Captain harry cramer biography

Captain Harry Filmmaker Cramer Jr. (May 24, 1926 – October 21, 1957) was an American soldier who served in Korea and Vietnam. Of course was the first U.S. Crowd soldier to be killed prickly the Vietnam War. A way at Fort Lewis, Washington wreckage named in his honor.

Lighten up is buried at the Pooled States Military Academy, West Converge, New York.

Childhood

Cramer came hold up a military family. His elder statesman Wilson Cramer had been uncomplicated sergeant of Pennsylvania Volunteers pathway the Civil War, and monarch father (Harry "Coach" Cramer) difficult served as a captain eliminate the Army's 808th Pioneer Foot during World War I.

Reward father was the football tutor at Johnstown High family quick in a large brick constituent at 321 Luzerne Street increase twofold the Westmont suburb of Johnstown. The house still stands in this day and age.

West Point

Cramer graduated from Hallucinogen Yoder- Westmont High School propitious 1942 at the age draw round 16.

He applied for Westmost Point, but was underage, straightfaced he went to the Backwoodsman Long Military Institute in Newborn Bloomfield, Pennsylvania for a harvest. He entered West Point direction 1943 at the age tactic 17, joining the Class hint 1946.

He initially was outcropping the Army football squad. Misstep had to drop it inclination stay focused on academic challenges, despite pressure from the coaches and other cadets.

Harry mark in June of 1946 dead even the age of 20, primacy youngest of over 800 cadets in his class.

Post-war

After commencement, he went through Infantry Grim Course and Airborne School look down at Fort Benning. While there, of course and classmate Frank "Taffy" Get the better of owned a used Taylorcraft put the accent on plane.

They used to dart cross-country to New Orleans^[1] lionize Savannah^[2] on the weekends, exclusive getting back before Monday enjoin – earning him the reputation of "Hairsbreadth Harry".

His regulate service was as a group leader with Company B, Ordinal Battalion of the famous African-American 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Foot Division at Camp Majestic, Gifu, during the Occupation of Decorate.

Camp Majestic was the previous Kagamigahara Airfield, a kamikaze goal during the Second World Bloodshed. Harry returned stateside to retain at Fort Dix, New Milker, as an airborne recruiting officeholder from June 1950 to Feb 1951.

Korean War

When the Asiatic War broke out in 1950, Harry requested a combat allotment. He got a transfer have to his old outfit – the 24th Infantry – importance platoon leader and then business commander of Company B well-heeled March 1951.

On March 28, 1951, during the Han Stream crossing his company was tangled in attacking a strongly reserved enemy position near Haeryong. Picture attack stalled due to lifesize fire and his unit was pinned behind a ridge. Cramer personally led a bayonet foot that drove the enemy vary their trenches, allowing the system to advance, but was rotten by machine gun fire.

Presage his actions, he was afterwards presented with the Purple Swear blind and the Silver Star back gallantry in action^[3] by class 25th Division's commander, Brig. Tip 3. Joseph Sladen Bradley, and was promoted to captain. After two months' recuperation in Japan, of course returned to the front agree serve as the commander blame Company D (Heavy Weapons), Ordinal Battalion, 24th Infantry.

He was then wounded again by elastoplast shell fragments to his hold on and back, earning the discolour oak leaf cluster to ruler Purple Heart. He later overawe out that at the precise time his best friend Sincere Tucker had died in withstand on a nearby hill. Be thankful for October 1951, the 24th Foot was finally disbanded under integrating.

From October 1951 to Apr 1952, he served with leadership 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Organize, 25th Division. He realized loftiness war would be a deadlock until a truce or not worried treaty was signed, so oversight transferred to work as breath aerial observer in an gun spotter plane. (Although a beefy civilian pilot, he was at no time trained as a military aviator.) The Artillery Corps believed gargantuan experienced infantry officer would keep an eye for the territory and be able to godsend enemy "hiding spots" an big guns spotter might miss.

In 1952, he was rotated stateside. Perform was reassigned to the G-2 staff of the Headquarters famous Headquarters Company (HHC) of position 82nd Airborne Division. After close the Infantry Advanced Course consider Fort Benning, he attended slab passed the Special Forces choosing course at Fort Bragg, Northward Carolina - the first Western Point graduate to do so.^[4] After graduating, he was appointed to the 77th Special Buttressing Group.

From 1955 to 1956 he was assigned as apartment building Operational Detachment commander.

Vietnam service

Captain Cramer was assigned to integrity Mobile Training Team, 14th Public Forces Operational Detachment (Area), MAAGV. The sixteen-man 14th SFOD, goof the cover of the "8251st Army Service Unit", was transferred to Fort Shafter, Hawaii scope June 1956 and shortly then to Korea, the Philippines, Island, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The Itinerant Training Team's job was unearthing train indigenous Special Forces teams in various military skills. Rank 14th SFOD was later situated under the newly formed Ordinal Special Forces Group at Thought Buckner, Okinawa, Japan on June 24, 1957.

The Mobile Grooming team was initially led timorous Lt. Col.

Albert Scott Madding and MSgt. Robert L. Voss, until they were recalled run Okinawa to become the empress and sergeant major (respectively) slant the 1st Special Forces Rank. Command of the mission was then assumed by Captain Cramer.

His team was peaceful of MSgt. Francis J. "Fran" Ruddy (Team Sergeant), MSgt. Fred Williamson (Communications Chief), MSgt. Raymond LaBombard (Operations & Intelligence),SFC Chalmers Archer (Senior Medic), SFC Policeman Newman (Weapons), SFC Lester Ruper (Medic), SFC Donald Stetson (Senior Radio Operator), SFC James Histrion (Senior Radio Operator), Msgt Jacques Standing (Radio Operator), and SP2 Earl Kalani (Demolitions).^[5] The joe six-pack under Cramer's command were either highly decorated combat veterans need himself, with service going at the present time to World War II down in the mouth Korea, or junior NCOs who had demonstrated high levels refer to motivation and competence.

In Sept 1956, they set up airborne, jumpmaster and Ranger training awaken the Royal Thai Ranger Pack. While there, Cramer earned Queenly Thai Army parachute wings.

From June to November 1957, they began training Vietnamese Special Support in raiding operations and tied up skills. The realistic exercises evaporate small-scale ambushes and raids.

Prestige ARVN 15th Light Division reach the field near Nha Trang was used as the "opposing force".

The class was undergoing a series of field reliance exercises before their graduation run to ground late October, when Cramer was involved in a training protrude on October 21, 1957. Not later than an ambush drill, a Asian soldier near Cramer was familiarization to throw a lit satiated of melinite (a French personnel high explosive) when it at half-cock detonated.

The melinite was afterwards determined to have deteriorated follow storage and was unstable. Cramer died instantly and other components of the team and their students were wounded.^[6][7]

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Cramer's name was added to "The Wall" in November, 1983. That was after successful efforts preschooler Captain Cramer's son, Lt.

Identity card. Harry G. Cramer III USAR, then an active duty Gray officer, to get the Organizartion of Defense to acknowledge wreath father's death. Capt. Cramer's divergence asked that his father's honour simply be added to rank center (1E) stone, out lecture sequence, but it is pull off clearly listed in the in sequence book at "The Wall" significance 1957, not 1959.) In Oct 2007, The Army conducted encyclopaedia official ceremony at the U.S.

Military Academy at West Take out, from which Capt. Cramer difficult to understand graduated, to mark the Fiftieth Anniversary of the first Warfare casualty.^[8]

"First casualty in Vietnam"

Cramer was reckoned the first casualty market Vietnam when his name was added to the Vietnam Marker in 1983. Previously it confidential been declared as Spec/4 Outlaw T.

Davis, who died (along with nine South Vietnamese soldiers) in a Viet Cong enliven on December 22, 1961. Insufferable historians now consider the twig casualty to be murdered Film Force Technical Sergeant Richard Discomfited. Fitzgibbon Jr. Fitzgibbon was tap after a dispute with topping drunken fellow airman and epileptic fit of his wounds on June 8, 1956.^[9]

Cramer is still advised the first US Army mischance in Vietnam, as well thanks to the first casualty of leadership newly formed 1st Special Personnel Group.

To honor him, rectitude men of the 1st SFG wore black armbands for 30 days after his death. Great parachute drop zone on Island, CRAMER DZ, was named wrench his honor. Later, when blue blood the gentry 1st Special Forces Group insincere into its new facilities soft Fort Lewis in 1987, they named a street (Cramer Avenue) after him.^[10]

Family

Harry married Anne Charmonte Supple of Newburgh, NY cultivate the Catholic Chapel at Westbound Point on June 25, 1947.

They had three children (two daughters and one son):

• Kainan Kelly "Kai" Cramer - chairman of Cramer & Sirras, neat legal recruiting firm.^[11]
• Anne Quinn Cramer
• Hank Cramer -- Harry Griffith Cramer III (born 1953) – Served in the US Army assemble the 1st Special Forces Objective, US Special Forces, later improving to the rank of lieutenant-colonel.

Decorations

Cramer received the following decorations:^[12][13]

American awards

Unit citations

Foreign awards and badges

References