Fritz comes from a long line of military men. His father is West Point '17 and Grandfather Heidelberg University, the German military academy. Fritz was born August 22, 1929, and from birth his Dad encouraged him to 'get in an outfit where you can take your bunk and coffee pot with you" Fritz, Sr. was in the cavalry and then the tank corps in WWI and knew all about not having the bunk and coffee pot! Growing up at BonnaBella Point in Savannah Fritz learned early how to handle a boat and quickly became familiar with the rivers, marshes and ocean near his home. When he was 7 his Dad took him to the Savannah waterfront to visit a submarine, the USS Tautog. From that moment on, Fritz knew that he wanted to command one of those sleek war machines. He graduated from Savannah High in 1947 and enlisted in the Navy. He took some fall semester postgraduate courses and went to Great Lakes 1/27/48. Boot Camp in January in Illinois was a climate shock for a kid from Georgia, but he made it through the snow, ice and boot camp.

March '48 to January '49 Fritz attended the US Navy Electronics School still at Great Lakes and that August reported aboard USS PC 776 and served as ET/3c until January '49. Back in those days, he did not have a bunk, but a hammock! The PC was stationed at Wilmington, NC and the operating area was Cape Fear. It was a reserve training ship, and once a week the crew would fix everything the reserve sailors had broken the previous week. Operating in the Cape Fear area wasn't a bonus either. Fritz requested to take the Naval Academy entrance exam, and in a few weeks he found himself in Bainbridge, Md at the USNA prep school.

He attended the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD and was commissioned Ensign in June 1953. Early in July he reported aboard the USS Strong (DD 758) as electronics officer. The ship was on an around the world cruise headed for Korea. Fritz was sent to all-weather combat air controller school in Hawaii and rejoined the ship for war duty off the Korean coast. His battle station was in the CIC as combat air controller. He also had a lot of NAV and OPS duties. When the ship left Korea it went through the Indian Ocean, around Africa and across the Atlantic to Brazil before returning to Norfolk.

Fritz wanted small craft, Atlantic as his next assignment, and was hoping for a PT boat. Instead, in June '55 he reported aboard the USS Goldfinch (MSCO 12) as XO. Minesweepers were definitely NOT his cup of tea and he applied for submarine school. He said a rapid "good-bye Goldfinch" and went to sub school in New London in December of that year, graduating in June 1956.

June 15, 1956 he reported aboard USS Batfish (SS 310). Getting his dolphins was just about the proudest day of his life, despite the very wet uniform! He served as Operations/Torpedo/Communications officer on the "Bat"' and loved it. He had some adventures on the around South America cruise and can tell you lots of stories.

On August 17, 1958 Fritz reported aboard the USS Amberjack (SS 522) as operations officer and chief engineer. Some Arctic ops on her is the source of more sea stories! Again, like aboard `'Batfish", Fritz made life-long friends and loved every minute of being at sea aboard a submarine.

He knew sea duty could not last, and in July 1959 he reported to the US Naval Post-Graduate School in Monterey, CA where he got his second B.S., this time in Ordnance Engineering. (He really IS a rocket scientist!) He endured his time away from the boats and happily reported aboard the USS Picuda (SS 382) on July 10, 1961.

He was XO on "Picuda" and also operations officer and navigator. His time aboard included another around South America cruise where he renewed old friendships from his previous South American port visits. tots of stories here too!

Alas, he had to go ashore sometime, and in November 1963 he was appointed Director, Pro-Submarine Training Division, Fleet Sonar School, Key West, FL Have you noticed that Fritz has spent a lot of time in Key West?

On December 10, 1965 Fritz achieved a career goal - he took command of USS Grenadier (SS 525). He loved his crew and worked them as hard as his Dad had worked him as a kid. It paid off - "Grenadier" won the battle "E" within six months! Almost two years of fleet exercises followed and Grenadier" needed yard repairs in Charleston. In Charleston, on November 11, 1968, Fritz relinquished command and reported back to Key West.

Until June 1971 Fritz had a fun Navy job. He was operations officer for the Key West Test & Evaluation Detachment with a collateral duty as project officer for the submarine phase of Tactical Satellite Development (TAC-SAT). Half of his time was at sea and the other half was devising at sea tests for all kinds of gadgets the Navy was testing. It wasn't submarines, but at least it was on the water.

As he had achieved higher rank, the prospect of submarine command diminished. His twilight tour was as Project Officer for Submarine Training Equipment at the Naval Training Equipment Center in Orlando. After that, he faced desk jobs in Washington, and that was not something he wanted, and retired 31 October, 1972, with the rank of Commander.

Back again to his beloved Sugarloaf Key home near Key West. Fritz used the G.I. Bill to get his multi-engine pilot license and delivered aircraft for a few years, but still loved the sea. In June 1975, using his sea service time, he attained his Masters License from the Coast Guard which enabled him to carry passengers for hire. The tonnage was unlimited and he has skippered all kinds of ships from oil tankers to dive boats.

By 1990 Key West had become too crowded for Fritz and his Savannah roots were calling him back. The National Park Service had hired him to teach boating skills and seamanship courses to the park rangers at Dry Tortugas, and again at Cumberland Island. The Kings Bay area was very similar to BonnaBella Point where he grew up and the itch was getting stronger. He talked to a real estate agent and soon found waterfront property in St. Marys. After 27 trailer loads he started digging in on the North River property where he lives today. Ten years later, he's still digging in and improving the property. In between improvements he's host to a continuing string of guests; mostly class mates and ship mates, but lots of new friends, too. Fritz says he's never going to move again!