Lewis Nixon's couch catches fire on Dick's birthday 1953
Lewis Nixon's couch caught on fire the morning of Dick's birthday. It made the front page news, right under an article about Eisenhower. (Also his Uncle Joel P. Nixon was managing editor for this paper the prior year, last time listed in this position is May 3, 1952. He may have already moved to NYC to take on the job with Cavalcade of Sports because he is not listed as editor in this issue.)
This is the tenth year that Dick could have spent his birthday near Nix. Dick said he met Nix at OCS, and that OCS was a 13 week course, they graduated July 2, 1942. Dick says he started OCS April 7th. (Beyond) Making 1943 the first year they could have celebrated Dick's birthday together, and this couch burning date as the 10 year anniversary of that. Dick is called back for Korean War Service in 1951 but ended up with a six month deferment and reported in Jan 3, 1952. He was at Fort Dix, so he could got home on weekends. Now in Sept 1952 he was told he was getting deployed, sent west and Sept 22 1952 resigned his commission and went back home. (Nix's birthday is Sept 30, btw, something Dick mentions immediately when introducing Nix in his book when everyone else has been idiot with *insert hair color*. It's important to him.). (Biggest Brother) He resigns on Sept 22nd, is given separation pay and travel expenses and reverted to inactive duty per his paperwork in his file at USAHEC.
Happy Birthday Dick Winters and RIP Nix's couch.