Captain Lewis Nixon III, A Soldier's Story

A tribute to Captain Lewis Nixon III which includes a black and white photo against a grey scale American flag and against a gun metal grey background.

Captain Lewis Nixon III, A Soldier's Story

Captain Lewis Nixon III
Born September 30, 1918 - Died January 11, 1995

 Captain Lewis Nixon III was born on September 30, 1918, in New York City. His family came from a long line of shipbuilders, and he developed a love for the sea early in life, learning to sail as a boy. He spent much of his youth traveling through the United States and Europe and was privately educated before graduating from the Cate School in Santa Barbara, California. He later attended Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, for two years before leaving his studies.

With the outbreak of World War II, Lewis Nixon enlisted in the United States Army on January 14, 1941. Drawn to the challenge of airborne service, he volunteered for the newly formed parachute infantry. He was first assigned to the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, which would later become part of the famed 101st Airborne Division.

In September 1943, Captain Nixon deployed with his regiment to Aldbourne, England, where they trained for the Allied invasion of Europe. He parachuted into Normandy on June 6, 1944, as part of D-Day, and fought in the days that followed, including the Battle of Carentan on June 12. He continued to serve through the harrowing campaigns in Belgium and Germany. During Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands, Nixon was grazed in the head when a bullet pierced his helmet—a wound that nearly cost him his life.

After his recovery, Captain Nixon was reassigned to the 17th Airborne Division. During Operation Varsity, the airborne crossing of the Rhine in March 1945, the transport plane carrying Nixon was shot down. Of those on board, only Nixon and three others survived the crash.

Though he served with distinction, one of the most unusual aspects of Captain Nixon’s combat career was that he never fired his weapon in battle, a remarkable fact, given the ferocity of the fighting he endured. His leadership, intelligence, and bravery earned him the respect of both his men and his superiors.

At the close of World War II, Captain Nixon returned home and worked in the family’s business, the Nixon Nitration Works in Edison, New Jersey. In later life, he moved to Los Angeles, California. He passed away on January 11, 1995, and rests at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

Captain Lewis Nixon III’s service and memory have been honored in popular culture through his portrayal in Stephen E. Ambrose’s book Band of Brothers and the acclaimed HBO miniseries of the same name, where his enduring friendship with Major Richard Winters was highlighted as one of the cornerstones of Easy Company’s story.



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a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia. 

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