At the Pru recently, I met Kilroy, the mascot for Boston Duck Tours. No doubt he got his name from the catchphrase "Kilroy Was Here". The phrase showed up on a lot of equipment sent to the troops during WWII, and the DUKW vehicles used by BDT came from that time. Who was Kilroy, and where was he? the most popular theory is that Jim Kilroy, a dockyard inspector working in Quincy, MA, wanted to add a personal, funny touch to his work. So he wrote the phrase, along with that guy with the big nose, on equipment he passed. The servicemen who saw Kilroy's joke loved it, and put it on many a blank surface, overseas and back home! Eventually is became a beloved part of American pop culture!