A message from Jennifer Kirk Hamilton
After the war-a biography - how a hero lives his life.
Growing up the daughter of T.S. Kirk, I was taught that in life you never give up. Dad never did; he never stopped attempting the impossible. He built his first house (1952-1954) for his wife and four children - two from my mother's previous marriage, Joan and Ed - me, and my brother Scottie (d. 1972). By built, I mean, he did it himself... He bought a cement mixer, and poured the foundation, built the frame, put in the pluming, wired the new house for electricity, etc.  We moved two years later to an old guest ranch in Yermo, Ca. The attempt to restore the old guest ranch failed, but he didn't give up. 1958 he retired after 20 years service we moved to a place called Quartz Hill, when he went to work for General Dynamics in the electronics division. We lived there for five years, and then he said he wanted to move to "God's Country". So, when I was ten, in 1960, we moved to the Napa Valley. Dad and Mom bought a 125 acre ranch on the side of Mt. St. Helena. He also started and finished building his second house from the ground up. Together my mother and he bought an old restaurant in the town of Calistoga; they partnered with a woman who turned out to be a con artist and the business failed a year later. But he did not let that stop him; he moved on. He finished his education Santa Rosa Junior College, received his AA degree, and began teaching math and electronics for the Ukiah, Ca. School District. He loved to teach; he loved being able to affect the lives of young people. He had a presence about him that made you want to learn. Dad
could do just about anything he put his mind to.
He was fascinated with electronics and built a system in the early 60's
much like today's cable/satellite.  This is how it worked:   a huge tower would capture the available broadcast TV signals and a subscriber would have a descrambler box (which he built) in their home. This brought three available channels to an entire valley. He not only built the descramblers, he managed the business by selling subscriptions to hundreds of people, and maintained the equipment he had installed. Tragically, the tower he was sold was faulty. The project failed and the business went belly up. But he did not give up. He married his second wife in 1964, went back to school, and got a job with the FAA; at first working as a Radar Engineering Technician, and retiring as a Proficiency Development and Evaluation Officer.  

During this time, he bought another ranch in Redwood Valley and set about building a barn. He wanted peace. Larry Frye, his stepson, moved in next door and together they built the two ranches up on the side of the mountain.
It was at this time that he started writing The Secret Camera. To help him, his step-daughter Pauline Jones, a skilled writer herself, worked beside him as editor of the book. The entire family helped in getting it right by proofreading. Dad sent the manuscript off repeatedly to many publishers only to be turned down. Not to be discouraged, he published the book himself.

Years passed as he worked at getting the word out by himself. In this he was a stubborn man. He wouldn't hire anyone; he did it himself. Sales were never stellar, but he just kept working at it.  Years later he got a call from a Linda Homes and eventually Frank Bigelow became aware of the book and photos. These photos and Dad's story were used in Frank's testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Dad had a favorite quote that he loved to spout whenever I was down. "Press On Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not: Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not: Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are Omnipotent." You go Dad. I am so proud of you.

He is survived by a daughter, Jennifer Kirk Hamilton, two grandchildren, Joslyn Rain Sarte' and Morgan Lee Hamilton, three great-grand children, six step-children: Larry Frye, Pauline Jones, and Janet Frye,  Joan Schubin, Ed Kirk, Carolyn Noonan,  and third wife Mildred  M. Kirk.  
 
 
 

Terry Kirk was a living legend, one of those many you never hear much about. His unwavering faith in Duty, Honor, County and the Corps set the standard for the modern Code of Conduct that was not in place during WWII. In doing so he left for us who followed him the impression of Pride, self-sacrifice and team work.

Being Marines and upon this Memorial day and each day we should strive to overcome our prejudices and dislike of others and treat our fellow Marines as well as other Veterans of our Armed Forces as equals.

Commandant R. K. Bates

On May 10th 2006 a Marine Passed by: Master Gunnery Sergeant Terry Kirks, He was on his way to Recon the path ahead for us to follow. Though he is gone from us, in Marine Corps tradition as long as there is a Marine Corps he is still standing tall among us whom he lead with an outstanding devotion to Duty, Honor, Country and Flag. He is doing double duty guarding the streets of gold in Heaven as Past Marines have done for over 230 years.

MGySgt Kirk USMC (Ret) was captured by the Japanese on December 7, 1941(Pearl Harbor Day), and spent the duration of World War II performing slave labor in a Prisoner of War Camp in Japan. Despite all of the hardship and obstacles, he made a crude camera with which he made several photographs depicting the hardships and cruelty of life as a POW.

"Yes Sir, Master Gunnery Sergeant, at your Command, we follow."

Carol Noonan is his daughter her e-mail address is :texanagroup@htcomp.net

Terence Sumner Kirk Author of “The Secret Camera”       Terence S. Kirk was born in Hassisburg, Il.on June 10, 1916.       Sadly, at age 3, with a tragic turn of events, Terence and his siblings were sent to Mooseheart Orphanage, where he was raised, and educated.  In 1937, Terence joined the US Marine Corps, and served his country as a Marine for 30 years.      As a young Marine, he was stationed in Northern China, attached to the US Embassy, and was captured the 1st day of WWII  by the Japanese.  A Japanese POW for 1,355 days, upon liberation, Kirk was then stationed at Camp Pendleton, and promoted to Master Gunnery Sergeant.            After retirement from the Corps, Terence attended Santa Rosa College, and received his AA degree.    He retired from the FAA as a Proficiency Development & Evaluation Officer (teacher), and now spend time with his wife Millie, in North Central Texas.       HOME PAGE Waco, TX USA