A Very Special Vet

All veterans and service men and women deserve our thanks and recognition this Veteran’s Day.

A special recognition this year goes to 100-year old Robert Tuneberg of Westlake. Mr. Tuneberg served during World War II in the Army 11th Airborne Division as a Paratrooper. His service took him to the South Pacific where the Division played vital roles in the liberation of the Philippines and occupation of Japan.

Once discharged, Mr. Tuneberg attended school at Cleveland College (now Case Western Reserve University) under the G.I. Bill and embarked on a professional career as a Certified Public Accountant.

The Tunebergs (Bob & Mary) moved to Westlake in 1957, and have been married for 72 years.

: WWII Veteran Robert Tuneberg’s decorations framed and presented to him by his family in 2016. The dollar bill in the display was gifted to Mr. Tuneberg by his mother the day he shipped out.

Mr. Tuneberg is like many veterans of his generation who preferred to live a life of quiet, honorable citizenship without calling attention to his service.

Once asked to explain his personal code for life, he said, “When I was single, I was Number One. When I got married, I became Number 2. When our first child came along, I became Number 3, and so on until we had three children and I tried to make myself Number 5.”

Mr. Tuneberg turned 100 years old last month and still lives by that code, looking for ways to serve his family and loved ones.

Today, however, on Veteran’s Day, we want to make Mr. Tuneberg (and all veterans) Number One and say, “Thank you, Dad. Without you, the rest of us would be nothing.”