops, and supplies. After the beaches were secured they headed in and delivered supplies, troops, and took out the wounded. John's ship, the 427, went into Yokohama Bay and stayed there until January of 1947. He recalled meeting Japanese families that were starving. John and his buddies made a point of going ashore with supplies to help the families and children. The war was now over, and they saw starving children and families that they could help. He still remembers the look on the face of a child seeing an orange for the first time.
PhM1/c John W. Kirby came home on the USS Ticonderoga. The ship sailed into Bremerton, Washington, and he received an honorable discharge in January of 1947. He had served from October of 1942 until January of 1947.
John came back to Effingham and his high school sweetheart, Patty Porter. John and Patty married in 1951 and raised their three daughters in Effingham. John worked hard and became a successful businessman. He still remembers his Navy days and is proud to have served his country.
Thank you for your service, John . . . . . . . you are not forgotten.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
