Remembering Dick Kramer & highlighting his life of art in the police, tactical, SWAT and military communities. Also the artist behind the "Berlin Airlift" mural

The telephone lines lit up with SWAT Officers from around the world wanting to know who was doing these drawings and how could they get copies. That was the beginning of our fabulous life.”— Dick Kramer

LEESBURG, VIRGINIA, USA, January 31, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Dick Kramer 4/1/1938 - 1/14/2022

On January 14, 2022, the world lost an incredible artist. I was fortunate to call him a friend and want to share his story.

Remember President Reagan’s “Tear Down This Wall” speech to Gorbachev? Moments after that speech, President Reagan and Mrs. Reagan met with Dick and Ginny Kramer, to see the mural that he had painted. This wasn’t just any mural… this mural was painted for President Reagan. Not FOR President Reagan but for President Reagan to give to the city of Berlin, as a gift from the American people. Shortly after that, the wall came down and history was made. Even before he painted the famous ‘Berlin Airlift’ mural for President and Mrs. Reagan, his name was known to the SWAT, Tactical, Police, Fire, and military communities as the artist behind the photographic looking pencil illustrations of Mr. Kramer.

Dick Kramer was born in 1938 in the city of Newark, New Jersey. The early years of his life were spent in the small New Jersey town of Nutley. He was never a good student! He spent too much time drawing. It caused a lot of trouble for him and his family during his school years. He was constantly in trouble for not doing his work. He was too busy drawing.

He left High School on his 17th birthday and joined the Navy. It was one of the best things that ever happened to him. He realized the terrible mistake he had made with his life and finished his education in the Navy.

After four years he was honorably discharged and returned to Nutley where he asked Ginny, the love of his life, to marry him. Thank God, she said yes! In his own words, “We’ve been married for 52 years, and she is still my girlfriend. I’m a blessed man.”

He began his art education at the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art in Newark, New Jersey. He transferred to The School of Visual Arts in New York City and finished his art education there. After working for a chain store doing pen and ink illustrations for their advertising publications, he decided to free-lance. They had $78.00 in the bank, four kids and he quit his full-time job! Ginny always believed in him even though it was a terrible time as far as money was concerned. She never complained or told him to get a real job; his father-in-law told him that. Ginny has always been behind him, no matter what was happening.

He then spent 8 years as Art Director for ITT Avionics Division, a defense contractor. He found out that he wasn’t meant to be in the “Corporate World” and went back to free-lancing. They moved to Florida, spent 8 years there and that’s where his entire life changed.

He met John Meyer. At that time, he was the head of H&K Training Division. He approached him about doing a few drawings for a poster advertising their training facility in Sterling, Virginia. He said yes and produced seven vignette drawings for the poster. It was a series of SWAT Officers doing what they do so well. He didn’t think much of it. The check cleared and He forgot about H&K. When the poster was distributed worldwide, the receptionist at H&K threatened to quit. “The telephone lines lit up with SWAT Officers from around the world wanting to know who was doing these drawings and how could they get copies. That was the beginning of our fabulous life.” They literally started at their kitchen table. He produced four sketches, the first of hundreds and hundreds to come. The rest is history. Ginny and Dick have been all over the world, from England to Germany to Abu Dhabi and Dubai and all over our wonderful U.S.A. God has blessed them with a wonderful life filled with good friends in the SWAT Community and Corporate World. Half of their business is from our on-line sales of prints and half was from Corporate Commissions.

Dick never tired of drawing, especially the SWAT/Military world. Ginny and Dick admired and prayed for all of the fabulous people they met in their business. According to Dick Kramer, “They are the brightest, bravest, and best that our Nation has to offer. Our hearts break when a Police Officer or young Warrior dies in battle. We are all poorer for the loss of such wonderful young men and women. We feel honored to be so close to them and what they do. Every day they place their lives on the line so that we can enjoy the lives and freedoms we have. God bless each and every one of them and their families.”

People would ask Dick when he would retire or stop drawing. He always replied that he wanted to die at the drawing board. He loved what he did and couldn’t imagine life without his art. He was home with Ginny and died peacefully the morning of January 14th, 2022.

I’m a better person and artist for knowing him and he is already missed. I found Dick Kramer through my military unit. I had seen a piece that he had done for AFSOC and fell in love with his art. Over the past 10 years or so, I’ve worked on several coin designs with Dick’s artwork and permission to recreate.

Near the end of 2021, Dick Kramer partnered with Gray Water Ops, to design and mint a custom set of 15 coins. He wanted the coins to represent his top 15 works of art. On December 4th, 2021, Gray Water Ops co-owner Keith Hanshaw met with Dick and Ginny to present the first set of coins, numbered 0001.

As I shared each coin with Dick, his face lit up as he saw his art transformed into a 3D image on each coin. His favorite coin was the Jumpmaster coin (Number 10 in the series) and the Special Forces coin (number 8 in the series.)

“I’ve seen a lot of coins, most of them junk. This is without a doubt, the most beautifully rendered coin I’ve ever seen. This is from a drawing of my son Steve. It’s called ‘The Grunt’ when he was in the Marines. It’s probably the most famous drawing in the Marine Corps. We’ve seen it on everything from cups to shot glasses to covering a guys entire back as a tattoo, Ah, it’s amazing but you’ve done a great job.” – Dick Kramer

You can purchase individual coins or the full set of 15 at https://GrayWaterOps.com/dickkramer