Iraq Veteran is First to Win Semper Fi Scholarship at C.W. Post

Wounded at Fallujah, Luis Duran is inaugural recipient of scholarship endowed by Manhattan executive Martin Kramer, a Marine veteran of WWII

Brookville, N.Y. – A young veteran who was wounded by a suicide car bomb in Iraq is the first student to receive a new scholarship to the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University that was made possible by a New York City executive who served in the Marine Corps in World War II.

Luis Duran of Copiague, N.Y., who will start his sophomore year as a criminal justice major at C.W. Post on Sept. 5, 2007 is the inaugural recipient of the Semper Fi Scholarship, endowed by Martin Kramer of Manhasset, N.Y. for Marine Corps veterans who have served in Afghanistan or Iraq.

“It’s going to help me a lot,” the 25-year-old Duran said. “And it recognizes the sacrifices of not just me but other servicemen and women, too.”

Kramer, who joined the Marines at age 17 and served in the South Pacific during World War II, said he and his wife, Margot, endowed the scholarship in recognition of the hard work and sacrifice of the Marines of today.

“We feel for these kids who are over there now, and we want to give something back,” Kramer said. “We know that there are Marines being discharged every day who don’t have the wherewithal to go to college, and we’d like to help.”

Kramer is chairman of Trimfit Inc., a family-owned hosiery manufacturer in New York City.

Half of the Kramers’ gift will be made available directly to a student in each of the next five years, and can be supplemented with other C.W. Post and government financial aid. The other half of the Kramers’ gift will serve as the endowment that allows the scholarship to be made permanent.

After graduating from Lindenhurst High School in June 2002, Duran fulfilled a lifelong dream by joining the Marines. In March 2003, he took part in the invasion of Iraq and saw combat action as an anti-tank assault guided missile man during the capture of Baghdad. He was transferred back to Camp Lejeune, N.C. after five months in Iraq, but was re-deployed in April 2004 to the notorious insurgent stronghold of Fallujah.

“We realized that we were dealing with a confusing insurgency with guerilla tactics,” Duran said.

In April 2004, Duran was wounded by a suicide car bomb attack while on foot patrol on the outskirts of Fallujah. Despite his wound, he tried desperately to pull comrades out of burning vehicles. He lost two friends in that attack and six during his service in Iraq and has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Duran’s personal home video of his combat experiences is scheduled to be featured in an upcoming episode of “My War Diary” on the Discovery Military Channel.

Duran was honorably discharged in September 2006. His awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Expeditionary Medal (Iraq), the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation-Navy and a Meritorious Mast.

Duran plans to pursue graduate study degree after earning his bachelor’s degree and hopes for a career in law enforcement.

Posted August 20, 2007