SAVING PRIVATE NILAND

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  The movie Saving Private Ryan may have been based on a real group of four brothers from New York state. They were Edward, Preston, Robert, and Frederick "Fritz" Niland. The brothers mother received three telegrams on the same day reporting that Edward was shot down over Burma and was MIA ( Missing In Action). Lt. Preston Niland was killed leading a platoon of the 4th Division on Utah Beach. Robert Niland of the 82nd Airborne was listed as MIA. Fritz was a member of the 101st Airborne and as far as their mother knew was the only surviving brother. He had become separated from his unit after parachuting behind German lines on D-Day. Fritz eventually made contact with his unit and like Private Ryan was notified that he was the only surviving brother. Also like Ryan he did not want to go home but was forced leave against his wishes.. Fritz believed that his rightful place was with his unit. A chaplain notified him that his brother Preston had been killed and needed Fritz to identify him. To his horror the body was of his brother Robert and not Preston. Robert had been killed covering the retreat of members of his unit. There was a bittersweet ending to this story. Ed had been captured by the Japanese and was found alive at the end of the war in a POW camp by British soldiers.


Edward Niland - 1912 to 1984
Preston Niland - 1915 to 1944
Robert Niland - 1919 to 1944
Frederick Niland - 1920 to 1983

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