COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Newark man and World War II veteran was honored at his funeral in Columbus on Monday.
Robert Walz, 98, was known as someone who beat the odds.
While he was doing his military training in Tennessee, he was run over by a tank. He told his family because it had rained and the ground was muddy, he sank into the ground, coming away from the accident without a scratch.
During the invasion of Normandy, France in June 1944, he was the only survivor when his boat arrived on the beach.
His stepson, Mark Dobson recalled what Walz told him about the invasion.
"He was armed with a bazooka with two shells along with his other gear. He said we didn't know we were in the water. We thought we'd walk out, hit the sand and walk up and they were in water over their heads. About 8 feet of water. He sunk to the bottom and started walking until he could come up for air," Dobson said.
Walz would go on to fight in the Battle of the Bulge and for his efforts earned him five Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart.
When the war was over, he came to Columbus and worked for the Kroger company for nearly 50 years.
The family said he opened many of the Kroger stores in Columbus earning him the nickname “Mr. Kroger.”
Later in life, he escaped death again when the family said his wife ran him over by accident in the driveway.
Walz served 3 1/2 years in the U.S. Army under General Dwight D. Eisenhower and General George C. Patton.
Born in 1923 in Newark, Walz was also a member of the Shriners and Masons.