Denissen, 93, of Allouez, started walking east toward headstone 60 8435 located nearly two football fields from his wheelchair, his feet soaked by persistent rains.

Denissen had waited three years for this moment when he would finally visit the grave of his 24-year-old grandson, Marine Sgt. Luke James Zimmerman of Luxemburg. Zimmerman died Oct. 27, 2006, from injuries suffered in a roadside bomb blast in Iraq where he was stationed as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"Wait until I tell everyone I found him," Denissen said as he approached the headstone.

Denissen was one of 95 northeastern Wisconsin World War II veterans to fly to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday as part of the inaugural Old Glory Honor Flight.

The organization was formed several months ago as part of a national effort to bring 25,000 WWII veterans to Washington to see the World War II Memorial.

While the other veterans took a side trip to see the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, trip organizers helped Denissen find the grave of his grandson on the third anniversary of his death.

"I'm happy as hell, but it's so sad," Denissen said as tears welled up in his eyes and he said a quiet prayer for his grandson.

Later, three large motor coach buses pulled up to take the 95 veterans and volunteers who helped them to Washington Dulles International Airport, where they would depart for a return flight to Outagamie County Regional Airport in Greenville.

The flight home to Wisconsin spelled the end to a 15-hour journey by the veterans who ranged in age from 77 to 94. Most were grateful for the once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the monument erected in their honor.

Impressive memorial

The memorial, located on the National Mall between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial, was dedicated on April 29, 2004, to honor the 16 million members of the U.S. armed forces, more than 400,000 of whom died in World War II.

"It's the greatest thing I've ever seen," said Glen Derber, 87, of Neenah.

Derber served with the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division during WWII and parachuted into France on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

"The memorial is just so impressive," Derber said. "It covers so much of the war."

The experience produced a mix of emotions for Derber, who remembered walking down a road in France during the war and stumbling upon a hand and part of a wrist lying in the road.

"It brings back memories both good and bad," Derber said. "I couldn't get the memories of the war out of my head until recently. I tried to forget the war for years, but it's too hard to forget. But I'm glad I came out here anyway, because I probably never would have, except for the Old Glory Honor Flight."

Peter Weitz, 89, of Neenah, saw not only the World War II Memorial but also a memorial to the historic flag raising on Iwo Jima. Shrapnel from an exploding artillery shell wounded Weitz during the battle known for the raising of the American flag at the summit of Mount Suribachi.

"The World War II Memorial is a beautiful place," Weitz said. "More people should come out to see it and give support to the memorial."

The daylong rain didn't discourage any of the veterans from spending several hours in the elements protected only by rain ponchos. About 50 of the veterans were in wheelchairs that were pushed by volunteers who paid $500 each to make the trip to help the veterans realize their dream.

"We have to keep the veterans safe and in order to keep them safe, we count on the guardians to ensure an enjoyable trip," said Jon LiDonne, Waupaca County veterans service officer and founder of Old Glory Honor Flight.

Valerie Flanagan, 88, an Appleton native now residing at King, was stationed at a Navy hospital in South Carolina during WWII.

"The trip was excellent," Flanagan said. "I'd love to do it again some day. I saw so much more than I expected to see."

Flanagan said seeing the World War II Memorial was an emotional experience that left her searching for words to describe it.

"That memorial was really a memorial — it was something else," she said. "It was overwhelming to see it, and it was a true tribute to World War II veterans."

Flanagan spent part of the time pushing her 88-year-old friend, Dorothy Ostrowski of Waupaca, in a wheelchair. Ostrowski served with the Waves in a Navy hospital in California during the war.