Kraemer, Fritz G. A. (33741993)

Fritz G. A. Kraemer
Personal details
Born	1908 Germany
Died	2003
Nativity	Germany
Religion	Protestant
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Army
ASN	33741993
Rank	Colonel
Camp Ritchie	Class 10 (23 July – 20 September 1943)
Enlisted	Ft Myer, Virginia

Research notes on this page are compiled from the source file and later edits. They may be unverified, incomplete, or incorrect, and should not be treated as established fact. Please correct the article or add sources on the talk page. For class-roster terms, see About the data.

Sources & confidence: Treat Research notes as leads, not settled fact. Prefer NARA, the class roster, newspapers, Find a Grave, or published histories for contested claims. Mark unsourced claims with {{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.

Fritz Gustav Anton Kraemer (July 3, 1908 – September 8, 2003) was an American military educator and advisor. He was Senior Civilian Advisor to the Army Chief of Staff. He is often credited with discovering Henry Kissinger, with whom he maintained a close relationship, and Alexander Haig. alt=Pentagon Strategist Fritz G.A. Kraemer, National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, and President of the United States of America Richard Nixon at the Oval Office, The White House in Washington DC.|thumb|400x400px|Pentagon Strategist Fritz G.A.

Biography

Fritz Gustav Anton Kraemer (July 3, 1908 – September 8, 2003) was an American military educator and advisor. He was Senior Civilian Advisor to the Army Chief of Staff. He is often credited with discovering Henry Kissinger, with whom he maintained a close relationship, and Alexander Haig. alt=Pentagon Strategist Fritz G.A. Kraemer, National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, and President of the United States of America Richard Nixon at the Oval Office, The White House in Washington DC.|thumb|400x400px|Pentagon Strategist Fritz G.A. Kraemer, National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, and President of the United States of America Richard Nixon at the Oval Office, The White House in Washington DC. Kraemer, a Lutheran with a dislike for Nazis, escaped Nazi Germany for America in 1939, leaving behind his wife and son. He was drafted and became a U.S. citizen as an inductee and joined the United States Army in April 1943 ("with two PhDs and one monocle") as an infantryman in the 84th Infantry Division (the "Railsplitter"). His time served at Camp Ritchie classifies him as one of the thousands of Ritchie Boys. Kraemer fought in the Battle of the Bulge and in the battles of the Ruhr and Rhineland, earning a Battlefield Commission and a Bronze Star in the liberation of his former homeland. In 1945 Kraemer was reunited with his wife and son and returned to Washington, DC, in 1947. He left active duty in 1948 and retired from the Army Reserve in 1963 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Kraemer died at the age of 95 on September 8, 2003, in Washington, D.C., and was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery on October 8. He was honored by former Secretary of Defense James R. Schlesinger and his former students Henry Kissinger and Alexander Haig. “He stimulated my thoughts because he had all these experiences and insights,” Schlesinger said. Former Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld referred Kraemer as "a true keeper of the flame". Kissinger said that Kraemer was "the greatest single influence of my formative years. An extraordinary man who will be part of my life as long as I draw breath."

Research notes

• http://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/nov/12/guardianobituaries.usa
• Lt.Col

Gallery

After you are autoconfirmed, upload a photo and add [[File:Example.jpg|thumb|caption]] here, or set |photo=Example.jpg in the infobox.

Technical record

Field	Imported value
Approx Age at Death	95
Nara ASN	33741993
Nara Name	KRAEMER FRITZ A
Nara State	4
Nara County	1
Nara POE	3347
Nara DOE	210543
Nara Grade Alpha	PVT
Nara Grade Code	8
Nara Branch Alpha	NO
Nara Branch Code	2
Branch	No branch assignment
Nara Term or Enlistment	5
Term of enlistment	Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
Defer. Date	0
Nara Source	0
Nara Nativity	N1
Nara Year of Birth	8
Nara Race	1
Nara Race Description	White citizen
Nara Education	3
Nara Civilian Occupation	6
Nara Marital Status	2
Nara Height (inches)	45
Nara Weight (lbs)	108
row_source	demographics

Timeline

• 7/3/1908 Born in Germany (Protestant). (Dan Gross private research timeline; FRITZ G. A. KRAEMER.doc, page unknown; paragraph 5)
• 7/20/1943 Assigned to Company “G”. (Dan Gross private research timeline; FRITZ G. A. KRAEMER.doc, page unknown; paragraph 16)
• 7/23/1943 Started Class 10 (IPW Ge) but did not graduate (no explanation). (Dan Gross private research timeline; FRITZ G. A. KRAEMER.doc, page unknown; paragraph 17)
• NOTE: Certain information from the NARA enlistment website differs from that found in Kraemer’s Wikipedia article and from the Camp Ritchie personnel cards. According to the official enlistment record for Fritz A. Kraemer (ASN 33741993) on the NARA website, he enlisted on May 21, 1943 (not April 1943) at Fort Myer VA. The enlistment record further states.... (Dan Gross private research timeline; FRITZ G. A. KRAEMER.doc, page unknown; paragraph 45)
• 6/1943 Arrived as Pvt at Camp Ritchie. Knowledge of German, Italian,. (Dan Gross private research timeline; FRITZ G. A. KRAEMER.doc, page unknown; paragraph 14)
• Battlefield commission (2nd Lt.) Bronze Star Medal for effecting. (Dan Gross private research timeline; FRITZ G. A. KRAEMER.doc, page unknown; paragraph 24)
• Battlefield commission (2nd Lt.) Bronze Star Medal for effecting. (Dan Gross private research timeline; FRITZ G. A. KRAEMER.doc, page unknown; paragraph 24)
• Battlefield commission (2nd Lt.) Bronze Star Medal for effecting. (Dan Gross private research timeline; FRITZ G. A. KRAEMER.doc, page unknown; paragraph 24)
• Retired from Army Reserves as Lt. Col. (Dan Gross private research timeline; FRITZ G. A. KRAEMER.doc, page unknown; paragraph 27)
• TX (S.O. 209). Assigned to 84th Infantry Division (maneuvers at. (Dan Gross private research timeline; FRITZ G. A. KRAEMER.doc, page unknown; paragraph 20)
• The Personnel card which normally provides information on assignment (Special Order), and on family or friend to be notified was not found (Box 24). OSS File not found at NARA. (Dan Gross private research timeline; FRITZ G. A. KRAEMER.doc, page unknown; paragraph 42)

Sources

• Wikipedia: Fritz G. A. Kraemer
• Camp Ritchie class roster (classes 1–31), merged research file
• NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present)
• 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)
• Dan Gross, Timeline of Fritz G. A. Kraemer for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 2 source documents reviewed)