No but we can have opinions.

​@@WorldWarTruthDick Winters liked him, and that's good enough for me

Not faulting. Just observations.

@@scott9872 Thanks Scott Lol I have 50 other videos without a bad word about anyone (even Sobel) Don't judge too much on this one alone.

As I made it to Hereford and one of the toughest units in the world, I had more respect for the airborne from WW2 than ever.

They were best friends. I don't know about you, but I always have my close friends backs.

@@WorldWarTruth Is that to suggest a "he's my friend, right or wrong" aspect for Winters and Nixon? In contrast to the TV series, in _Beyond Band of Brothers_ Winters wrote that he and Nixon didn't really become good friends until after they returned to England after Normandy. We know that they didn't have similar interests, behaviors, or personalities so they must have seen something trustworthy and respectable in each other's characters which is what the truest friendships are based on. So, yeah, testament to Nixon's character.

that is exactly my response; good enough for Winters good enough for me

Cant fault his courage.

Not entirely unheard of. I knew a dude who did 5 deployments and didn’t fire his first shots until the 4th…some places are just less kinetic even if it’s only half a mile away 🤷🏼‍♂️

Officers are supposed to lead and give orders.. They are only supposed to fire a gun if something goes wrong and an enemy is about to kill them. They used to go into battle with swords. There are probably a lot of officers who never had to shoot an enemy.

Alcohol

A vast majority of troops in WWII never fired their weapon...same for Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan...since the ratio of combat troops to support troops is around 6 : 1

And it went Boom...

There's no such thing as, "a perfectly good airplane".

@@Billy_the_Greek what about the Boeing 737? (sarcasm button on)

@@WmRussell1972 Exactly!

@@WmRussell1972they are coming for you now, run!

I personally think I would have drank more

War is hell, coming back to a peaceful and adjusting is awkward and takes a long time. But you will never be the same.

@chuck5898 - Re: "Nixon was a hero like most of easy company. His drinking was how he coped. No one can judge how they would behave in a similar situation." Great comment. All of us sitting here about a quarter of the way through the 21st century have the benefit of 20-20 hindsight and all that has been learned and discovered since the WW2 era. Vast numbers of men suffered psychological wounds from the war, even if they were never diagnosed with them. For the most part, the men of the WW2 generation - who had come of age during the Great Depression and knew hardship - put their experiences behind them and got on with life when they got home. Even well-adjusted men had to deal with nightmares for years after the war. Nixon was wealthy of course, because of his family's successful businesses - but that didn't make him immune to the horrors of war or the personal misfortunes he suffered during and after the conflict. Whereas Richard Winters was known as one of the finest combat leaders to come out of the 506th PIR and the 101st A/B Division, Lewis Nixon was almost universally--acclaimed as the finest staff and intelligence officer. He was a book-end to Winters not just in terms of temperament but in terms of what he did best. No one got their jump wings as a paratrooper unless they had mastered their duties thoroughly, and that included Lewis Nixon. If the tables had been turned, and he led men in combat directly, the chances are he would have done very well. It just didn't work out that way, and his greatest service to the men and the unit were elsewhere. Lewis was every bit as essential to the team that was E Company as Winters was, albeit in a different way. And he later got to prove his mettle at regiment, too. Working for Colonel Sink probably wasn't the easiest of jobs, either.

Especially back then - talking about mental health was much more taboo than now and drinking was more prevalent in general.

If you took a hard discerning look at Capt Nixon, you could probably find others like him. His condition wasn't unique. And you are correct, every individual has their flaws. In this respect the flaw with Ambrose's book was 'embellishment'.

...or the maker of this video.

When you look at the US today, it becomes clear it was ultimately all for nothing in the end.

Thank you for sharing this! This is great!

Brilliant..... Absolutely Brilliant. Thanks for Sharing.

Sounds like you speak from experience.

You don't have to be alcoholic. Everybody is like that when drunk.

A functioning alcoholic, they're everywhere.

Cross referencing plays a huge part in cross checking 'probable' facts.

@@WorldWarTruth100% and even then it’s hit or miss…give ya some anecdotal evidence here… when I was in Afghanistan on my second deployment, I saw a little fat kid beat another kid to death with a pipe over a candy bar that I had handed him… I know for a fact that everybody in my vehicle saw it, but if you ask the five of us today, only three of us remember seeing it (those of us without children)… I know we all made jokes about it at the time…so there’s certainly some mental gymnastics going on that few people could possibly understand

I hear you. I think it is a psychological mechanism. A defense. War is never a fond memory, so the mind does not try to remember every detail.

A brilliant piece of commentary regarding the “fog of war”. I too served in the Marines in Vietnam as a 21 year old Scout Dog handler in most of 1968 and the three months in 1969. I walked point for various infantry units in the, 1st,7th,5th Marines plus 1st Recon. You are so correct about having different memories of combat actions than other vets in those units. At this point in my life, 77 years old,so many memories have faded or just receded into the deep corners of my memory. Several months ago former Lieutenant from Hotel Company, Hotel Co. 2/1 contacted me out of the blue after after 52 years. He had been searching for me all these decades. We talked on the phone for over 2 hours. He mentioned actions we had been in and I had forgotten so many details. Someone can be 20 feet from you in combat and their experience can be totally different from your recollections of the same firefight. Now at after all these years go bye I can’t remember jack-shit about about so many details of those 13 months. Went to college when I came home, earned 2 degrees and went into the chemical industry and retired 11 years after serving in various executive positions several chemical companies. Made my peace with my war experience’s and moved on. Still think about my friends who didn’t make it home. But time is precious. You cannot dwell on something that happened over 50 years ago. .

@@johnciummo3299 thanks for sharing your story brother 🫡. Glad to see my experiences aren’t unique (though I’ve confirmed this with other combat vets)…it is wild though how people can be literally feet from you and have a completely different memory because of where they were looking…or maybe they were closer to the 50 and couldn’t hear jack shit over the links and brass plinking 🤷🏼‍♂️😂 (funny how that’s all you hear after the 3rd round)…just know that your generation of marine passed on your hard earned knowledge to my generation and because of that many of my friends came home. Your fallen brethren was not a waste, their time was up and many marines got to come home because of their service. Semper Fi brother 💪

Yes. Webster wasn't shy about expressing his dislike of the army and the whole experience.

@@IncogNito-gg6uh I read it a long time ago. Prolly should read it again.

Ambrose wrote the forward for Webster's book as well. Malarkey didn't like the amount of air time Webster received in BOB while some of the other men didn;t appear at all. I think he just had a gripe with him.

​@IncogNito-gg6uh Webster was a snob not a soldier.

@@user-vl6xt2rt7p With his IQ and education, he easily could have gotten an non-combat job. Instead he volunteered to go into one of the most dangerous jobs in the army. The US had something like 12,000,000 men in uniform. 90% were not in combat. If you were a rifleman, in combat, your chances of being killed or wounded were high. If you were just in the army, your chances of getting killed or wounded were not that high since only a small minority went into combat. He did his duty when he could have gotten a safe job.

Agreed. He brings it forward to the Loudermilk series where he is a recovered alcoholic. Guy really plays that part incredibly well.

Office Space is a fantastic film. They should show it to teenagers in school so they get qualified and don't end up in dead end jobs.

@@michaelreimer951 Yes I agree. I think Loudermilk is a great role for him.

@@roberttilton7927You still end up there 😂

Well said

Livingston was so good that Nixon's widow gave him the Yale graduation ring Lewis wore. Livingston also went to Yale.

I'll go out on a limb here and say if sobel hadn't pushed people up that mountain and inisted on excellence in terms of physical fitness and all the rest he may not have made it, whilst his training methods were brutal the soldiers that emerged, even flawed characters like nixon, appear to have been top notch.

@@roundtheloopandback I think no one objects to Sobel pushing people up the mountain, but the objection is to his bullying and unprofessional behaviour towards the cadets. Some might say this is also a necessary part in creating a good team, but I don't believe that.

@@joostdriesens3984 the men of easy believed it for the most part so why don't you ?

LOL

Small world

What’s even crazier is he also became a politician and a DA in some very high profile cases…influencers tend to congregate

@@WorldWarTruth Yeah and I also heard that the actor who played Compton, Neil McDonough was ALSO a UCLA baseball player--same position as Compton, too.

​@@localenterprisebroadcastin5971 He prosecuted Sirhan Sirhan.

@@nickmitsialis No, McDonough went to Syracuse University and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater. He did have a baseball scholarship but he was a pitcher. Compton was a catcher on the UCLA team.

Bingo. Also, an exceptional S2 (or almost and staff officer), is among the most thankless jobs in a combat unit. They're certainly safer than being on the line, but an S2 in the 101st in WWII Europe was probably working around the clock, rarely praised when things went well, and often critiqued when they didn't.

On the flip side, a drunk S2 can get a lot of men killed.

As a 30 year veteran, I approve of this message.

@@WorldWarTruth nonsense, functioning alcoholics make the machine work. We make hooch when we can't smuggle/liberate/trade some booze.

​@IdentitiesWW2 so give some examples of where Nixon did it

He did enough to remain friends with Winters until his death. And no one resented Nixon. I don't know where you came up with your 'facts' but you need to go get your money back.

@@tanker335 I was only responding to the fact that Nixon wasn't well liked by the men, according to videos like these. And I was merely theorizing how that would be possible. 1. Officers weren't liked by the enlisted men in general, Winters was the exception; 2. Nixon was in intelligence and was told not to risk himself in combat because he was too valuable to lose for the top brass; 3. I liked how Nixon was portrayed and especially his and Winters' friendship;

Mate if you are going to stick it to me and everyone else you disagree with you wont last long on this channel. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Lol

"It's my dog, she's TAKING MY DOG" 😂😂

Your very dismissive of a bullet wound. For perspective, if you were grazed by a bullet leaving your house, it would rain police and you'd be on the local news.

​@@cpj93070It's not even her dog!!

@@tanker335 Well compared to some of them getting killed and losing limbs I would say he got off pretty lightly. The alcohol and smoking was probably doing him more damage.

Thanks.

Was he part of the 82nd Airborne? 101st didn't jump into Sicily.

@@holdenknapp6490he said 509th PIR so definitely not 101st😂

@@qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm3937 I get that I assumed the regiment was attached to an airborne division. Had no idea they were one of the few regiments to operate independently of the 101st and 82nd.

I just present a story of the portrayal vs the real life facts. I don't know what these guys are like until I research them. Everyone hates Sobel but I think I was pretty fair with the series I did on him. I'm not bashing anyone, just offering my opinion. There are plenty of fan boy videos out there.

I agree. Winters has a sterling reputation. IF Nixon were a scumbag and a terrible person/officer...I SERIOUSLY doubt he would have the respect...much less friendship...of Winters.

Yes he stated that Nixon would sleep late and left all the work to him. Ambrose was a lazy writer and I’m convinced he let Winters set the narrative and not just about Nixon. I also noticed that though his book included a picture of Winters there’s hardly any mention of him.

@@altonbunnjr Ambrose certainly didn’t do Lt Dike any favors and it’s painfully obvious he let Winters define his character. It’s a shame and unfortunately no way to clean up his reputation in my opinion.

​@@altonbunnjr I agree that Ambrose was a lazy writer who accepted hearsay when a legit historian never would but Shames' and Winters' assessments of Nixon aren't irreconcilable. Shames experienced Nixon as a superior officer loading him with work which might have happened when Shames was still a Operations Sergeant before Overlord i.e. when everyone was frustrated waiting for something to happen (I haven't read _The Combat Story of Ed Shames of Easy Company_ but he started in I Company, 3rd Battalion and then transferred to E Company, 2nd Battalion as a platoon leader after his June 1944 commission where he stayed until war's end). Winters wrote in _Beyond Band of Brothers_ that he and Nixon didn't become good friends until after returning to England from Normandy. He experienced Nixon as an equal officer who came through with what he needed and when he needed it.

Its called analyzing history. People have been doing it for thousands of years.

@@WorldWarTruth my comment isn't aimed at you. A lot of people have unjustifiable opinions. You provide caveats so it's not reflective on you

Glad to hear it!

You're very welcome!

If you ever get a chance to grab the 70s docu-series, "The World at War" dvd set and the extras...check out young, hippie Ambrose's love letter to the valiant , hero Soviets.

@@ericjones9471 Gross.

@@ericjones9471 I totally know what you’re talking about. I mean he wasn’t entirely wrong though…from the perspective of the ground offensive the soviets absolutely were the ones who defeated the Germans…the west did it from the air and completely destroyed Germanys infrastructure and war production capabilities. Where they get some big facts wrong are the numbers of committed combat troops vs logistical troops and my personal favorite, the claim that the Soviets out produced everyone in terms of war materials which is just false no matter how you slice it 😂

I always consider the fact that the Soviets were there with the N@zees on the invasion of Poland. And Soviet fan boys seem to disregard the gact that they destroyed their former "allies" in their home country. We had interests in Europe and Asia, but as do many folks always want to highlight we always overinflate out umpact on the war to which we weren't that pistol.

@@ericjones9471 Not to mention what the Soviets did to Finland

You are right. My videos are about clearing up blatant mistakes (Blithe/Halls/Lorraine) and the rest is more of a discussion point.

My pleasure!

I think if he was doing a good enough job at Regiment Sink would have kept him around despite the drinking.

⁠@@WorldWarTruth, maybe, but Sink kept him at Regt level throughout some of their heaviest fighting and reconstitution phases, so he must’ve had some abilities I’d hazard a guess Nixon was burnt out long before he got demoted down to Bn, and the drinking only made it worse Possibly they were trying to support him, because of all the Bn’s they could send him to, they sent him to the one commanded by his friend

Exactly. Also had a ticket out of Bastogne but stayed. He also was going to the Pacific by choice. Cool headed bravery to be sure.

​@@WorldWarTruthSink kept him there through all the worst parts of the war, he didnt get rid of him until everything was winding down. It seemd more like he was indispensable in combat in spite of his shortcomings, but once he was no longer indispensible... he was dispensed with.

In every aspect of life there are people who have conflicts with others and may view others differently. I think it would’ve been difficult for anyone to gain respect or admiration in Lt Nixon’s role. At the tactical level most anyone outside of the immediate team is viewed as a non-participant and thus just a suit. It’s possible that Lt Nixson and Maj Winters just clicked and maybe there’s more to Nixson that we know of. Life is strange and complicated most of the without extreme circumstances, in combat bonds are made that can’t be broken.

I appreciate that!

How many firefights have you been in?

That's really cool. I bet you have some great stories.

A whole decade? That is a LONG time to stay an Lt. and be a platoon commander. What kind of bad mistake did you make???

I Wasn’t precise. Graduated the Citadel in May, 1979. Was rendered quadriplegic in 1980 in a training accident at Ft. Campbell after having a platoon for 7 months. So you’re correct, I made a huge mistake, just not an unprofessional or dishonorable one.

@@thejman8734 how many have you ?

He was certainly protected, except when it came to Colonel Sink.

Winters also said Colonel Sink was a heavy drinker, didn't he?

@@Clonetrooper1139 I cant say I have heard that before.

It's one of the reasons Winters cites as why he disobeyed the order for the 2nd batch of prisoners. He didn't consider it a lawfull order since he was drunk when he made it..

Yea i think it was winter's book he mentioned it

Thank you. There is plenty more to come.

Thanks mate. I have copped a bit of flak for this one but I'm just trying to present the real story of these guys.

Thank you. Its a controversial video which surprises me a bit. Nixon has a lot of fans out there Lol

Your dad was a legend! Thanks for sharing.

You might want to ad coast guard :)

@@michalsoukup1021 God I am so sorry...The Coast Guard too....they seen alot of action on DDay and in the DDays in the Pacific..True warriors

@@davidmcdonald6804 and they also served on convoy escorts

@@michalsoukup1021 ..that's right buddy

That's a good balanced take.

Nice. I haven't heard that before.

That sounds about right for 'showbusiness'.

Those books are the most gripping memoirs I have ever read.

@@IncogNito-gg6uh Thanks for your recommendation. I shall search for them. 👍

I was under the impression that David Websters (Parachute Infantry??) book was also a great resource to both Ambrose and the BoB production/writers etc...

He was also the device for exposition, popping up to summarize what just happened and how it mattered and how the war was going, etc.

Thanks, I appreciate it.

Ambrose committed the academic sin of taking another historian's work without attribution. That is different from him being inaccurate or deliberately falsifying what happened.

I have started on the Pacific with an episode on Eugine Sledge. I will definitely get to Burgin, Basilone and the rest of those guys.

Thank you for that comment.

I'm about to do a video on Webster vs the last patrol. He was treated pretty terribly in that episode compared to what's in his own memoirs.

Thank you for your comment. I have tried to find that information but so far no good. Apparently General Taylor asked Nixon to make the jump in order to observe the 17th's intelligence staff before and after the jump. If I had a stab id say he was with regimental HQ. I don't know much about the 17th to be honest.

Thanks for your service.

I think I said as much in the first 10 seconds.

Lol If people expect me to be 100% spot on with everything I can pick such things up.

I'm just presenting an opinion, just like you have. I don't think I have mentioned Nixon in any of the other 60 videos I have made so I am hardly picking on the guy.

Lieutenant Harry Welsh (right) Winters is left and Nixon is in the middle.

Sadly, the opposite also is true.