The Real Story Behind Saving Private Ryan: The Niland Brothers
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- Опубліковано 3 чер 2024
- Saving Private Ryan set the standard for World War II movies since its release in 1998. However, very few know that the story of the Niland Brothers formed the base of Steven Spielberg's masterpiece. The Niland Brothers were four brothers that served in the US Army during World War II. Within a month, three of the four brothers were either killed or missing in action. The remaining brother, Frederick Niland, inspired the character of James F. Ryan played by Matt Damon in the movie Saving Private Ryan. In this video we dive into the stories of the Niland Brothers and walk in their footsteps on the Battlefields of Normandy. Many thanks to the Niland Family for correspondence as we worked on this video.
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RESEARCH YOUR VETERAN
This video was made possible with the services.of Footsteps Researchers, a company that I work for and that wanted to sponsor this video. Footsteps Researcher is a company that specializes in World War II archive material from the US National Archives. They were able to help us to get the personnel records for the Niland Brothers. Even though a fire at the archives in 1973 destroyed 80% of the army personnel records, the archives have been reconstructing files of the years and have preserved the ones with partial burn damage. The Niland Brother’s personnel records were burned in that fire, but there were still several documents in each personnel file for each soldier. Footsteps Researchers also helped us to build a timeline of the service of the Niland Brothers with documents such as the morning report and payrolls. Along with other archive material such After Action Reports, Unit Journals, Unit Histories and Map Overlays we were able to add more body to the timeline. That is how we were able to reconstruct an overview of the service for the Niland Brothers for this video and what we do when researching stories for our other videos. Contact Footsteps Researchers at www.footstepsresearchers.com for more information.
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CREW - www.snafu-docs.com
Produced & Edited by: Joey van Meesen
Co-Producer: Thulaï van Maanen, Florent Plana
Research: Joey van Meesen, Thulaï van Maanen
Camera: Joey van Meesen, Florent Plana
Archive Material: Myra Miller - Footsteps Researchers
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SOURCES USED:
- Military documents, film footage and photographs from the US National Archives (NARA)
- Houston, Robert J., D-Day to Bastogne (1980)
- Sampson, Francis L., Look Out Below (1989)
- The Niland Family: Correspondence between producer and Niland family.
PHOTOGRAPHS:
- Photograph of the four Niland brothers with their father Michael Niland - Courtesty of the Niland Family.
- Photograph of Frederick Niland used in video and thumbnail is believed to come from the family of Jack Breier, friend and fellow paratrooper in H Company, 501st, who served alongside with Frederick Niland. We were unable to contact the family to this day.
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Visited the Niland graves about 6 weeks ago, but I wasn't prepared for this video. Very moving. Thanks for telling their story. They earned it.
The story of the Nilands has unfortunately taken a backseat to the Sullivan Brothers, but I'm so glad to hear you were able to visit these heroes. (Gramps was MSgt AAF 42-45)
seeing them buried side by side got me damn 😢 ......rest in peace 🤝
Thank you for watching
@@SNAFUDOCS wat pijp je
Every American and those living around the globe should remember the sacrifices the Greatest Generation made that fateful day
I was at the Dog Green sector of Omaha Beach this spring and it was a life-changing event. To stand in the same area where such rich history happened is indescribable.
I hope to go to Ravenoville in Normandy someday soon to visit where my Uncle Buddy was killed. See my post above for info....
@@markobrien16 you won’t regret going
@@wblclass72 I've been there before but I didn't have any info on my uncle back then. Now that I do it'll be a very different visit.
I went this past weekend. Agreed. Indescribable.
a story directed by Luciferians 👹🇮🇱👹 in which the USA👹🇺🇲👹 and Israel are the biggest murderers on this planet
watch "The Fall of the Kabbalah"
Welcome back. You are always worth waiting for. I feel better knowing someone in your generation will keep telling these men's stories.
I appreciate that! Thank you for watching.
These wasn't just men they were all courageous hero's who we all owe so much for their sacrifice and bravery, I've so much respect to everyone of them
Thank you for my freedom
@@SNAFUDOCS😢
My middle name is Niland. Named after my maternal grandfather's family. Though my grandfather's family was from Mississippi, I have absolutely no doubt we are related to these brave young men as all the Niland came from Ireland to the USA via Ellis Island. From there some went to the Carolinas and westward to Mississippi, while others stayed near their port of entry... I loved learning of this family's tremendous and tragic sacrifice.
Charles Town, South Carolina is a port of entry also. It's now Charleston, SC. Many people from Scotland, Ireland, and Europe. It has the oldest Synagogue. I think many Sephardic Jews came here with the Spanish, they have a unique skull shape. A college in California noticed that. Except they think they are Native Americans, I think they are Sephardic Jews.
I am related to them and I am trying to learn more about whir family and them so I can learn about my family’s history
Do you think all the Niland's who came to the USA from Ireland were related?
My father and his three brothers were a four star family like the nilands all serving in the European theater my dad was a combat engineer in France Belgium Luxembourg and Germany before being shipped out to the Philippines for the invasion of Japan truly the greatest generation
Thank you for the service of your father I'm from Philippines.
I’m sorry you grew up without the brave men of your family. RIP
Yes, truly the greatest generation. We've rather mucked things up since.
Amazing men in extraordinary times.
❤❤❤❤
I did not know about the Niland brothers. You would think, after the Sullivans, they wouldn't let so many siblings in the same operation. Thank you for the video.
My thoughts exactly
It was war, and they needed ever boot they could get. it was not like they were all together like the Sullivan brothers, so there was less of a chance it would happen again. and if what happened happened, they sent him home like they did.
@@franklugo6928 Saving Private Ryan even mentioned the Sullivan brothers, at one point all the fictional Ryan bothers were in the same unit but were split up after what happened to the Sullivan brothers. Even with three of the brothers taking part in the Normandy invasion they would all be in different units with different missions and locations they could at the very least make it so they aren't all killed together like the Sullivan brothers.
My father was in the 29th Division. The man next to him on the landing craft was killed by a sniper while getting off the boot. My dad said all he could think of was that the man owed him $10. Later he was wounded at St Lo and twice at Plouzane. He passed in 2000 at age 80. Still miss him.
Excellent clip! I can see why your father wanted you to watch Saving Private Ryan at such a young age. He wanted an impression to be made and it looks like one was made, you are s better man today for it. That is good parenting! I wished more people would follow that example. Our society as a whole would be better off for it.
My Mom went out with Don Malerkey at the Univ.of Oregon after Malarkey returned stateside. Don Malarkey was in every episode of Band of Brothers. Malarkey was with Skip Muck when Muck recognized Fritz Niland in a bar before DDay. A day or two after DDay, Muck and Malarkey were taking a breather when a Chaplain came around asking,” Does anybody know Fritz Nyland?” Skip Muck says ,” Over here”. The chaplain said Niland was the sole surviving son. Skip muck was killed during the Battle of the Bulge. Don Malarky after dating my Mom, married her sorority sister and Mom knew the Malarkey all their lives. In the early 1990’s, Mrs Malarky told my Mom, “ There are some people over at the house talking to Don about some movie.” See, I guess Don had brought this episode up during writer interviews for Band of Brothers. So, now they were going to make Saving Private Ryan on Don Malarkey’s story about Skip and Fritz.
U said they made saving private ryan after dons interview for band of brothers...impossible seeing how Saving Private Ryan was made 3 years(1998) before Band of Brothers (2001)...so now I question ur entire story...
@@justinmcelhaney5591 Justine, I don’t know Hollywoods schedule ( even if I live out here) but That is the story. Don Malarky even wrote a book about his War experiences and says he is the inspiration for Saving Private Ryan. If Band of Brothers came out a few years later….That’s Show Biz!
Wow! Thank you for sharing this
Outstanding work as always. Easily one of the best history channels on UA-cam. 👊🏻
Thanks you, JD! Really appreciate it.
Love both of your channels 👏
@@SNAFUDOCSone thing i dont understand in this video clip, isnt one brother of them was killed in Italy, forgot a name of city in Italy
Again I have no words but thank you for this beautiful tribute.
Thank you too!
Dit zijn meest geniale docu's die er zijn. Het is bizar dat dit betere kwaliteit en content is als discovery channel en andere dure productions 😊elke keer vernieuwde dingen die ik en ik geloof vele andere niet wisten. De tijd en moeite die jullie erin stoppen is enorm. Ik neem mijn pet af en dank voor het behoud van geschiedenis. 🙌🏻🙌🏻😇💯
TRANSLATION
These are some brilliant documentaries that they have produced. It's bizarre that the better quality and content is as a discovery channel and other dure productions 😊 but they don't know the things that I and the people know. The amount of time that Julie Erin can stop is enormous. I don't have my pet as a thank you for the divorce
My Uncle Sgt. Clarence William "Bill" Robinson was in the 82nd Airborne and parachuted into Normandy on D-Day. We also know he fought in the Battle of the Bulge, but nothing more than that. He might have served alongside the man in the 82nd that was killed. All I know is it is nothing short of a miracle he made it home alive. The couple things he told my aunt about the war was as they were coming down in their parachutes the night of D-Day, tracers were coming up at them all over the place and he could hear men screaming in their parachutes. He said the next morning, there were body parts hanging in some of the trees. I sent to the archives for more information, but there is nothing left but his final payment at mustering out. It shows parachute and glider pay. Sure wish I could find out what company, etc. he was with.
Joey, you made an amazing video. Thank you. It was very poignant seeing the two brothers buried side by side at the end. Democracies are lucky to have people like you who take pride in the fight of good over evil. Please keep up the great work.
This is a beautiful tribute to the American servicemen of the Niland family❤
In 2004 I traveled to Normandy with a few of the actual Band of Brothers. We stopped and paid our respects in front of the Niland brothers' grave sites there at Normandy. It was quite moving for sure.....
I knew about the Niland’s but have never seen such an in-depth report on their story. Fantastic video, thank you.
Wow! Very nice! I'm not sure how I got to your video but I'm sure glad I did. I appreciate the job you did sharing this story about some true hero's. So many good men lost on the beaches, making the ultimate sacrifice to set the world right again. This video honors not only the Nyland brothers but all the Allied forces who participated in WW2.
Verdade! Temos sim que agradecer aos soldados das diversas nações que deram suas vidas em prol da nossa liberdade. Não se comenta, mas o Brasil também enviou vinte e cinco mil soldados que combateram ao lado do quinto exército norte-americano. Nossos heróis reverenciados são muitos e entre eles destaco aqui alguns como o sargento Wolf, sargento Hermínio Aurélio Sampaio, sargento Nestor (ainda vive e atualmente no posto de coronel). Portanto, tiro o meu chapéu a todos que combateram o nazismo e o fascismo naquele grande conflito mundial.
I always enjoy reading & hearing the true stories thanks so much for this information. We had two WWII veterans in our family and fortunately they both made it home. I was fortunate enough to have heard their stories first hand. They eventually opened up without my asking and the stories made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. My father in law joined the Navy at 16 on 12/8/41 and was a torpedo man in the destroyer escort fleet serving on three different ships. He made 37 trips through the Panama Canal seeing naval combat in both the Atlantic & Pacific theaters. My brothers father in law was USMC WWII and was on Tarawa and I believe Saipan and his stories were amazing. FLY NAVY!!!
What an amazing story! I was in Normandy in May of 2023 and tried to see their graves, but due to the amount of rain, we were not allowed to walk amongst the graves due to drainage issues. The next time I'm there, I will definitely go see them. I did go to Crisbeq and Azeville batteries and saw Preston's plaque. Thank you for the outstanding video and research!
@SNAFUDOCS - My Grandfather was in the 820th Tank Destroyer Battalion, and was on the edge of the Arden Forest on the eve of the Battle of the Bulge. He said that the Germans attacked in the night, and he alone survived by crawling in drainage ditches back to the allied lines. 2 months later when he came back through, he found all his friends bodies still in the snow. Would be a good unit for you to research.
Hey Chris! I definitely know about the 820th TD Bn in the 106th ID sector in the Ardennes. Your grandfather's story sounds very interesting.
Exceptional presentation, gentlemen. You both routinely honor those who served there.
This was a powerful emotional presentation. The respect is apparent in every moment of this video. Well done gentlemen. I hope many teachers across the world utilize this piece. Blessing to you all.
My grandad said that it was nothing like that and him and his mates took the rotten mickey out of the hun and grafted their way all across the continent, should have heard him after a few ales, tellin' you mate 😂 #OurHistory #WW2
Thank you so much for this video, as the grandson on a WW2 veteran it is amazing to see a video that honors these heroes and tells their story so they will not be forgotten.
Thx for this beautiful story. Tears in my eyes. 😢
Thank you for watching!
@@SNAFUDOCS
Thank you for the great work. Learned a lot of your docs.👍👌
Thank you for the effort you put into this piece of education. So clearly described and recounted for us. Legends!
Just a wonderful, moving presentation. One of your best!
We are a very lucky generation. And it’s all down to these guys. I shall always have the greatest respect these people. Having been to France a few times and seen these cemetery’s myself it’s just an unbelievable sight.
Great Video, well put together, Thank you so much for keeping History alive! At the end of this video I must of got something in my eye and it started to water! in 1976 and 1979 my High School Band visited WWII Cemetaries and our Trumpet Section played Taps! Humbling and Emotional! This video brought that memory back as well! Thank you again for all that every one of you do!
I just posted yesterday on your Hurtgen video of my father's time there with the 9th ID, 47th inf. He did go see Saving Private Ryan when released. The incredibly ironic thing is he was also from Tonawanda, NY!!! I have to think that he had to have known or known some of the Niland brothers having grown up there. I'm not sure he knew the movie was loosely based on the Nilands - I just thought it was fascinating. Incidentily, dad was an early casualty in the early hours of the 16th while breaking out beyond Orglandes en route to St.-Sauveur-le-Vicompte to link up and relieve elements of the 82nd airborne which was accomplished later that night. Also, the USS The Sullivans is based at Buffalo, NY - actual ww2 combat ship not very far from where the Niland brothers were from.
I never comment on videos but this one an amazing retelling of history. The way you tell the story and the respect you show is amazing. I’m glad I found this channel and I am now subscribing. This is definitely one of the best videos I’ve seen. Thank you for the amazing video
Alrighty, I have a little tear running down my face after watching this. So I guess, you did as good as the movie in bringing forth the reality of this family... Thank you for your effort and your time in sharing this segment in history.
All these wonderful men will all be gone soon.Their sacrifices will not be forgotten.Many young people know nothing of these brave men.The real heroes never made it home.
Awesome job and thank you to everyone involved with this!
Our pleasure!
Brilliant work from you all! And thank you for bringing us these stories in such great detail. The brothers would have really appreciated this👍🏻
Sucks for their mother, that must have been such hard news for her.
Excellent! As usual!
Thanks for sharing this video and remembering these brave men!
Such incredible content. Thank you for coming back and I look forward to seeing more from you!
The most explicit and understandable account I have seen to date. Your presentation with maps and photos is the most clear description I have seen to date. Hats off
Wonderful historical presentation. It’s very important to keep American history alive. Thank you!
Joey always dropping knowledge! Well done as always!
I appreciate that!
Many thanks to your company for preserving this great world history, but also the respect you show for those who served and their families! Thank you, I greatly enjoyed this!!
Very powerful. Thank you so much. I also have never seen rubbing dark earth into the white cross gravestones to beautifully contrast the engravings. I found that to be extremely emotional. They are the truest of heroes.
This is an outstanding video, Joey. Thanks to you, Flo, ThulaI and Myra for the hard work in getting the true story of these American heroes out.
-Bronson
Thank you for the contineous support Bronson!
Amen! Because some people nowadays don’t want to give these men credit!❤
I really like this UA-cam channel because the research is very clear and organized and accurate 👍 Only this channel is really right to the point ☺️
Another great video, Joey and Florent!
Thank you Patrick!
Loosely based is an understatement. Saving private ryan is the Cleopatra of war movies.
Quite yes, nothing even close to the reality. #OurHistory
Very nice production Joey and your team. I always look forward to your presentations.
Thank you so much for this tastefully done video! I appreciate the work you do.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Superb research and presentation as always, i knew of this story, and it’s connections to the the film, but it’s always nice to see more about it from different sources 👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you very much!
Thank You so much for the great effort you put into these videos.
Thanks for preserving and sharing this video for future generations
Thank you. It shows how much went into these small unit actions most never heard of to understand how vast this war was.
Always look forward to your videos! Great work!
Wow
Thankyou for your hard work and telling the story about this amazing family
Thank you! Wonderful job with this video.
Great video Snafu Team!
Thank you buddy!
Thank you for sharing.
Great work by all.
Thank you for keeping history alive
So well done! Thank you for bringing us the true story.
Glad you enjoyed it!
What true story...we know the true story
Phenomenal production. Thank you for doing this.
Thank You for the new vid, we are all glad your back.
🪖 🪖 Niland were Spanish Americans military ⚔ family and should have told it that way Spielberg.
Thank you so much for the research, this family should have been given the respect for the inspiration 📽🪖🎬
How could anyone watch this and not give it a like? Outstanding!
That was an amazing video....Im glad two of the 4 brothers survived and lived long lives...
Ah Lisa in her bathroom talking skincare and haircare..and a cameo with Ted to boot... So comfy, informative, and relaxing. Thank you.
Awesome video ! Love it ! Excellent ! Great stuff !!
Your documentaries are always top notch!
I think its the best channel on youtube about ww2 ^then and now^
Amazing!
This was a very nice tribute. It is the best documentary I have seen.
Thank you for their stories. "Grandpa, were you a hero in the war?" said the grandson. "No, but I served in a company of heroes."
Great doc bro such a heartbreaking story. Knew about this but always breaks my heart
Great stuff as always! Keep up the good work
Brilliant work , clever chap. Well worth watching thankyou.
Well done thank you for posting and your research. I always wondered what the actual story of saving Private Ryan was?
Well done…..making a grown man cry with this brilliant presentation.
Great job guys. As usual. First class content.
Glad you enjoyed it
Another great production. Thank you.
Very well done. Thank you for your excellent hard work and thank you also for sharing.
Thank you too!
Thx, that was very enlightening.
Nice job bro, the docu's are getting better and better...The end really got me tho. Well done...
Thank you!
Ty, for making this. 👍🏽
Another excellent video. It has been a while since your last video. Good to see you making new content.
These videos take a lot of time and research. Thank you for watching!
Thank you for this video, these men were the Greatest Generation, we owe them everything.
Amazing work Saving Private Ryan is my favorite movie.
Thank you to all who were involved in this production.
Excellent as always.
Great work as always snafu docs. 👍🏼
Thank you buddy!
Incredible video, very well done!
Very well done. Thank you for sharing
I am related to them. They are my Great Uncle Thomas Niland’s first cousins. I never knew there was a movie about them somehow- I found out the other night whilst eating dinner with my family. I honor them❤
Really good stuff here. Subscribing for sure.
Awesome video! Thanks!
Good to see you again and as always a great video...👍👍
Very cool vid!. Gramps was MSgt in a b17. Mostly Africa/Italy, 301st BG, 13 campaign stars and 2x BS. I grew up very close to where these heroes came from
Fantastic work!
Loved watching this content
Brilliant story and research
Top class. Thankyou ! 🇬🇧