Jim Kirch

After ASTP I went to Crowder with most of the rest of the group and was sent to radio repair school. While there I signed up for OCS and was interviewed but never heard anything after that. About six weeks later we were all sent to an infantry training camp at camp Gordan Ga. We completed the 6 week course but in the final week I was accepted for Artillery OCS and sent to Fort Sill OK. The rest of the group went overseas to Europe as far as I know.

I was commissioned a 2d Lt. In July 1945 and sent to Ft. Bragg,NC. After 4 days there I was tapped on the shoulder and told I was going to the far east. After a short delay enroute,I went to Ft Ord and left for the far east by ship. While on the high seas the bomb was dropped on Japan. Arrived in the Philippines in august.and was Assigned to the 77th Inf div,304 Fa Bn. We landed in Hokkaido, Japan abt Oct 1st. Spent the very cold winter there and then was assigned to the 1stCavalry Div. near Yokosuka. Because of low points, I didn't get back until July 1946.

I went back to my former job at the Commonwealth Edison Co.and went to night school at Illinois Inst of Tech graduating in 1952. Got married in 1950. Also in 1952 I left the Power co and went with Motorola in the Military Electronics Group. Motorola transferred us to Phoenix in1957. I got my MSEE from Arizona State U in1961.

I left engineering in 1970 and went into Program management and retired as a department head in 1984. I did consulting work and seminars for about 5yrs after retiring. Most of my work at Motorola was in the Aerospace area working on both ground and space systems for the Air Force, NASA and the Jet Propulsion Labs. We had equipment on most manned and unmanned programs. We were major suppliers on the Apollo program including the lunar lander and lunar module.

My wife Mary and I have been married for 49yrs and have 7 children and 12 grandchildren. Five children live in the Phoenix area with one in the Chicago area and one in LaCrosse,Wi. It's a full time job just keeping up with all of the activities of the family.