Vietnam Veteran Howard Kramer to be Honored for Services and Sacrifices at Inferno Home Opener Sunday
Lancaster, PA – Lancaster Inferno will be honoring Veteran, Mr. Howard Kramer, before their 2024 season home opener on May 26th.
Howard Kramer is the co-founder and Chief of Getting Stuff Done at Listrak, a digital email marketing company located in Lititz, PA, but do you know about the path he took to get where he is now? It’s a remarkable and impressive journey, going from being an ELCO High School graduate working at a construction company to co-owning a company with yearly revenues of $95.4 million.
Military Service
Two years after Howard’s 1966 graduation from Eastern Lebanon High School, he was working for Bear Creek Construction Company when he decided to enter the United States Army. Kramer completed basic training in Fort Benning, GA and then went on to Advanced Infantry School in Ft. Gordon, G
In July of 1968, Howard was deployed to Vietnam where he was stationed in the Mekong Delta. He served as a rifleman and Radio Telephone Operator (RTO) with the 3/60th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division for 4 months and then volunteered for Sniper School, where he was the Honor Graduate in the second class at Camp Bear Cat. After his training, he served as a sniper for the 3/47th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division until July of 1969.
During his active service, Howard received special recognition and numerous awards including:
- Honor Graduate, US Army Sniper School
- Four (4) Bronze Stars with Valor Device
- Two (2) Army Commendation Medals for Valor
- Air Medal for 25 combat assaults by helicopter
- Vietnam Cross of Gallantry
- Combat Infantry Badge
- Presidential Unit Citation
Schaefferstown Fire & EMT
After returning to the United States in 1969, Howard completed his military service with the 5th United States Army Marksmanship Training Unit in Ft. Riley, Kansas.
After his successful stint in the Army, Howard returned to Schaefferstown in 1970 and returned to his job in construction. Always one to respond when he sees a need, he became a volunteer at the Schaefferstown Fire Co. and eventually became the chief. He was very involved in the fire company and even helped to run their annual carnival.
In 1975 the local ambulance association was established, and Howard noticed that they were having trouble finding help. Then, in 1980, tragedy struck.
“In 1980, my mom had her first heart attack, and it was like, maybe it’s time to start helping in that way,” said Kramer.
At the age of 32, Kramer decided to become a first responder and two years later he received his Emergency Medical Treatment (EMT) certification. In 2001, Howard was asked to become chief of the all-volunteer Schaefferstown Ambulance Association, serving for 16 years until he stepped down in 2017.
During his time as chief, Howard was instrumental in having a new building completed for their operations in 2012. Now dedicated to him, a commemorative sign thanking him for his 36 years of service, dated Jan. 1, 2017, hangs inside the main entrance.
Management Trainee to Listrak Founder
The GI bill enabled Kramer to begin taking classes at Penn State & Millersville Universities in 1979, earning his BS in Business Administration & Management from Millersville in 1984 and a second BS in Marketing in 1985.
In 1983 Howard joined American Bank and Trust as a Management Trainee. During his 10-year career there, he became a Certified Cash Manager and worked his way up to Vice President, heading up the Susquehanna Valley Division’s Cash Management Group.
After leaving American Bank & Trust in 1993, Kramer worked for five years as Vice President of Cash Management at PNC Bank. Taking a leap of faith, Howard left PNC in 1998 and started a web hosting business called Vertex Internet with his son, Ross.
After working on some email marketing projects, Ross & Howard decided that was the industry they wanted to focus on, so they sold the web hosting portion of their business and developed Listrak, Inc. Using their strengths, father and son have together taken Listrak from an idea to a $95.4-million-dollar business employing over 300 people with offices in Lititz and King of Prussia.
Philanthropy
In addition to Howard’s years of service as an emergency responder, Mr. Chief of Getting Stuff Done has observed other needs in the community and jumped right in to take care of them.
Howard’s philanthropic activities are much too great to acknowledge all of them.
- He has served on the board of ELCO School District for thirty (30) years!
- Kramer established a “Ride Along Program” for ELCO students who are interested in learning to become an EMT
- He and Listrak have sponsored countless benefits for veterans
- Howard and Listrak also have sponsored benefits for local residents who are battling serious illnesses
- In addition to acting as a board member, Kramer has personally worked hard to help provide better opportunities for ELCO students and athletes
- And the list goes on …
The leadership staff at Lancaster Inferno first came to know Howard when he was approached by a player about sponsoring the women’s team. Ryelle Shuey, Inferno Captain and ELCO graduate, knew Howard from his support of the soccer program at her school. Howard is a sports fan — especially of ELCO Soccer.
“At one of our home games, the players on the bench were huddled under blankets trying to keep warm in the cold rain. After seeing this, Howard immediately found a way to get rain gear to keep us warm and dry” Shuey said.
To Howard, this was nothing unusual. It was a simple task that he could do quickly and solve a problem he observed. To the players and team, it meant somebody saw them struggling and cared enough to help.
That is the effect of what Howard does all day, every day.
Howard joined the Inferno family of sponsors and supporters through a uniform sponsorship and has continued his support of Lancaster Inferno through the years. When Inferno started their youth program, Howard contacted the leadership team right away. Stepping in to help solve the many needs of the organization, Kramer and Listrak have provided exceptional support, even providing a soccer field for the younger Lancaster Inferno FC teams and sponsoring their uniforms.
Kramer can often be found at the Lancaster Inferno youth and women’s matches. If you see him, please take the time to greet him and thank him for his lifetime of service.
Honoring Mr. Howard Kramer
Howard is married to Susan Kramer and they have two children, his business partner/CEO, Ross, and daughter, Allison. Allison is Executive Director for Now I Can Foundation Northeast, a provider of intensive pediatric physical therapy.
Lancaster Inferno will be honoring Mr. Howard Kramer before the 2024 season home opener on May 26th. The honor ceremony takes place at 5:40PM (before kickoff at 6:00PM). Please plan on attending to show appreciation for his lifetime of service to the country and community at F&M’s Tylus Field. Match details can be found HERE.
