Passion for a Challenge
By Dena Firkins
Lyndon P. Kramer
November 21, 1914-May 18, 1995
Lyndon Peter Kramer was born into a world of war. He was born on November 21, 1914, just a few short months into what would become known as the Great War (World War I). Born in Lucan, Minnesota to Anton and Dora Kramer, Lyndon was the fourth child of eight.[1] Lyndon experienced the world as it was shaken by the Great War. After the economy plummeted during the Great Depression, Lyndon left Minnesota for Nebraska, where he pursued higher education and a degree. During his time in college, Lyndon was also working at the Fort Kearney Hotel.[2] During this time, he met his future wife Marguerite, and it was in Nebraska that Lyndon decided to choose a path of life that was rife with risk, risks he was willing to take, and he enlisted with the US National Guard when he was 25 years old.[3]
Kramer voluntarily entered enlistment a year before Pearl Harbor occurred, and was a part of the Quartermaster Corps for a brief period of time. He enrolled in officer candidate school in Fort Warren, Wyoming, and was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the Army Air Corps in September 1942.[4] In an interview, his daughter, Kathleen Mckeeta explained that Lyndon played a key role in the invasion of Normandy. Stationed in England, he arrived with his company and others on D-Day 14, two weeks after the initial landing, and laid down air landing strips for the British to land in France.[5] He travelled around Europe after serving nine months in England, but suffered a broken hip from a car wreck near the end of the war.[6]
Lyndon made a career out of his time in the military. He served for thirty years from his enlistment in 1940 to his retirement in 1970. During this time, he experienced three completely different sets of combat: World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Each conflict had their own bloody consequences, and Lyndon stuck with his career in the military through three consecutive wars. After World War II ended, he received his BS degree from Kearney State Teachers College, and was accepted to ordnance school at Aberdeen Proving Ground in 1948.[7] Lyndon’s dedication to his career in the military led to a series of promotions, up to Colonel, just below the Brigadier General.[8] Throughout his career, he received various awards of distinction, including two Legions of Merit. He travelled across the world throughout his various tours, serving as a liaison officer in Spain and chief of Army supply and maintenance in Hawaii, and completing tours for World War II and Korea.[9] He enjoyed the challenges that he faced throughout his career, travelling, and learning new things, like tackling the Spanish language in a mere six months to be ready for his tour.[10]
Lyndon was highly valued and respected both in the military and at home. When his daughter Kathleen was born, he was station in Korea, but he had arranged with the local florist before he deployed to deliver roses to Marguerite in the hospital when she gave birth.[11] He was very excited for the arrival of his daughter, and he made it clear he loved his children, his wife, and his career. He consistently made time for his family, and in retirement became the primary cook and shopper. He enjoyed making pies, and read at least five novels a week.[12] After Kathleen graduated from high school in 1971, Lyndon and Marguerite moved to San Antonio, where they had access to military benefits like the commissary and the hospital. However, they soon found that San Antonio was too hot for them in the summer. To save themselves from the heat, they vacationed in Minnesota during the summer and stayed in San Antonio for the rest of the year.[13] Lyndon and Marguerite did this for eight years until Lyndon grew ill. He passed in May 1995, and he is remembered fondly by those who knew him in life.
Footnotes ↓
[1] 67 Entry for Lyndon P. Kramer, Ancestry.com (accessed on February 7, 2020).
[2] 68 Kathleen McKeeta, daughter of Lyndon Kramer, eulogy of Lyndon Kramer, May 1995.
[3] Lyndon P. Kramer, WWII Registration cards, Ancestry.com (accessed February 7, 2020).
[4] McKeeta, eulogy.
[5] Kathleen McKeeta, interview by Dena Firkins, Denver, Colorado, August 22, 2019, DU VLP.
[6] McKeeta, eulogy.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Fun fact: you need a college degree to acquire officership in the military.
[9] McKeeta, eulogy.
[10]McKeeta, interview.
[11] Ibid.
[12] McKeeta, eulogy.
[13] Interview, Katheen McKeeta.
More Stories
