1. The Story Behind the Movie
Saving Private Ryan
The Story Behind the Movie

2. World War II Heroes
The 1998 hit movie Saving Private Ryan won critical acclaim and renewed interest in World War II, especially about the events of D-Day at Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944.
The movie’s popularity and depiction of WWII veterans as heroes was one reason for the demand to create the National World War II Memorial, which opened in 2004.

3. The Ryan Family’s Tragedy
Shortly after D-Day (in the movie), the mother of Private James Ryan (Matt Damon) learns that her other three sons were all killed in battle.
Her fourth son, James, is a paratrooper missing behind German lines.

4. The Mission
To save Mrs. Ryan from losing all of her sons, the War Department orders a rescue team to infiltrate the German lines, find Private James Ryan, and return him safely home.
Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) is ordered to lead the rescue team that must save Private Ryan.

5. A Happy Ending
Although several members of the rescue team die in the process (including Captain Miller), they do manage to save Private Ryan.
Miller’s last words to Ryan were “earn this” – at the end of the movie, in 1998, an elderly Ryan stands before Miller’s grave and states his hope that he has been a good man – one who earned Miller’s sacrifice. Ryan’s wife assures him that he has.

6. Did it really happen?
In real life, there was no Private James Ryan – at least, not like the one in the movie.
The story is based on two real-life tragedies: in the Civil War, all four of Agnes Allison’s sons died in battle; and in World War II, three of the four Niland brothers were believed to have been killed in battle.

7. The Niland Brothers
Frederick, Robert, Preston, and Edward Niland were four brothers from Tonawanda, NY, who all served in World War II.

8. The Niland brothers’ tragedy
Robert was killed in action on D-Day; Preston was killed the next day, also at Normandy.
Edward’s B-25 bomber had been shot down by the Japanese over Burma in May 1944, and he was also believed to be dead.
Frederick was believed to be the only surviving Niland brother.

9. Sgt. Frederick Niland
Frederick (nicknamed Fritz) had also fought in the Normandy invasion.
After learning of Robert’s death, Fritz was shipped back to England – and then back to New York – where he finished his service as a military policeman.
This was how the “real Private Ryan” was saved.

10. Good news for the Nilands
Besides saving Fritz Niland by sending him home, in May 1945 the U.S. learned that Edward Niland was also still alive – he’d been taken as a POW by the Japanese and was found when his POW camp was liberated.

11. The Fighting Sullivans: Another family struck by WWII tragedy
The five Sullivan brothers (George, Frank, Joe, Matt, and Al) were Irish-American brothers who all died together when their ship, the light cruiser USS Juneau, was sunk by the Japanese on November 13, 1942.
They became national heroes and were memorialized by the 1944 movie, The Fighting Sullivans.