• Article Photo. Honor Flight participants take photos of the grave of Audie Murphy, Medal of Honor recipient.
    Honor Flight participants take photos of the grave of Audie Murphy, Medal of Honor recipient.
  • Article Photo. Many Honor Flight veterans visited the grave of the most-decorated US soldier, Audie Murphy.
    Many Honor Flight veterans visited the grave of the most-decorated US soldier, Audie Murphy.
  • Article Photo. Still 'HERE:' Kilroy, the mythical WWII figure, is on display at the WWII memorial.
    Still 'HERE:' Kilroy, the mythical WWII figure, is on display at the WWII memorial.

Almost anyone could tell you which grave has the most visitors at Arlington National Cemetery.

The answer, of course, is the tomb with the eternal flame that honors JFK.

But only a World War II veteran could tell you the name of of the man whose grave at Arlington has the second-highest number of visitors: Audie Murphy. 

Audie Murphy was the most-highly decorated World War II soldier, earning the Medal of Honor and many others. 

Audie Murphy earned his Medal of Honor during the Battle of the Colmar Pocket near Holtzwihr, France. During this battle, he climbed aboard a burning M10 "Wolverine" Tank Destroyer which was abandoned in a nearby ditch and began firing a .50 caliber machine gun at the enemy. He killed an estimated 50 German foot soldiers and turned back 6 Panzer tanks. As Audie fought this lone battle, the M10 he was on sustained an estimated three direct hits from either enemy tanks or artillery. 

After the war, Murphy became an actor, although most of his roles were in what are called B-movies. His most famous role was in the WII film "To Hell and Back," in which Murphy played himself.

Murphy was a hero to the WWII generation until his death in a plane crash in 1971. He is buried near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Because of the high traffic at his grave site, a special walk way was built. 

Many of the Honor Flight participants stopped at Murphy's grave on June 5 to pay their respects. Other earlier visitors had left flags and flowers there. 

Kilroy: Still "Here" at the WWII Memorial

Another famous name from World War II also has a quiet corner in Washington, D.C. where veterans stop to remember, and pose for photos.

But this name does not belong to a soldier, or even an actor -- or even a real person.

Kilroy was an entirely mythical man, someone who never existed. But U.S soldiers wrote his name in every country to which they traveled during World War II. Some reported that the Nazis believed it was some kind of Allied code word; others reported that even in Moscow, Kilroy earned some fame. 

Kilroy was often pictured as a man overlooking a fence, with a large nose. 

"Did you find Kilroy?" was one of the questions on a list used by a group of high school students who happened to be at the World War II Memorial at the same time as the Eastern Iowa Honor Flight veterans on June 5.

Some veterans, did indeed find Kilroy. While most of the names and places honored in the World War II Memorial are inside the ring of pillars, Kilroy's name is etched in a corner of the exterior wall along the east side of the Memorial, behind a locked gate leading to a maintenance area. 

Several veterans posed near the famous icon.

"He was easy to draw," recalled one veteran who helped add to the legend during World War II. "He was everywhere," said another.