An utterly memorable experience

Rating: 10/10 (6 December 1999)

As my wife and I packed our rented Ryder truck to move from Florida to Chicago, my neighbor came walking by with his small white dog. I had seen this man, with his little dog that was so small that it looked like it should have batteries, walk by my place for the better part of a year but never had a conversation with him. He stopped by then and we chatted amicably about little things like the weather etc. As we talked, I noticed a small brass pin on his ball cap that said "D-Day Veteran." I was amazed. I collect all kinds of info on WWII airplanes and here was an opportunity to actually talk with a D-Day participant. We chatted longer about those times and he invited me into his home to show me his souveniers of that period of his life. There in an old newspaper clipping was a picture of a younger him indicating he had gone ashore at Dog Green Sector of Omaha Beach. I cannot tell you the awe I felt in this mans presence. For the uninitiated, this was the same sector that Tom Hanks' company was to have gone ashore in Saving Private Ryan.
Ready for the last coincidence? My last name is Ryan.
This movie has only one flaw I can see. We could have done nicely without the bookends of the old man at the tomb of Capt. Miller. It was a very touching scene to be sure, but distracting to the movie as a whole.