UPPER WEST SIDE, Manhattan (PIX11) — Veterans Day is Monday, and PIX11 News is highlighting the story of a local World War II vet who has spent his life serving his country and community.
At 99 years old, Theodore Dixon has lived through nearly a century of American history.
Born in Manhattan in 1925, Dixon eventually moved to Virginia where he was raised. After high school, he faced a pivotal life moment when his mother urged him to enter the Navy and serve his country during World War II.
“I was the oldest one and she wanted somebody in the family to go to war to defend the country, so they picked me,” Dixon said. “It was the greatest experience that I ever had.”
Dixon faced the harsh realities of racial discrimination, serving in a segregated unit on a battleship as a cook — a job he said he was limited to based on his skin color. He eventually rose through the ranks, stepping into combat on the front lines. A harrowing experience that sticks with him to this very day, as he grapples with PTSD.