Summary
- Lewis Nixon III was Richard Winters' best friend and had a significant role in both the war and in Band of Brothers.
- Nixon struggled with alcoholism throughout his life but eventually found peace and happiness with his third wife, Grace.
- Nixon ed away in 1995 at the age of 76 due to complications from diabetes, leaving behind a loving wife and an adventurous life well-lived.
Captain Lewis "Nix" Nixon III was Richard Winters' best friend, and their relationship was one of the most comforting elements throughout the run of HBO's universally acclaimed war drama Band of Brothers, and the friendship was important to the pair's actual fate. Throughout the course of World War II, Nixon established himself as a competent planner and operations officer, ascending to the rank of Captain and spending much of the war in intelligence operations. While Nixon never actually fired a weapon during the war, he was one of a select few of the 101st Airborne to earn three Combat Jump Stars, as Nixon dropped into later in the war as the airborne divisions crossed the River Rhine.
As seen in Band of Brothers through Ron Livingston's portrayal, Nixon also famously developed a drinking problem, as evidenced by his constant supply of whiskey, particularly his beloved Vat 69. Though Nixon's drinking problem led to his demotion, one of Nixon's most memorable scenes in the show came when the 101st takes Berchtesgaden, and Winters allowed Nixon to have first choice from Hermann Göring's captured wine collection. While the drinking problem continued to plague Nixon after the war, the real-life figure was able to eventually find peace over his remaining years.
Nixon Worked At Nixon Nitration Works With Dick Winters After World War II
As seen Band of Brothers' ending, after the war, Lewis Nixon III returned to New Jersey to work at his family's business, Nixon Nitration Works. He offered his friend Dick Winters a job there as well, and the two worked side-by-side for a number of years following their time in the airborne division. As noted in the show, Nixon continued to drink and fell on hard times in the years after World War II.
Included in his struggles were two divorces, but in 1956, he married Grace Umezawa. Fittingly, Dick Winters was the best man at their wedding. With his third wife, he finally overcame his alcoholism, and while they never had any children, they did live happily together for the rest of Nixon's life. According to Legacy.com, Grace was actually interned while in college in 1942 as part of President Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066, which allowed for the internment of Japanese Americans on the grounds of national security.
Lewis Nixon III Died Of Diabetes Complications In 1995 At Age 76
Throughout their marriage, Nixon and his wife Grace traveled the world and often spent time with their extended family. Nixon ed in 1995 due to complications from diabetes per Find a Grave. As Winters noted in his memoirs, he gave the eulogy at Nixon's funeral, per Grace's request. As seen in his HBO video diary for Band of Brothers, Grace herself actually met Ron Livingston at a party prior to leaving to shoot the show in which he portrayed her husband.
Source: Legacy.com, Find a Grave