Lewis Nixon

A regimental intelligence officer who served from Normandy to the Rhine, surviving a close call and personal demons without ever firing a shot in combat.

Lewis Nixon III was a United States Army officer who served at the company, battalion, and regimental levels with the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division during World War II. Born in New York City on September 30, 1918, he entered service on January 14, 1941, eventually volunteering for the parachute infantry after graduating from Officer Candidate School as a second lieutenant. Portrayed by Ron Livingston in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, Nixon is historically noted for his role as an intelligence officer (S2) and later operations officer (S3).

Unlike many fictionalized depictions that focus on frontline rifle fire, the historical record states he never fired a shot in combat, yet remained on the front lines during intense fighting. His service included the Normandy invasion, the Battle of Carentan, and the Battle of the Bulge. He survived to return home in September 1945 with the rank of captain.

Quick Facts

Full name

Lewis Nixon III

Unit

E Company
2nd Battalion
506th Parachute Infantry Regiment
101st Airborne Divi

Rank

Captain

First appearance (source)

Normandy Invasion (June 6, 1944)

Lore & Background

Nixon's military journey began when he volunteered to be drafted into the Army on January 14, 1941, at Trenton, New Jersey. After OCS graduation as an infantry second lieutenant, he joined the fledgling airborne forces and was assigned to E Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th PIR under Colonel Robert Sink. He trained at Camp Toccoa, Georgia, and Fort Benning before deploying to Aldbourne, Wiltshire, in September 1943. As the battalion intelligence officer (S2), he parachuted into Normandy on June 6, 1944.

Following the Battle of Carentan on June 12, 1944, he moved up to regimental S2, serving across the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. His time in the Netherlands was marked by a close call where a German MG 42 bullet pierced his helmet, grazing his forehead and leaving a burn mark. Despite holding high visibility roles, Nixon developed an alcohol use issue and was grounded during Operation Varsity, preventing his jump with the 17th Airborne Division.

He was reassigned as the battalion operations officer (S3), allowing him to continue planning without regimental politics.

Reader's Guide

Lewis Nixon's post-war life was defined by recovery and family. After returning from Europe, he worked at the Nixon Nitration Works in Edison (then Raritan Township), New Jersey, alongside his father Stanhope and friend Dick Winters. His personal life saw turbulence; after a failed marriage to Katharine Page in 1941, he found stability with Grace Umezawa in 1956. Grace had been a student during the 1942 incarceration of Japanese Americans ordered by President Franklin Roosevelt. Richard Winters served as best man at their wedding. It was during this marriage that Nixon overcame his alcoholism. The couple had no children. Nixon died on January 11, 1995, in Los Angeles from complications of diabetes. At Grace's request, Dick Winters delivered the eulogy, joined by Easy Company veterans Clarence Hester and Bob Brewer.

Early Life and Pre-War Foundations

Lewis Nixon III was born to Stanhope Wood Nixon and Doris Ryer Nixon on September 30, 1918, in New York City. He was the grandson of shipbuilder Lewis Nixon I (1861–1940) and Sally Wood Nixon (died 1937). His childhood included living in New York City and Montecito, California, as well as extensive travel to Germany, France, and England. At age seven, on May 22, 1926, he placed third in a model yacht regatta at Conservatory Lake in Central Park, earning gold and bronze medals in the 35-inch boat class. He graduated from Cate School in Carpinteria and attended Yale University for two years before his military service began.

Military Service and Combat Experience

Nixon entered service on January 14, 1941, at Trenton, New Jersey. He volunteered for the parachute infantry after OCS training as a second lieutenant. Assigned to E Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th PIR, he trained at Camp Toccoa and Fort Benning before deploying to England in September 1943. As battalion S2, he jumped into Normandy on June 6, 1944. After the Battle of Carentan (June 12, 1944), he became regimental S2. He served in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, surviving a bullet from a German MG 42 that pierced his helmet and grazed his forehead. Later, as an observer with the 17th Airborne Division during Operation Varsity on March 24, 1945, his plane took a direct hit; he was one of only four survivors. He earned three Combat Jump Stars.

Personal Struggles and Post-War Recovery

The pressures of command led Nixon to develop a drinking problem, resulting in his reassignment from regimental S2 back to battalion operations officer (S3). This move reduced his political visibility while he continued planning. He returned home in September 1945 as a captain. His first marriage to Katharine Page in 1941 failed. In 1956, he married Grace Umezawa; she had been a student during the 1942 incarceration of Japanese Americans. Richard Winters was the best man at their wedding. During this marriage, Nixon overcame his alcoholism. They had no children.

Legacy and Cultural Immortality

Nixon worked at the family's Nixon Nitration Works in New Jersey after the war. He died on January 11, 1995, in Los Angeles from diabetes complications. His funeral was attended by Clarence Hester and Bob Brewer of Easy Company, with Dick Winters delivering the eulogy. In popular culture, he is remembered for his love of Vat 69 whisky, as noted in Stephen E. Ambrose's Band of Brothers and the HBO miniseries where Ron Livingston portrayed him. Grace Nixon attended a farewell party for Livingston before filming, ensuring an authentic portrayal.