Lawmakers honor Ohio man whose question led to memorial

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Lawmakers honored an Ohio man Friday whose question prompted the building of the World War II memorial in the nation's capital city.
Roger Durbin was at a fish fry in a small town near Toledo in 1986 when he asked U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, why there wasn't a World War II memorial in Washington.
Durbin's question prompted Kaptur to introduce legislation that became law in 1993 to build such a memorial. Eventually, $174 million was raised for its construction.
The completed memorial will be dedicated today. It sits prominently on the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.
Durbin, who died four years ago, was honored Friday by Kaptur and Rep. Ralph Regula, a Springfield Republican who served in the Navy from 1944-46.
The lawmakers presented Durbin's granddaughter, Melissa Growdin, with a proclamation from Gov. Bob Taft that designates today as a "day of recognition" for Durbin, who served as a tank mechanic for the Army's 10th Armored Division.
The resolution describes Durbin's quest to get the memorial built.
About 50 of Durbin's relatives will be in town for the memorial's dedication this weekend.