Herman F. Kramer | |
|---|---|
.png) Frontispiece of 1947's The Black Panther: 66th Division | |
| Born | November 27, 1892 Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Died | October 20, 1964 (aged 71) Fort Sam Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | Nebraska United States |
| Service | Nebraska National Guard United States Army |
| Years of service | 1910–1917 (National Guard) 1917–1946 (Army) |
| Rank | Major General |
| Service number | O–4904 |
| Unit | Infantry Branch |
| Commands | 66th Infantry Division Twelfth Army Group Coastal Sector Military Governor of Koblenz 97th Infantry Division 86th Infantry Division |
| Wars | Pancho Villa Expedition World War I World War II Allied-occupied Germany Occupation of Japan |
| Awards | Army Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal Legion of Honor (France) Croix de Guerre with palm (France) |
| Alma mater | University of Nebraska–Lincoln |
| Spouse(s) |
Frances Isabel (Pratt) Kramer
(m. 1917–1964) |
| Children | 1 |
| Other work | Field Supervisor, Government Personnel Mutual Life Insurance Company Board of Directors, San Antonio River Authority |
Herman F. Kramer (November 27, 1892 – October 20, 1964) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the Pancho Villa Expedition, World War I, World War II, Allied-occupied Germany, and Occupation of Japan, he attained the rank of major general and was most notable for his Second World War command of the 66th Infantry Division, 97th Infantry Division, and 86th Infantry Division. He was a recipient of the Army Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and Bronze Star Medal, as well as the French Legion of Honor and Croix de Guerre with palm.
A native of Lincoln, Nebraska and the son of a German immigrant father, Kramer graduated from Lincoln High School in 1909 and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 1914. While in college, he participated in the school's corps of cadets, which he commanded with the rank of student colonel. He began serving in the Nebraska National Guard's 5th Infantry Regiment in 1910, and received his commission as a second lieutenant in 1912. He served as a captain from 1914 to 1916, and during the Pancho Villa Expedition he held the rank of first lieutenant while serving on the U.S.–Mexico border.
In March 1917, Kramer was commissioned in the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant of Infantry. He was promoted to first lieutenant and captain during World War I, and served with the 40th Infantry Regiment during its organization and training at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. After the war, Kramer continued to serve in positions of increasing rank and responsibility, and received promotion to major in 1929 and lieutenant colonel in 1939. He was a 1933 graduate of the United States Army Command and General Staff College, and from 1937 to 1939 was a student at the German General Staff School, one of a handful of U.S. officers who were able to participate in an exchange program before it ended at the start of World War II.
During the Second World War, he was promoted to colonel in 1941, brigadier general in 1942, and major general in 1943. After combat in Europe as commander of the 66th Infantry Division and 97th Infantry Division, he led the 97th Division to the Pacific theater in the summer of 1945 to take part in the planned invasion of Japan. The Japanese surrender in September ended the need for an invasion, so the 97th Division performed occupation duty beginning later that month. Kramer briefly commanded the 86th Infantry Division in the Philippines during mid-1946, and retired at the end of 1946.
In retirement, Kramer resided in San Antonio, Texas, where he worked as field supervisor for the Government Personnel Mutual Life Insurance Company and was a member of the San Antonio River Authority board of directors. He died at Fort Sam Houston's Brooke Army Medical Center on October 20, 1964. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.