James E Kirsh

James E Kirch 2^nd Lieutenant

1942-1946 Military Career

He enlisted in the U.S. Army Signal Corps in 1942 in Chicago and was assigned to the 82^nd Battalion 1^st Cavalry Division. He attended Basic Training and was stationed at Camp Crowder MO. He attended Army Signal Corps school until July 1943. He was then assigned to the Army Special Training Program at The Univ. of Iowa. He attended classes and completed his requirements in the fall of 1944. He then returned to the Signal Corps. 

During the battle of the Bulge in late 1944, he was reassigned to the infantry division for training prior to an overseas infantry assignment. At the end of infantry training and just prior to his shipment to the European campaign, he was accepted for Field Artillery Officer Candidate School. He completed Officer Candidate School OCS in May 1945 and was promoted to the rank of 2^nd Lieutenant He was then assigned to the Far East campaign as a replacement 2d Lieutenant in Field Artillery. He was on the high seas when the Atom bomb was dropped on Japan and the war ended.

After the WW-II ended he served in the Occupation Army stationed in Japan for 1 year. He was discharged in June of 1946.

Metals he received: American Theater Ribbon, A-P Theater Ribbon, Over Seas Service Bar, Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Metal(Japan)

After WW-II, he enrolled in the Electronic Engineering Program at the Illinois Institute of Technology and graduated with a EE Degree.