Gunars was born in Latvia in 1935. Four years later the U.S.S.R. invaded and annexed his home country. In 1944, when Gunars was 9 years old, he and his family escaped the Soviet communist occupation of Latvia as did thousands of Latvians during WWII. After living in Germany and Czechoslovakia, his family came to the U.S. in 1946. In those days, the Quaker community in Pennsylvania sponsored refugee families with housing and food until they could find jobs. Refugees later reimbursed their expenses.

Experiencing the oppression of a communist government and following the plight of Latvia’s struggle to gain independence, Gunars was a strong proponent of freedom. He kept track of the fate of his fellow Latvians. During the 1980s, Gunars helped revitalize a group called the “Captive Nations” which petitioned the U.S. Government to recognize the oppression being wrought against the citizens of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland. This movement helped increase the pressure placed upon the Soviet Union, which ultimately led to President Reagan’s famous quote in Berlin, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”