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Name
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Kramer, Fritz L.
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Rank, Company, Regiment
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T4 10th Recon
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Birth date/Death Date
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Vermont Location
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Stowe
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Awards
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Importance of Vermont
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Fritz sent to the Museum a copy of "a report [he] sent, in May, 1940, to my friend and mentor, former grade school and ski teacher, Karl Buresch and his wife, Maria, in Vienna, Austria. This report…shows the overwhelming hospitality, assistance, and kindness the people of Stowe have shown me when I arrived, a penniless stranger and foreigner. There is no way I can ever repay this. No wonder, I consider Stowe my first home in the United States."
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First skiing experience
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"Learning to ski in Mariazell, Austria, where my grade-school teacher, karl Buresch, held on of the earliest children ski courses in Austria. The year was 1927."
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College
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University of Washington
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Competitive Skiing
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"At Colorado College, Colorado Springs, I was ski coach of the college team."
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What was your experience in the 10th like?
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"For an army experience, quite good. I met many people there who became significant during my later life."
Kramer served as part of a training group that went to Ashcroft, CO, near Aspen.
From article "Seattle Skiers Take Part in Capture of Italian Ridge": February 26, 1945"Kramer…is a former instructor, who, during the crossing to Italy, kept in trim by scaling the ships forward stack with the aid of miscellaneous ropes and wires." "With my background as certified ski instructor and professional ski patrol man, plus mountaineering experience in Austria, the Ski Troops were a natural for me to join. I had the famous "three letters of recommendation" signed by some of the instigators of the "Mountain Troops."
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Why did you join the 10th?
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Ski Patrol
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"...and in my final year there, before joining the 10th, was the first professional ski patrolman on Mt. Mansfield."
"...I was also active as a ski patrol man in Washington State and Reno."
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Ski School
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"I became a certified ski instructor in Stowe…"
"After the war, while studying at the University of Washington (in Seattle), I supplemented my 'GI Bill' income by teaching in ski schools at Stevens Pass, Snoqualmie Pass and in Sun Valley. Later I was also teaching skiing at Gordy Wren's ski school in Reno Nevada…"
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Ski Industry
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Vermont Ski Area Connection
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Role of Skiing in your Life
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Other information
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Photograph information
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Information submitted by
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Kramer donated objects to the Archives of the 10th at the Denver (CO) Public Library. Included is a book of sketches entitled "Report from the Rockies."
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