Roger T. Durbin, a World War II veteran of the Tenth Armored (Tiger) Division who saw action at the Battle of the Bulge, became a driving force behind the creation of the National World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. Fellow veteran and U.S. Senator Bob Dole called him "the public persona - the beacon - of the drive" to build the memorial in the nation’s capital. The effort began with a conversation between Durbin and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur at a local fish fry in February 1987, and with Kaptur’s support the work to create the memorial moved forward. Known as a man committed to serving others, Durbin was a rural letter carrier, a Richfield Township trustee, and a Little League baseball coach. The National World War II Memorial was dedicated on May 28, 2004, and although Durbin did not live to see that day, the memorial stands because of the persistence of Roger Durbin and Congresswoman Kaptur.