August 21, 2023
This blog is about a project that my wife and I have been working on for five years! "The Carl Zimmermann Story" is now complete and published. It's a really nice book available for purchase from us.
In the future it may be available elsewhere but for now we are the outlet for the 200 page book that is nicely printed on high quality paper with color and black and white photos.
My father had an amazing life starting in radio at WEMP in Milwaukee at age 14 where he camped out every morning before school for weeks until they hired him.
He became a soldier for the U.S. Army and a battlefield reporter doing live broadcasts from the front lines of WWll all across Europe and Africa. While researching we learned that he was also a spy for the U.S. Army OSS/CIA while reporting!
Back to Milwaukee and then the Korean conflict happened to start and Dad started broadcasting "The Big Picture" television show with the U.S. Army in New York.
After three years of that he returned to Milwaukee for a career in radio and then television ending with WITI-TV6 for many years and then retiring in 1986.
The book is available for $50 plus a $5.shipping fee in the U.S. Payment can be made with Zelle or contact me for more information.
It's a great read and an interesting story about their wonderful marriage along with a great history of radio and television. A few of the photos in the book are below. My mother saved every article about my father and every telegram he sent to her through the years. They are all in the book.
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
February 21, 2022
Winter in Wisconsin is time for getting indoor chores done!
My wife and I are back into our project of writing a book about my father, Carl Zimmermann.
We have been working on this for over two years now, and I think we are getting close to having something that looks like a book. It's a lot of hard work and fact checking and then finding photos of him and memorabilia of his life in broadcasting.
Since we are really deep into this project right now I have no blog on racing or music this week. Our focus is on this project until it's done, or at least pretty close to done.
My mother saved everything about Dad's career and we have several scrapbooks. They are old and not in the greatest condition but it documents the wonderful love and life my parents had for many years.
We have pieced their life histories and are getting closer to looking at the amazing career my father had starting at age 14 when he worked at WEMP radio. Then came the Army and WW2 with dad being a broadcaster overseas for the "Army Hour" radio show.
A little break after that with home life and radio in Milwaukee. Then, the Korean War started and Dad was called back into the Army to Washington D.C. to do a television show for the Army called "The Big Picture".
Take a little peak at some of the photos that will be included in the book.
Hopefully, by years end it will be done and available for your reading pleasure!
Enjoy and thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
April 14, 2014
This week's blog is a continuation of last week's blog. The Legend, my father, Carl Zimmermann passed away on Friday April 11th.
On that afternoon, some family arrived in town to say their goodbyes and give a final kiss. Five minutes after they left, my brother got the phone call notifying us that Dad had passed away! The timing was just amazing!
Dad was a tough one and as I've said to a few people, if he would have been a POW he would have told them nothing and would have lasted weeks without food or water. That is exactly what he did here.
Enjoy some more photos of my wonderful father, the newsman, the patriot and of course the family man.
The first few pictures are of my mother and father. Next week, would have been their 71st wedding anniversary!
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
April 7, 2014
My father, Carl Zimmermann, is somewhat of a legend around here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Dad, the Silver Fox, as friend Ted Perry calls him, is about to sign off for the final time...
Dad turned 96 years old last week and the following day he was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. Presently, he is in hospice care and we are just waiting for God to take him home.
He has been in broadcasting since he was at South Division High School where he graduated in 1937. Then he was a broadcaster on WEMP radio and then a war correspondent in WW2. After returning from the war, it was back to radio and then eventually a very long stay as news director at WITI TV6 which is now Fox 6.
Attached are some photos of his amazing career in between being a wonderful father and husband.
Enjoy a look at the dean of Milwaukee news broadcasting. This is the hardest blog I have ever written.
Love you Dad... Taking you on the Honor Flight in 2011 was one of the most fun things you and I have ever done!
Thanks for being a great Dad.
Rich Zimmermann
