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Dakota Carroll
English Comp 2
4/20/15
Saving Private Ryan: D-days Reality Revealed
There are hundreds of war films that have been produced and on average two new ones
produced per year. Many of them being historical events and places in time. The fascination film
viewers have with the wars America has fought and the films that link to them is something
extraordinary. Many of us have not experienced war first hand or realize the trauma that comes
from these horrific events. There is one particular film Saving Private Ryan that produced a
realistic version of what war would really look like, and reenacts what it would have looked like
at Omaha Beach on D-day in the opening scene.
Going back to D-day on June 6th, 1944 in World War II where the lives of thousands of
men would change, and where a huge mark of history will be made. The invasion of Omaha
Beach, Normandy began at 6:30AM in the morning where 96 tanks would land. Every soldier
was loaded down with weapons and ammo, this made it difficult to maneuver through the water
which made the soldiers prime targets for the German enemy. Before exiting the tanks the
soldiers could hear the ammunition being fired at their ramps that were yet to be lowered, also
working against them was exhaustion and seasickness. Heavy enemy fire was located in bluffs
making it easy to hit their targets causing many casualties for American troops. If troops were
not killed by enemy fire there were massive amounts of mines and obstacles working against
them as well. Most didnt make it to the beach or even made it out of their tanks. Those that did
were forced to leave their badly wounded brothers behind and push on knowing that they were
just moments away from death.

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Those who did survive the initial surge will live with this horrific memory for the rest
of their lives. A solider who was present on that day, whom we will refer to as Private Doe gave
his insight of how traumatizing and horrible the D-day experience really was. You could smell
the blood in the air before our gates even dropped, that was one day I will never forget no matter
how old I am (John Doe). Coming from Private Doe who suffers from Alzheimers and is losing
his memory little by little, but cannot lose the memory of the slaughter of his fallen brothers on
D-day. The sincerity in his voice when he mentioned the bullets and men dropping all around
him was heart-wrenching. The most courageous thing about Private Doe was that he wanted to
fight and wanted to fight for all his fallen brothers. Private Doe explained That is what got me
through that day, the odds were against us but I knew I couldnt give up (John Doe). Being
asked about how he had felt about the ones he left back home where he started to tear up and
explained there is no better feeling that hugging your loved ones and I always kept a picture of
my wife where I would occasionally glance at her knowing this could be the last time I see her
face (John Doe). Seeing Private Does vulnerability makes one really appreciate being able to
come home to our loved ones every day.
Words can only describe actions and events. Photographs only give a faded and
distorted version of the D-day. When interviewing John Doe, he was asked if he had seen the
movie Saving Private Ryan by Steven Spielberg focusing around the opening scene on Omaha
beach. Coming straight from Private Doe I have seen many of war films, never have I seen a
film that reenacted war so precisely (John Doe). This man admitted to being shaken up by what
he saw in the film, and comparing it to having a flashback right on the television screen.
Learning more about the rest of the movie Private Doe had no recollection of trying to find
Private Ryan. Private Ryan was based on Niland brothers, but the storyline was very loosely

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presented according to John Doe. After interviewing the WWII veteran, I spoke with another
veteran who was a big fan of the movie. John Doe two explained that he never got to fight
because he was just a reporter, but has heard many stories. Private Doe explained If I would
have been present it would of probably have been similar to the opening scene (John Doe two).
In the film the troops walked into a slaughter at Omaha beach on D-day knowing it
was going to bad, but not knowing just how bad the damage would be. The modern military has
come a long way since WWII, with the advancement of weapons and the creation of new planes
such as the B-2 bomber. The military no longer exposes itself as death wish such as in the
opening scene, now its a promising way to start a career. Remembering the initial reaction to the
movie when it was released in 1998, critics and historians were in awe about the accuracy of the
opening scene on D-day. Knowing just enough to scratch the surface of this historical event,
historians such as Jeanine Basinger have put a lot of time and effort into comparing the two, and
trying to pick out the flaws the movie possesses. Death stood out when it came it accuracy of the
film and the two WWII veterans John Doe and John Doe two would agree. The men who were
hit were not just instantly dead like in some war films. They lay there guts spewing out and
trying to put their parts back into their bodies. A mans leg is blown off, he grabs his severed leg
and marches on holding his leg in one hand and his weapon in the other. These men suffered,
they didnt want help they wanted to be left alone to die. The men that were left standing were
either dragging dismembered bodies to the beach or being forced to stay focused and fight on.
Imagining how they felt, how on earth could one stay focused when the guy next to you just got
bullets through the head, stomach, and leg? Most of these men didnt volunteer for this, many
left loved ones at home and kept a picture in their wallet just to have something to hold on to.
The accuracy of this opening scene goes farther than just the blood and guts. The boats or what

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was referred to early as tanks where just the same as they were on D-day. The uniforms were
almost exactly the same, the minds and blockers were very similar to what you see in
photographs. The film shows the men in the tanks waiting for the gait to drop hearing the bullets
hit the gate before even being opened, capturing the fear in their eyes knowing most of them
wouldnt even make it out of the tank. A scary scene was portrayed in the movie making viewers
speechless, but the hard truth about that scene was that it was the closest thing anyone who
wasnt present in WWII will see and know about the D-day landing at Omaha Beach, Normandy.
Steven Spielberg nailed the opening scene. The D-day landings on Omaha Beach seem
to be accurate as one could possible reproduce. As for the rest of Saving Private Ryan the facts
and the journey seems to be off. The rest of the movie focuses on Private Ryan himself. The truth
is loosely presented as John Doe mentioned earlier. The Niland boys who were all brothers who
joined up, but were forced to serve in different units as mentioned in the film. The first two boys
were killed the first and the second day of the attacks. The third boy was dropped somewhere
between Omaha and Utah beach which is also correct in the movie. The fourth son was dropped
in France and not a part of the invasion. After getting word of the brothers death they ordered
the only remaining son out, which was Fritz who was the one dropped between Omaha and Utah
beach. In the movie the boy is located but does not want to return home. He refuses to leave his
men behind and to stay with his troops. What really happened was Fritz returned home where he
served as a military polices in New York. The film also does not line up with the fact the fourth
brother wasnt dead. He was simply a prisoner of war and returned home shortly after Fritz.
Nothing was mentioned about the return home or the supposed death of the fourth brother in the
movie which make it loosely presented where there are some facts are not consistent with the rest

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of the films storyline. Although this part of the film is what makes up most of the movie, the real
star of the film is the opening scene and the accuracy the fight on Omaha beach portrays.
D-day is one of the most recognized historical events in time. The popularity is
because of the bloodshed, glory and the obstacles that American troops were faced with. When
Saving Private Ryan was released to the public went wild at the box office. It was a relatable
event for some and others just wanted a good old fashion war movie. None the less Stephen
Spielberg produced an opening scene that could make viewers speechless, and World War II
veterans shake in their boots. Roger Ebert a famous film review critic states that Saving Private
Ryan is a powerful experience. The opening scene was dubbed one of the most realistic war
films from a number of veterans and historians. As for the rest of the movie some of it is
historically accurate, but a lot of the film is made to be spiced up for the viewers pleasure. The
film itself is a much watch, but beware of the inaccuracies. Saving Private Ryan will make you
thankful for what you have, and appreciate your active and former military members.

Work Citied
Basinger, Jeanine. "Translating War: The Combat Film Genre and Saving Private
Ryan." October 1998. historians.org. Web. 2015 April 2015.
Doe, John. D-day Dakota Carroll. 13 April 2015. Missouri Veterans Home .
2 Doe, John. Saving Private Ryan Dakota Carroll. Warrensburg , 13 April 2015.
Missouri Veterans Home.
Ebert, Roger. "Saving Private Ryan." 24 July 1998. RogerEbert.com. Web. 13 April
2015.
Hartl, John. ""Saving Private Ryan' Wins High Marks For Accuracy." 24 July 1998.
The Seattle Times. Web. 13 April 2015.
Lacy, McCrary. Watching 'Private Ryan,' Veterans Relive The Horror Years From
Omaha Beach, Pain Lingers. 06 August 1998. Web. 2015 April 2015.

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Phil Ponce, Stephen Ambrose. Examining "Saving Private Ryan:" Realities of War.
03 August 1998. Web. 13 April 2015
Saving Private Ryan. Dir. Steven Spielberg. Perf. Matt Damon Tom Hanks. 1998.
DVD.
Staff, History.com. "D-day." 2009. History.com. Web. 13 April 2015. Unknown. The
Story Behind the Movie- Historical Accuracy. 1998. Web. 13 April 2015.

Unknown. The Story Behind the Movie- Historical Accuracy. 1998. Web. 13 April
2015.