On a recent trip to the World War II Memorial in our nation's capital, veteran Saul Kaufman, 91, noticed a 20-something walking with a cane. The young man was part of a group of Iraq War veterans helping elderly WWII vets, such Mr. Kaufman, get around.

"'Are you practicing for when you get older?' " Mr. Kaufman jokingly asked.

In response, the young man tapped a leg with his cane.

"He had one metal leg," Mr. Kaufman said of the young man's injuries that were sustained in the ongoing war.

The young veteran -- Mr. Kaufman never did get his name -- was one of the many true heroes, some known, others not known, who were at the memorial that day to see the monument and to honor those for whom it was created.

Mr. Kaufman, of Oakland, was one of 90 veterans who visited the memorial, courtesy of the World War II Memorial Bus Trip Committee. This veteran service organization was the brainchild of Jim Hilts, 62, of Coraopolis, who is a Vietnam War veteran.

Three years ago, Mr. Hilts' Coraopolis-based company, Kingsway Engineering Services, paid for the first bus trip of 50 veterans. Since that first trip, more than 1,000 WWII veterans have visited the memorial through the help of the nonprofit.

During its recent 12th trip, an early one to mark Wednesday's Veteran's Day -- veterans and volunteers gathered at a number of spots in suburban Pittsburgh. Volunteers helped 90 veterans board buses, and they left town in the early morning to visit the WWII memorial, followed by a stop at the FDR Memorial.

The World War II Memorial honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S., the more than 400,000 who died, and all who supported the war effort from home.

The granite memorial opened to the public on April 29, 2004, and was dedicated one month later, on May 29. It is located on 17th Street, between Constitution and Independence avenues, and is flanked by the Washington Monument to the east and the Lincoln Memorial to the west. The memorial is operated by the National Park Service and is open to visitors 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Mr. Kaufman recalled that as they were waiting for the chartered buses to pick them up, the group was surprised to see WWII veteran and former Senator Bob Dole there to greet them.

"They really were glad to meet former Sen. Dole, who was instrumental in having the monument built," said Jackie Cain, a volunteer with the bus trip committee.

The Oct. 6 group was one of the largest the nonprofit has taken to the memorial, she added.

"It was a pleasant surprise to be with him," Mr. Kaufman said. "I noticed he had one arm that was disabled from injuries World War II."

Mr. Dole, who was seriously injured in the war, was one of the leading voices in the Beltway for construction of the memorial.

Ruth Kunkle, 88, of Harrison City, is a veteran pilot of the Women's Army Service. She and her husband Morris, also a former pilot, visited the memorial with the nonprofit group. Many people at the memorial site stopped her and her husband to talk.

"They would say, 'Thanks for serving,' " Mrs. Kunkle said. "They'd not only stop us, but everyone who was on the trip. It was amazing -- the young people who would come up to thank you."

After the visit, the Kunkles got a call from Sen. Arlen Specter, who congratulated them on the trip.

"We were just thankful to be able to go, and to be able to keep going," Mrs. Kunkle said.

Ruthe D'Hert, 86, of Baldwin Borough, was a radio operator in the Navy during World War II, who served stateside. She has visited the memorial before, but this time, she went to accompany a friend who is a Merchant Marine veteran and had never seen the monument.

The visit by Mr. Dole, who chatted with her and other veterans, was a special treat, she said.

"I thought it was an honor, because he was a real hero of World War II," Mrs. D'Hert said. "I think every veteran should see the memorial. ... World War II involved everybody, and the memorial was not just built for the military -- it was built for the people."

About 16 million men and women served in the U.S. armed forces during World War II. Those veterans, members of the so-called "Greatest Generation," are dying at a rate of about 1,000 per day.

For more information on upcoming bus trips, call Lydian Fischer at 724-709-3614. To donate to the Bus Trip Committee, send checks care of Kingsway Engineering Services, 1331 State Avenue, Coraopolis 15108.

For more information about visiting the memorial, accessibility, parking, directions, special events and other details, visit the National Park Service Web site at www.nps.gov/nwwm or call the Park Service at 202-619-7222.

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