A World War II hero and friend to the Marathon Pundit family died on Monday, which of course was Memorial Day. Brian Quirk, 88, was a war hero, but also one of the warmest and kindest men you could meet. A true test of a great man is not just performing stupendous deeds, but to also treat others in an extraordinary manner.
Shortly after the Pearl Harbor attacks, Quirk enlisted in the Marines and then volunteered to be a member of Carlson's Raiders, a unit group led by Brigadier General Evans Fordyce Carlson.
From Quirk's Chicago Tribune obituary:
Carlson had developed the idea for a more egalitarian fighter unit, where officers and enlisted men worked together, based partly on his experiences in China observing communist guerrillas. He is credited with popularizing the term "gung-ho" for the enthusiastic cohesion with which his Raiders would fight.Quirk later received a second Purple Heart and was a recipient of the Navy Cross.
Like many young men at the time, Mr. Quirk was gung-ho to join the battle. When Carlson asked him why he wanted to join the Raiders, he replied that he figured that was the fastest way to fight the Japanese, his son said.
After several weeks of rigorous training outside San Diego, "Carlson's Raiders" went to war. In August 1942, Mr. Quirk and a unit of Raiders boarded submarines for a surprise raid against the Japanese on Makin atoll. The Japanese were routed, but not without a cost, and some Marines were left missing in action.
Bloody battles in Guadalcanal, Bougainville and Guam followed. On Bougainville, Mr. Quirk took hits to his face, neck and arm, winning a Navy Cross and his first Purple Heart.
My late father and Quirk grew up in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood, he guided my father into a successful career as a professional fundraiser. The Quirks and the Ruberrys eventually migrated to southwest suburban Palos Heights.
As for those Marines he fought with and didn't make it home, he never forgot them.
Pat Hickey has more on Quirk.
The great Marine learned soldiering from Carlson, but the egalitarian lessons derived from his days as a Raider served Quirk well after the war ended. He led a "gung-ho" life.
Most importantly, Quirk, a real hero, treated everyone else as if they were heroes.
Rest in peace.
UPDATE 9:00am: Pat Hickey posted a tribute to Quirk.
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