RICH Kirkham, a Rotarian from Pocatello, Idaho, is on Saipan with his son Robert as part of their Pacific “tribute tour” to retrace the steps of Rich’s father, Dale B. Kirkham, who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
Rich Kirkham was the guest speaker at the Saipan Rotary Club’s meeting held in the Hyatt Ballroom on Tuesday.
He presented slides of World War II photographs depicting Dale Kirkham’s journey from the time he enlisted in the Navy at the height of World War II, to the important formative years of his life fighting in the Pacific.
There were also photos of his hometown where he raised a family, put up a successful business and lived until the age of 86. He passed away on Feb. 8, 2012.
Because it was Feb. 22, 2022 on Tuesday, Rich Kirkham noted that his family’s lucky number is 222. He said the number seemed to appear now and then in his life, leading him to where he wanted to be and what he wished to happen.
“I like the numbers also because it reminds me of my father,” he said. His father was a signal man on the U.S. Navy landing craft LCI 222, which saw action in New Caledonia and the Marianas during World War II.
LCI 222 also brought Dale B. Kirkham home in one piece.
To retrace his father’s footsteps during the war, Rich Kirkham headed to San Francisco where his father started his military career, then to Hawaii and Saipan where his father was when the Enola Gay left Tinian and headed to Japan to drop the atomic bomb in August 1945.
Rich Kirkham said one of the things that he and his father were working on just before his father died was a book, a war diary.
He said his father wanted to travel back to the islands. “He never stopped talking about this place,” Rich Kirkham said, referring to Saipan. “He loved this place and he wanted to come back and visit.”
Rich Kirkham said when his father left the mainland U.S. to fight in the Pacific, “he was worried about leaving home. And everybody on that ship felt the same way. He could have stayed back, but that would have been a shame.”
“I love my father for that,” he added. “He was patriotic. He didn’t make a big show about it, but he really always did his part.”
Rich Kirkham said that Rotarians, too, believe in service, and that is a great thing, he added.
“But there is one group I want to pay tribute to — the men and women of the armed forces of the United States who are called to serve and protect,” he said.
“It is the kind of service that may cost their own lives, and that’s why we’re proud of them, and are grateful to them.”
Rich Kirkham is a member of the Rotary Club of Pocatello, Idaho, which was founded in 1919. He has been a club member for 20 years and has served on various club committees, eventually becoming a board director in 2010. He became club president in 2016 and has served as governor of Rotary District 5400 in 2019-2020, overseeing 44 clubs in Idaho and Oregon.
Currently, he is the chairman of his club’s World Service Committee. Their work involves removing cataracts in Nigeria, sending computers to the Mayan schools in Mexico, sponsoring school children in Jerusalem, and helping resettle Afghan refugees.
Rich said he loves to serve and do volunteer work. Each morning he recites out loud the Rotary Vision Statement, “Together we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change, across the globe, in our communities and in ourselves.”
Rich said he’s hoping “we can find an opportunity to do some good in the Marianas while we are here.”
He is a real estate property manager, investor, and developer. He and his wife, Kathy, started their real estate company when they were married in 1980. During the startup years they also worked with his parents in auto parts distribution. The company eventually transitioned into the real estate business. They also own and operate a heavy equipment dealership, an advertising company, an events center and a private Montessori school in Pocatello, Idaho. Rich and his wife Kathy have four married sons and 12 grandchildren.
Visiting Idaho Rotarian Rich Kirkham, center, speaks as Saipan Rotary Club President Ivan Ilmov, left, and secretary Jessy Loomis, right, look on during the club’s regular meeting in the Hyatt Regency Saipan Ballroom on Tuesday.
Saipan Rotary Club President Ivan Ilmov and visiting Rotarian Rich Kirkham of Idaho exchange Rotary flags.
