Part 2: General Questions
A) Historical Accuracy
Although the actual story of Private Ryan is fictional, all the events that occur are based on real battle. Some examples are:
D-Day - This was the first scene of the movie, which took place on Omaha Beach, on the coast of Normandy, France. The Allies attacked first with an airborne assault and then docked their boats to the coast. This was considered the largest amphibious invasion in world history, with an estimated 20,000 casualties.
United States Army Rangers - Captain Miller was a member of the 2nd (out of six) Ranger Battalion in the movie. This is a real part of division in the US Army as well as all the other divisions mentioned in the movie. This is an elite division for graduates from the US Army Ranger School and they played a major role in WWII, fighting in France, North Africa and Italy.
Saving Remaining Brother - At the beginning of the movie, when General Marshall reads the letter from Abraham Lincoln to a Mrs. Bixby, this letter was real and was in fact written by him. After several cases of brothers who were stationed