A 20-year resident of Masonic Village in Elizabethtown, Robert "Bob" Emberger Sr. celebrated his 100th birthday on July 9. As he reached this milestone, he reflected back on his life, including serving in World War II.

After graduating from high school, Bob, who lived in Philadelphia at the time, signed up for naval aviation, because it sounded fun. He didn't think he'd be accepted, but he did so well on the entrance tests, he earned a spot in a training program.

"I was not a good student in high school. I could have been, but I was interested in sports," he said. "I had no background to push me into aviation." In fact, Bob had never been in an airplane. He didn't even have a driver's license.

But the lure of the skies was appealing, he said. "It sounded pretty good to me," he stated. "I was a young guy, and this really appealed to me."

Bob enrolled in West Chester State Teachers College, now West Chester University, while awaiting assignment to an aviator training class. After his freshman year, he joined a Naval cadet training unit at the University of Pennsylvania, entering active duty on March 4, 1943. He then moved to Mount St. Mary's in Maryland, where he flew his first solo flight in a Piper Cub.

"When I went to land, I bounced all over the place," he recalled. "I couldn't figure out what was happening, because it always worked when the instructor was there. So, finally, I just let it bounce out, and the instructor came over and said, 'I thought we were going to have to shoot you down.'" It turned out the under-seat parachute in the plane had shifted forward, preventing Bob from fully pulling back on the yoke to land the plane smoothly.

Bob moved up to open cockpit planes and four-engine B-24 planes. He received his wings and officer's commission Oct. 18, 1944, in Corpus Christi, Texas, and then was sent to Jacksonville, Fla., where he flew a Catalina seaplane on anti-submarine and Air-Sea Rescue patrols.

Bob was deployed to Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, where he continued to fly throughout the Pacific Islands, including Tinian, Kwajalein, Guam and Iwo Jima.

"My job was to go out ... and chart the weather to keep ships out of the bad weather," he said. "I flew into what we call here hurricanes, but out there, they called them typhoons. There was a lot of bouncing. It was both scary and exciting."

After separating from active duty on July 29, 1946, Bob continued to serve in the reserves for several years while earning his teaching degree from West Chester. He married his wife, Ruth, in 1949, and they had four children. They were married for 68 years until Ruth's death in 2017.

Bob earned his master's degree from Temple University and taught in the Lansdowne area. He was head of the phys ed department, coached sports including basketball and track, and wrote the standard for high school intramural programs that was used throughout the state.

To celebrate his milestone birthday, Bob enjoyed a party hosted by his family, which includes countless grandchildren and great-grandchildren. "Don't ask me how many," he said with a smile. "At the party, there were 42 people just from my family." He enjoyed viewing photos of his life his children had collected and displayed and reading the numerous cards he received from students he taught more than 50 years ago.

At Masonic Village, Bob stays active by walking every day, gesturing to his walker and joking, "I run with this when nobody's around." He likes to watch sports and have meals with his girlfriend, Betty, a 98-year-old fellow resident.

Asked what the secret to his long, healthy life has been, Bob doesn't hesitate to answer. "Probably being stubborn," he said. "It's my way or the highway."