By Howard Wilkinson
The Cincinnati Enquirer

WASHINGTON - In 1944, while tending to wounded soldiers in an Army hospital in England, Army nurse Claire Matre of Reading did not have time to think about what life had in store for her.

But she, like millions of other young Americans, eventually came home and picked up her life where she had left off.

PHOTOS

Photo gallery: WWII Memorial

She went to work as a Jewish Hospital nurse and fell in love with a fellow veteran, Joe Busam. She and Joe raised eight children, their golden years brightened by 15 grandchildren.

Friday, the years melted away as Claire Busam walked among the granite columns of the National World War II Memorial here. At her side were two of her daughters, Barb Kelly and Claire Corcoran, both of West Chester Township, her son-in-law, Tim Kelly, and three of her grandchildren.

"I am so glad I am here to see this,'' Busam said as the grandchildren, Sean Kelly, 14, Conor Kelly, 11, and Kelsi Corcoran, 12, dangled their toes in the ice-cold water of the memorial's reflecting pool.

"And to have my family here with me. It really is a wonderful thing.''

Her husband died about 10 years ago. He "would have loved to have seen this.''

The scene of three generations of Claire Busam's family walking together around the sprawling monument was one that was repeated a thousand times Friday, as World War II veterans and their families from every state took their first look at a monument to the 16 million Americans who served in the war that freed Europe from Nazi oppression and demolished Japan's war machine.

All over the memorial grounds, the same scenes were repeated:

• Elderly men wearing VFW and American Legion hats walking hand-in-hand around the pool with grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

• Families lining up in front of the 50 state memorials and asking strangers to take their pictures.

Wilbert Henrich of Colerain Township, who joined the Navy at age 18, fresh out of Hughes High School, walked across the sun-splashed plaza holding hands with his wife and sweetheart of 55 years, Shirley.

Behind them were their children, Sue Grendel of Colerain Township and Bill Henrich of Mount Airy, along with Sue's husband, Steven.

The Henrichs stopped at the Ohio column - flanked on either side by Kentucky and Indiana - to take pictures.

The 79-year-old Henrich recalled his days nearly 60 years ago as an electrician's mate aboard the destroyer escort USS Snyder and how he might have been on the crew of a submarine had he not left sub school.

"I decided submarines were too rough for me,'' Henrich said. "A lot of the fellows I trained with never came back.''

His son and daughter had planned the trip to Washington for today's dedication ceremony six months in advance. They wanted him to be there to remember fallen comrades, as well as honor their dad's own service.

"It means a lot to me to be here today,'' Henrich said. "I kind of well up thinking about it.''

For Claire Busam, too, there was a touch of melancholy amid the joy of being here with her family.

"I saw a lot of young boys with horrible wounds; some of them didn't make it,'' Busam said. "I think about them today, too.''

But the sadness was quickly lifted by the sight of her grandchildren, who had made their grandma stop on the walk up Constitution Avenue to the memorial when they saw a street vendor selling hot dogs and ice cream.

"They sort of think with their stomachs at this age,'' said Barb Kelly. "But some day, they will remember this.''

At the memorial, Barb Kelly and her mother stood in front of a block of granite carved with a Harry Truman quote on heroism.

"Mom, let's take your picture in front of that,'' Barb said.

At first, Claire Busam balked, saying, "I'm no hero.''

"Oh, yes, you are,'' the daughter said. "You sure are.''

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E-mail hwilkinson@enquirer.com