North Richland Hills residents
Jane and Stephen Dunkelberg, who will celebrate their 57th wedding anniversary Dec. 2, are proud of all three of their sons.
But this time it's about their oldest son, Lee Dunkelberg, a 1970 graduate of Haltom High School, now living in San Antonio.
Lee's a former editor of both his high school newspaper, Haltom High's Buffalo Tales in the 1969-70 school year, and then the University of Texas at Arlington's Shorthorn publication in 1974 and '75. And recently, Lee was producer of two special programs that aired Sept. 27 and Oct. 4 on San Antonio's Public Broadcasting Service station, KLRN.
The two-hour production, which was a companion piece to PBS's The War series, is called: World War II: In Our Words, a collection of stories by people in the area remembering World War II, Lee said.
Since San Antonio is a center of Air Force activity and was also a key Army and Air Force training area during the war, "many of our tales come from U.S. airmen, also from the South Pacific by Marines and GIs, as well as a woman who was detained by the Japanese in the Philippines when she was a young girl."
The documentary paints "a different side of the war, a canvas of raw humanity illustrating the bravery and pride of the people that were profoundly touched by the war," he said.
One story tells of the struggle of the African-American Tuskegee Airmen, "their call to war twofold: fighting the Luftwaffe and battling prejudice from comrades on the ground," he said.
In another interview, a man from Louisiana recalled his school not being able to play football games at night "because it would be a navigational reference for the German U-boats in the Gulf of Mexico," he said.
The two shows received such an incredible response that the team decided to prepare a third hour, which will be aired Dec. 4 in San Antonio, Lee said.
"These stories are about life on the home fronts in World War II -- like being in a family living room, listening to stories of your grandparents, aunts and uncles," said Jane Dunkelberg, whose other sons and families are Marc and wife Suzanne Dunkelberg and daughter Freida of Dallas; and Kenneth and wife Laurie and their four sons, Joel, Ian, Toby and Zach, who live in Seattle.
In the late 1990s, Lee won two Telly awards, which honor local, regional and cable TV commercials, programs, videos and films. One was the Telly Communicator Award of Distinction for his documentary, Always Ready, about the USS Lexington, now a museum in Corpus Christi Bay, he said.
"It's the longest-serving aircraft carrier in the world -- from 1943 to 1991," Lee said.
He is proud that his film is officially used on the Lexington to tell visitors about its history.
Lee has worked in many other communication venues, including public relations and in daily news coverage, including radio news reporter, director and anchor.
Quite a good cook, he's known among friends as the "Culinary Cowboy." He may also soon be in his first movie "if I escape the cutting-room floor," he said. "I play a burned-out office worker in The Sno Cone Stand, just wrapping up in Austin with The Sopranos actor Tony Sirico and sexy Morgan Fairchild."
Jane and Stephen Dunkelberg have invited friends and relatives to their home at 4 p.m. on Veteran's Day, Nov. 11, to see their son's two productions, Lee said. "They just want to show me off.
priddle@star-telegram.com
Pat Nimmo Riddle, 817-685-3802
