As a boy, he and his family emigrated from Germany and entered America through Ellis Island. As a man, he fought with the Third Army to defeat his former homeland. Fritz relates little of his service because of bad memories from his experiences, such as liberating concentration camps. "I get nightmares, and I don't sleep some nights for a month," he says. Fritz worked for Northrop Grumman Corporation before and after the war. Living on Long Island, he helped construct twenty-eight Lunar Escape Modules (LEMs) for the space program, often working seven days a week. Fritz retired from Grumman after forty years.