The Sole-Surviving Son
The movie is about the story of an actual soldier named Frederick Niland, also known as Fritz, and the U.S. War Department ‘sole-survivor’ directive put in place to keep families from losing each and every one of their sons. Captain John H. Miller (played by Tom Hanks) leads a platoon of GIs during the infamous D-Day invasion of Normandy.
Photo by Robert Kirkham/Buffalo News
Just a few days into the invasion, Miller receives new orders: to locate and rescue Private James F. Ryan (played by Matt Damon). Why? Because they thought his three brothers had already been killed within a few months of each other. Ryan was what was known as the “sole-surviving son.” The army wanted him back with his mother. Matt Damon was playing the part of Fritz Niland, his mother’s sole-surviving son.