I remember my older brothers watching the latest war movies in the bonus room of our first home as a boy. I peered through the crack in the door just as a soldier carrying a flamethrower blew up. Like many boys, war was something that always interested me. If there were an old war movie on, I would watch it. But Saving Private Ryan was the first war movie to capture real combat horrors, especially on that fateful day of June 6th, 1944.
My brothers eventually caught me spying and slammed the door in my face, protecting my innocence. Eventually, I watched Saving Private Ryan, and like most viewers, it left a lasting impact on me. Even to this day, many people have no idea what those men faced on those beaches. That movie gave us a glimpse, and even though it’s been over 20 years since it came out, it’s one I have to discuss in my review series.
Truth #1: The 2nd Rangers Did Land At Omaha Beach
Captain Miller, portrayed by Tom Hanks, commands Charlie Company of the 2nd Ranger Battalion. Formed in April of 1943 and activated in September later that year, the actual 2nd Ranger Battalion was shipped to Great Britain to train for Operation Overlord. Charlie Company was assigned to Omaha Beach, Charlie Sector, next to the Dog Green Sector at the far west end of the beachhead. In the movie, Miller and his rangers land at Dog Green, where Companies A and B landed with the 29th Infantry Division.
The scene has been lauded for its realism of the events, though they did take some liberties with the details. One such detail was the perception of the beach. It was a much longer trek across open ground than seen in the film. Also, it’s unclear how the characters ended up in the 2nd Ranger Battalion. Sergeant Horvath, played by Tim Sizemore, mentioned they had served together since Kasserine Pass (North Africa). Some Rangers took part in Operation Torch, but many were captured. So, one would think they were part of an Infantry Division, then volunteered for the Rangers and were transferred to Great Britain after the Battle of Anzio (also mentioned by Captain Miller).
Truth #2: There Really Was A Battle in a Place Called Neuville
After being assigned the mission to find Private Ryan, Captain Miller forms a squad of select Rangers from Company C and heads out to Neuville. One would assume that was Neuville-au-Plain, which is to the west of Omaha Beach and behind the Utah Beachhead down the road from Sainte-Mère-Église. In the real events, the town’s capture was given to the 2nd Battalion of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division.
The movie aptly works in the fact that given Private Ryan is with the 101st, if he’s in Neuville, he would have to be fighting with a “mixed unit,” which actually happened on D-Day since the airborne drops were so badly scattered. One assumes Private Ryan was one of those misdropped as, in reality, 2/3 sticks of the 1st Battalion of the 506th hit DZ C without issue on D-Day. But again, the movie plays with the details a bit.
The Lie: Ramelle Was Not A Real Place
Ramelle is the last place the Miller’s squad ends up in the movie and is the setting for the final climactic battle. However, this battle and location never existed. Probably to have greater flexibility with the story, they invented this town on the Merderet River with a key bridge vital to the Germans and the Allies. The name sounds like Rommel, the “Desert Fox” of North Africa and one of Germany’s top generals tasked with defending Fortress Europe.
While the battle is fictional, it’s probably inspired by the Battle of La Fière, one of many lesser-known engagements on D-Day. The assignment was given to the 1st Battalion of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. La Fière was vital to the invasion's success because it had a stone bridge that crossed the Merderet River, which was needed for the invasion forces at Utah Beach to move inland. Called “The Bloodiest Small Unit Struggle in the Experience of American Arms,” the battle cost more than 250 American lives during the four-day engagement.
Final Thoughts
These “reviews” are fun for me because I get to learn and share the history that the big-screen movies draw upon for their stories (most of the time). Some do it better than others, and without a doubt, Saving Private Ryan is one of the best World War II movies ever produced. While the details of D-Day were subtly tweaked to fit the story's needs, for the most part, it stayed grounded in the reality of the invasion. It’s one of those movies I always turn on if it’s airing on cable, along with Band of Brothers. But even the best-produced shows and movies take their liberties, so I behoove you all to learn more about the history behind these stories.
Sources:
https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/d-day-landing-at-omaha-beach/
https://www.moaa.org/content/publications-and-media/news-articles/2019-news-articles/uncovering-2nd-ranger-battalion,-the-inspiration-for-saving-private-ryan/
Photo Credit: Vincent Wai
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