Memories of exquisitely drawn illustrations of members of tactical units immediately came to mind.
Can I work with him onThe Armory Life?
were the next words out of my mouth.
Artist and illustrator Dick Kramer’s multi-decade career earned him not only numerous awards and honors, but also the respect of all his fans.
Telling the Story
Frankly, this is not the article I intended to write about Dick Kramer.
Unfortunately, we never had the chance to do that interview.
Im very proud of the life my dad lived, and the man he was.
In the latter part of his career, Kramer earned an esteemed reputation for creating art featuring high-end LE tactical units.
The son of Donald and Pearl Kramer, Dick quickly showed an aptitude for art.
They would complain that Dicks textbooks would be covered in drawings.
However, he never strayed far from that goal.
Patriotism and respect for the military were recurring themes in his work, as shown by this piece.
Why do I mention this?
And Dicks childhood and adolescent years were not easy ones, with him facing some remarkable hardships.
The quick actions of a family friend who had been afield surgeon on Iwo Jimasaved his hands.
Kramer also had a deep respect for first responders such as firefighters.
He spent six months in the hospital recovering from this attack.
He and Ginny married shortly after his honorable discharge from the military in 1959.
In those early years, money was extremely tight for the growing family.
Kramer was given the honor of creating this massive mural commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift. He is shown here presenting it to President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan.
But his passion for art never subsided.
It was here that he would learn to refine the natural talents he had exhibited since his childhood.
Dad didnt graduate from either of the schools, Steve told me.
Kramer created this piece of art to recognize the bravery and actions of the police response to the attacks in New York on September 11th.
He would stay in the classes until the teachers started repeating themselves.
Then, he would find another one to take where he could learn more.
Clearly, this approach worked.
Kramer created many pieces of art for the Air Force Art Program, like this piece depicting two F15 aircraft.
In 1981, Dick accepted a position as a staff artist with the defense contractor ITT.
His work would support their military programs.
In 1987, he was selected to paint a mural honoring the 40thanniversary of the Berlin Airlift.
speech at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
This makes sense, considering his love of America as well as his own personal story.
They would go on to serve together as Special Deputy Sheriffs.
It was this era of his work with which I was the most familiar.
It has most certainly been felt here atThe Armory Life.
We could not be more proud to have some of his exceptional work gracing our website.
Go to forum thread
DickKramer.com
