By Bobby Panza

You may know him as the mayor of Muffins Café or a West 71st Street Block Association member, but now 98-year-old Theodore Dixon has another title: New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame inductee.

A ceremony was held on June 22 at Grace & St. Paul’s Church on West 71st Street to honor Dixon, who served in the Navy during World War II. While jazz music played in the background, Dixon spoke to attendees who waited in line to talk with him and thank him for his service.

“It was wonderful,” said Dixon, reminiscing about the event. Dixon, who turns 99 in August, was especially grateful to his mother, a Cherokee Indian, who emphasized the importance of a good education, he said. Born at New York Hospital in 1926, Dixon later attended the Colonial Williamsburg Bruton Heights Education Center in Williamsburg, Virginia. After graduating at 18, Dixon volunteered to serve in the Navy in 1942. “You got to help your country,” he explained. “I gave it my all.”

Dixon completed his basic training in Chicago and was later stationed in San Francisco, from where he shipped out to Pearl Harbor aboard the vessel Japara to defend the islands of the South Pacific. Initially assigned to cooking duties in the galley of the warship in the middle of the ocean, Dixon was later urgently needed ashore to help widen the airstrips for the B29 bombers. “But Theo quickly found himself fighting two wars, not only combating the enemies in the South Pacific Theater – the Imperial Japanese army – but also encountering extreme racism for the first time in his life within the ranks of the U.S. military,” wrote Susan Wands, a supporter of the 71st Street Block Association who penned a short biography of Dixon.

“It’s been a war,” he said, describing his time on the battlefield and the racism he’s faced. “But I plan on staying alive and keeping love alive.” In 1943, Dixon was stationed in Tinian, Guam, and Saipan, where he fought in gruesome military battles. “I remember going into my tent and asking the Almighty to forgive me.” Dixon expressed the profound impact of taking another person’s life: “You lose a little of yourself when you kill a human being.” He also shared that he battles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acknowledging, “If it wasn’t for some good people I’d probably be in the nuthouse.”

Among Dixon’s notable experiences during his service were the opportunities to meet President Truman and to travel to Hiroshima to assist reporters covering the aftermath of the atomic attack. Dixon returned to New York City in 1945 after the war’s conclusion, receiving an honorable discharge.

“Theodore Dixon represents the absolute best of the Upper West Side. I was honored to induct him into the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame,” said State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal in a statement to WSR.

West 71st Street Block Association co-leader Katina Ellison praised Dixon, stating, “For years, Theo has been an integral part of our block association and our larger community, always there to watch over our neighborhood and make everyone around him feel safe and welcome.”

At the ceremony, local eateries Felice and Muffins Café provided the food. The printed materials were handled by Upper West Side Copy, and the balloons were contributed by Stationery and Toy World.

If you happen to see Theo Dixon outside Muffins Café on Columbus Avenue between 70th and 71st Street, don’t hesitate to say hi.

WSR extends heartfelt congratulations and thanks to Theo for his service.

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