My Dad was a medic in WWII in Europe. After decades I finally got him to talk about it. The stories are incredible. My Dad passed away almost two months ago on June 29, 2023. He was 98.

@holddowna

9 ай бұрын

so sorry for your loss ❤️ wow! 98! what a strong man! we thank him for his service

@cjhmarine0621

8 ай бұрын

What an amazing long life filled with stories and perseverance. Lets celebrate the life. 98 is a wonderful age to live to :-)

@Tinseltownintherain-zd7ep

8 ай бұрын

All honour be upon him. My grandfather fought in ww ii. All different theatres around the world. He died at 93. Only near the end of his life he told me he wasn't proud. Was guilty for surviving. He went to church every day since I could remember. He finally told me why as he could see in my face that I was too scared to ask why. He said "I go to the chapel every day to beg God for forgiveness for the all the men I killed and widows I made and all the brothers I couldn't save". He gave me this look I'd never seen on his or any other man's face or seen since. I never mentioned the war again. There is no amount of grace and honour we could give all who served. Some lost their lives. Some lost their minds and some got bullets through Thier souls. God bless that entire generation

@dominicksforza3484

8 ай бұрын

May he rest in peace Dave, I'm my 96 y/o Father's caretaker, he fought in WW2 and korea, i did 6 years in the US NAVY from '77-'83 and it sure broke me out of my punk ways quick enough. This young lady is seeing what men and women from Dec 7 till today have done and are doing to fight for the security of this nation, she is such a small minority who even care about this country, so many hate their own country and that's liberals who teach them to hate it, yet nobody leaves. They haven't a clue how and why they're free to be the ignorant, clueless children they are. I hope she and other young people can reach more young people and see what's been done by their Great Grandfathers, Grandfathers and Fathers and every man and women who have honorably served and are now serving the greatest country God ever created, the United States of America.

@theJW55

8 ай бұрын

My Dad was also a medic in WWII in Europe. We talked about his experiences on rare occasions, and it was stunning to hear him so calmly tell me of some of the horrors and difficulties he saw and lived through. Ironically, he also died on June 29, but in 2014 at the age of 89, so our Dads were the same age.

"So much courage, we know nothing of this". Well said, young woman.

@holddowna

10 ай бұрын

❤️

@ATJ-sTAt

9 ай бұрын

I think ignorance was the major.factor that allowed them to have courage. When ignorance was gone - indifference replaced it.

@idiot_city5244

9 ай бұрын

​@@JR-zv6qmnone of us know (other than people that served/serving obviously) what it's like having your friends blown apart right in front of you and finding the courage to run straight at what's killing everyone around you and kill other people yourself. That's what she means dude lol...

@JeffLopes18

9 ай бұрын

I visited Juno Beach last year for the first time to say thank you. Proud Canadian.

@JR-zv6qm

9 ай бұрын

@idiot_city5244 that's the courage & sacrifice I'm referring to. Didn't think it need to be spelled out idiot.

I was born in the Netherlands in 1961..I had and have a wonderful and free life thanks to all the hero's who liberated my Country. God bless them all.

@vipergtsmre

5 ай бұрын

Awesome for you to say that! Lots of brave countries helped to regain Europe. My Gramps was 1942 to 45 in a B17, but mostly Africa/Italy.

@Zelousfear

4 ай бұрын

Bless you

@DirtyWopBastard

3 ай бұрын

I was born in the US in 1984. I think some generation between this one and that one must have dropped the ball somewhere. I blame the hippies

@Steinstra-vj7wl

3 ай бұрын

@@DirtyWopBastard Yes, most of what they stand for anyway.

@Lezzyboy87

3 ай бұрын

And what a wonderful country it is, moved here from England

When this film was released in 1998, several veterans of D-Day, and other survivors of military battle, had to walk out of the movie theater because it was so realistically filmed. Some even said they could smell diesel fuel. What an incredible film, and I enjoyed your reaction.

@geekydiy5323

5 ай бұрын

I believe Steven Spielberg was awarded an honorary military medal for it too.

@Jeebus-un6zz

4 ай бұрын

Kinda makes you wish we had thought of trigger warnings back in the day. I can only imagine how many of those guys unraveled in the weeks following that.

@joemikeska2657

3 ай бұрын

I watched it with a survivor from the battle of Mogadishu (aka Black Hawk Down), he almost walked out several times because of the realism.

@IanFindly-iv1nl

3 ай бұрын

Try a flick called The Deer Hunter if you want a REAL good violent war drama.

@chrisg4305

3 ай бұрын

​@@Jeebus-un6zzthat generation didnt need trigger warning. They were made of tougher stuff and their sensibilities didnt require all of society to pander to.

It has always felt to me like the line “earn this” was meant for Ryan but also for us.

@dereknolin5986

10 ай бұрын

Yes. I think that's one of the themes of the film. All of the civilians and their descendants are in a sense, other Private Ryans who the soldiers fought to save.

@HaloDude321

10 ай бұрын

Too many take it for granted.

@Tyler-bo5md

10 ай бұрын

It’s kind an unspoken way of thinking for veterans that have lost friends in the military. Live the best life you can and become the best version of you because some don’t get the chance to

@Doctor_Kissworthy

10 ай бұрын

No question!

@rianmacdonald9454

10 ай бұрын

90% of society that lives today - is nothing BUT AN INSULT TO ALL OF THOSE MEN.

" Many soldiers may return from war, but none can ever go home." " The price for a good soldier is one soul, his own."

@williamgullett5911

6 ай бұрын

My uncle went home to the family farm after the war and never left. He had been in three battles that he was one of only a couple that survived. In the last one the Germans were walking through the bodies and using their bayonets to stab soldiers making sure they were dead. A buddy of his rolled over on top of him and took the bayonet, saving my uncles life. He was never right when he came home. Another uncle was a sniper in the war and killed hundreds. He refused to talk about it, even getting mad if anyone asked. My mom would cry from time to time about her brothers.

@davidmarino1913

6 ай бұрын

In WW1, the men had such a hard time going home on leave (the English and French), that they found the only way they could really deal with life at all was returning to the fight.

@StrongHarm

6 ай бұрын

From someone who knows... this movie doesn't even capture the worst of it. People who are saying words like 'civil war' should think carefully. However, what creates the biggest problem for soldiers coming home isn't that they can't get the horrors out of their heads... it's trying to survive in a civilian world that has no compassion or community like what they experienced in the military... especially war time military. Consider that... men coming from hell find the civilian world cold and unwelcoming. "It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we should grow too fond of it." - Robert E. Lee

@MotorcycleImaging

6 ай бұрын

@@StrongHarm From someone who knows, the biggest problem for soldiers coming home is the lack of support they receive from the government and the country they served. PTSD is real and veterans are left behind, discarded. In Canada more Afghan vets committed suicide than the total number who were killed while deployed and I'm told the numbers in the US are similar. Our soldiers deserve better, they gave all of themselves. I'm now a member of the Royal Canadian Legion and it is our mission is to support our veterans in every way possible but the one closest to my heart is to get homeless vets off the streets, The government should be ashamed

@StrongHarm

6 ай бұрын

@@MotorcycleImaging I don't disagree that it's a very serious problem, but it requires context. I was treated successfully and lead a normal life.. because I allowed myself to get treatment. We're taught to push through things and to be resilient. After we're back from war we continue a lot of the habits engrained during service. Being resilient and trying to tough out PTSD is not a valid strategy. I have friends that served in combat that decided they didn't need to register at the VA because that's just for people with physical injuries. There should be better education on the matter during the exit process. Love or hate him, Donald Trump did more for the VA than any other U.S. President I've seen since becoming a disabled vet. It wasn't just a few nice changes, it was a complete transformation. If he gets back in office we may see even greater things at the VA and some hope in decreasing the 'casualties without injuries'. That's a factual statement, not a political one.

I do hope that you get this comment. I am a retired US MARINE of 30 years of service. I've seen too much combat to even begin to try to explain. Watching your emotions during your commentary was absolutely beautiful, and I love you for it. Your appreciation for the absolute hell so many walked through was so emotional and touching. Thank you. Thank you so much.

@holddowna

4 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for ur service! Thank you for watching. I’m so thankful for everything these men did for us.

@dannchamberlain4283

4 ай бұрын

@@holddowna we can't even begin to thank them. As for those who gave their lives, we thank them by keeping our country alive. It is so important that we never, ever forget their struggle and sacrifice. You need to keep showing your video for years and years to come. Don't let anyone forget them. I thank you for your work. I really mean this. Your work educates the younger generations that this freedom is not free. Thank you.

@synshenron798

3 ай бұрын

​@dannchamberlain4283 trust me my friend. I and many others my age know all too well that freedom isnt free. Ive never been in the service, and Im not joining for some complex health reasons. But everytime Ive been told a story by a Vet, whether it be Desert storm, Vietnam, Korea even a few from WW2. I could feel every word those men said. One man told me about his time during Desert storm and their base got attacked. He said the men that blew open the wall and rushed in were young men. Probably 17-24 range. And he said the way they got conscripted was being taken from their families and told if they didnt fight theyd be killed and so would their families. He told me they would give these guys some drugs to calm their nerves and when they jumped out and started shooting most of them could barely even fire their guns. He said he shot two of them and when I asked how bad it was he said "all I could think about is that that was someones son. I took someones son from this Earth and I can never bring him back. It haunts you everyday because all you wish was that you could have found a way to stop him without killing him. You always wish there was another way. That kid didnt deserve to die, he was thrust into a war he hardly understood. And Im the one who took his life." I held back my tears because I could tell how badly it hurt him to talk about and how deep that wound went. When he left I cried. All I could think was the very thing he thought. That that man was someones child. He had a family and friends and im certain he wanted no part in the fighting. Not only that but all the stories I heard of men who lost their brothers in arms right next to them. Or theyre talking to each other or takin a piss or something and in the blink of an eye theyre dead. I just... I just cant even begin to feel the horrors that come from something like that. For a long time I wanted to serve. I felt like I owed it to all the men who fought and died for me to be free. That it was the best way to show my appreciation for their sacrifice. I cant even begin to thank you and every other Vet who risked it all so our country could be free.

@RetSol61

Ай бұрын

@@holddowna Your appreciation of this true story is the gratitude we Soldiers appreciate from the Heart. (OIF ll March 04-March 05)

@bonkerslez91

Ай бұрын

Semper fi marine from a Brit 🇬🇧🇺🇸

As a veteran paratrooper I have to say your review of Saving Private Ryan is the most respectful and amazing review I've ever seen of any war film. Thank you for caring so much.

I saw this in the theatre. When the credits rolled nobody left. For a few minutes, people just processed it. I'll never forget it.

@SabotAndHeat75

9 ай бұрын

I did as well. Up to this point I had only seen Hanks in lite or comedy movies. I didn't know much about SPR and thought it was another SGT Bilko. Me and my wife came into the theater late, so I missed the Normandy Cemetery portion...we walked in during the Higgins boat run. I sat down and thought, "this doesn't look like a comedy."...then the ramps dropped, and I realized I was watching a real war movie.

@johnharrington1800

9 ай бұрын

I had the same experience. When a friend of mine and his wife left the theater after seeing the film, they said it was like leaving a wake.

@juancardona9440

9 ай бұрын

I remember exactly when I watched it. The theater had a lot of WW2 vets watching it. They started weeping and sobbing from the very first scene until the very end. I have never seen anyone cry so much for so long. If you were in that theater, and you had a pulse, you were crying also. I can only hope that the film finally gave them closure as they were nearing the end of their lives. May God bless them and their families.

@markl2322

9 ай бұрын

I actually cried. My uncle was on Omaha Beach.

@airborngrmp1

8 ай бұрын

I saw it in the theater as well, with my mom of all people. There was an old man - presumably a veteran - that left during the Omaha scene with tears coursing down his cheeks, and my mom intermittently sobbed throughout the whole rest of the film. I finally lost it at the end when he asks his wife to tell him he's a good man. I've been to Omaha Beach in Normandy (and all the other beaches too, including the place where Fritz Niland was found and pulled off the line) during early June, and the feeling there is...palpable. I don't know how else to describe it, it feels as if the place itself has agency of some kind. Then there are the rows and rows of pristine marble crosses, and the occasional Star of David, each with a name and date - all so similar for boys all so different.

The best war movie ever made. No question. I saw this twice in theaters. It was like leaving a funeral afterwards. People crying and consoling each other. It was an experience.

@holddowna

10 ай бұрын

Wow… I could only imagine…thanks for your comment.

@blondymonk1535

10 ай бұрын

meh. There are better ones. I'd rate this top 5 definetly. I'd say 'Come and See' is the most impactful War-movie i've ever seen. Probably the closest a movie has come to mirroring the real devestation and tragedy of war. Very difficult movie to sit through, but absolutely necessary for everyone to watch atleast once.

@tonyyul703

10 ай бұрын

​@@holddowna MILITARY LANGUAGE is a language of acronyms... In war you don't have time to have a full blown conversation especially when giving out orders... So acronyms is a must, FUBAR - FUCKED UP BEYOND ALL RECOGNITION

@StopReadingMyNameOrElse

10 ай бұрын

@@blondymonk1535 A soviet anti war film better than SPR? Yeah no FOH.

@andrewlustfield6079

10 ай бұрын

@@holddowna I was just out of the army when this came out in theaters, and I recall World War II vets who were on Omaha saying that Spielberg really got the landing scene right---the differences they said were it lasted a lot longer, and it was a lot louder. There were some vets who had been there who had to leave the theater because it was so spot on. It was called the greatest generation for so many reasons--this was only one of them.

You are the first reaction Ive seen to this movie to realize that General Marshall memorized Lincoln’s letter and was reciting from memory to emphasize his point. Simple storytelling to show a powerful message of the weight of guilt that sending men to war plagues on the leadership. One of the best parts of the screenplay

When Wade is crying for his Mama, I cry with him. The very end makes me ugly cry every time, and I've watched this move a few dozen times. When Ryan turns to his wife and says: Older James Ryan: "Tell me I have led a good life." Ryan's Wife: "What?" Older James Ryan: "Tell me I'm a good man." Ryan's Wife: "You are." He's carried that around with him for 70 years. Never knowing if he was good enough. Oh my God. That poor soul. Although he is a fictional version of many returning veterans of all wars; they all suffer much the same way. Survivors guilt; the horrors inflicted on their minds. INTERESTING FACT: James Doohan, aka Scotty from Star Trek was with the Canadian army at Juno Beach. He and other survivors of D-Day gave Steven Spielberg an award for the most realistic portrayal of the landings in film. Also, he suffered a wound on his right ring finger, which got shot off. Sometimes you can see it in his Star Trek TV and Movies. For some reason he was shy about the wound and would hide it the best he could. I think he should have been proud of the wound.

My grandfather was a WWII vet, and got shot by a German sniper, but he lived to come home. He never, ever, talked about the war, and we knew to never, ever, ask. He was the kindest and funniest man I've ever known.

@holddowna

10 ай бұрын

Wow what a strong man! Thanks for sharing this story! And thanks for watching

@Boodieman72

10 ай бұрын

The VFW is a place where veterans can talk to other veterans with similar experiences that no one else would understand.

@pduidesign

10 ай бұрын

I always thought this and Fury (with Brad Pitt) were such Great War movies.

@stevecn70

10 ай бұрын

Some people are different, When I was in the Army, I saw some crazy shit, but never anything like this. I don't mind sharing as long as someone is interested and doesn't mind me crying a bit. Part of me is like, yeah, it hurts, but talking about it is how we learn to not do this again.

@jakerazmataz852

10 ай бұрын

My father was a B-24 Navigator. Look at the survival rate for them. He also rarely talked about the way. Except the women. He also said they would sit on their flak jackets or helmets, I forget, to protect their jewels from flak.

It's nice to see someone watch this who isn't too desensitized to appreciate the sacrifices it depicts.

@johnnytopgun6414

7 ай бұрын

I feel some of the reactions were a bit much tho. Personal op

@montrelouisebohon-harris7023

5 ай бұрын

One war movie that really did touch me and got me teared up for the first time was "we were soldiers" thank God Mel Gibson and Samuel Elliott were in that movie to make me laugh because it was hard watching that because it was a true story about Vietnam . It was about accurate events and the hell these guys went through in the first major battle in Vietnam and there were 395 American 7th cavalry against what ended up being around 4,000 or so North Vietnamese.. that's what a lookout for a scout said when they caught him running away from them once they landed on the ground but it ended up being more than that because a thousand or more Viet Cong joined in on day two and it was awful.. these guys had to call in fire on their own position because they were surrounded and some planes dropped a little too close to the soldiers and killed about 10 of the Americans and caught them on fire with a napalm and it was AWFUL..

@t1mpani

5 ай бұрын

Yeah, when she burst into sobbing tears because he wanted to take his typewriter, it was like… “Laying it on a little thick.” 😁

@DaveMcIroy

5 ай бұрын

desensitized??? Today people get a panic attack when the phone is ringing...

@legacyrxt7570

5 ай бұрын

most normal people cry during this movie but this reaction is excessive

It's considered one of the most accurate WWII movies of all times. Your reactions were touching, thank you for honoring our veterans...

@anthonyeaton5153

Ай бұрын

The beach obstacles were pointing in the wrong direction and beachhead was much bigger.

@zackiej89

Күн бұрын

@@anthonyeaton5153 Nitpicking, great movie

I brought this movie into my college US history class. We watched the D-day scene. 40 people in my class. 34 of them had never seen this movie. 19 of them had to walk out because they were going to get sick after the first 30 seconds of the beach. They never viewed war the same ever again and this was just a film.

@jonathanallard2128

5 ай бұрын

I was 11 years old when I first saw this film. I had only watched ''glorious'' and ''action packed'' war films before where war looked like it was almost fun and just adventurous. Bad ass and cool. My mom called me downstairs and said we're watching a war movie tonight. I was expecting more of that. That landing scene has ABSOLUTELY blew me away. I was utterly shocked at the unfairness, brutality and violence of ''actual'' war, and it has sparked what is now a 26 year+ fascination for war and history. I owe my fascination for military history to this film. I'm 36 years old now, I read dozens of books, watched dozens of movies, documentaries about war, most of them not even close to elliciting the same awe/horror as this film and I don't ever see myself cease this passion ever. I owe this all to this movie that awakened the realities how hellish war is. It literally shocked me into recognizing how sad and horrible it is. What a masterpiece. I've watched SPR many times since and it just seems to hit harder and harder every single time. What. a. movie.

@unrb7197

4 ай бұрын

My elder son once said to me he wish to be a soldier... He was 6. I made him watch SPR for those first 30 minutes. He begs me to stop and totally agreed his mistake - "I want no more. Never"

@jeadelmann90

3 ай бұрын

In a lot of ways it’s a movie that is anti-war while honors those who served and paid the ultimate price. Any rational person should watch this movie and hope that diplomacy and cool heads prevail. But sometimes war is inevitable.

@anthonyeaton5153

Ай бұрын

Every one talks about Omaha and nobody talks about saving Ryan.

There was a WWII vet in my theater when I saw this, he had to walk out several times to collect himself. It made the film even more impactful.

@holddowna

10 ай бұрын

Thank you for your comment

@JackyJames1

10 ай бұрын

That's true because this is the closest war movie to reality! Lone survivor movie never happened that way ... only 12 Taliban not 200... they hurd the chopper so they knew exactly where the Americans were! The sheep scene never happened.

@joshuawilliams4336

10 ай бұрын

@@holddowna you should review full metal jacket

@robertcowley8512

9 ай бұрын

I'm 44. I saw this 98 at. 19 years old. My leg was trembling for the whole beach scene. I couldn't breathe. When the film ended, not a fucking word was said as a full theatre walked out completely somber and respectful. I saw several of the old men in tears. I've never seen a film do anything like this since.

Now you've seen Saving Private Ryan, it's time for the natural follow-up: Band of Brothers, a ten part miniseries about a company of paratroopers from the 101st Airborne (the same division private Ryan was part of), which follows them all the way from their training to the end of the war. Produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who felt this story needed to be told after making Saving Private Ryan. IMO the best miniseries ever made, from the movie-like production quality to the acting, to the incredible story. An absolute must-watch.

@CharlesRossGX

9 ай бұрын

One of the best series of all time.

@humpy936

9 ай бұрын

Awesome series.

@Stalicone

9 ай бұрын

She should not watch Band of Brothers. She probably should not have watched this movie. Unless you enjoy seeing this young lady utterly traumatized further.

@nicov1837

9 ай бұрын

@@Stalicone If you're 'traumatized' by either this movie or Band of Brothers, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised...

@musicartguy1

7 ай бұрын

Also the companion series "the Pacific". It is even more brutal.

Thank you, for giving the film a chance. I was raised knowing, men are expendable. We exist to protect.

D-day vets were invited to the premiere of this movie and were left in tears, some even left the premiere because this was the most accurate depiction that had ever been done of D-day.

@jonathanallard2128

5 ай бұрын

The poor guys, being exposed to their worst nightmare (again) so vividly. Can't blame them for walking out. We'll (hopefully) never know what it's like to go through hell.

My grandfather didn't fight in France but was in Okinawa and literally watched the first two minutes of this movie and had to leave the theatre crying and vomiting. Mind you this is the most bad ass man I have ever known and the reason I am a firefighter.

@jonathanallard2128

5 ай бұрын

Okinawa, jesus. Total hell...

@Luke_Skywalker1836

5 ай бұрын

Damn

@unrb7197

4 ай бұрын

The irony is my wife and kids left Kyiv, and now they are refugees in Germany, and my grandpa fought for Soviets vs Germans for Kyiv city in ww2. Surrealistic

@jonathanallard2128

4 ай бұрын

Shiiit. Defending it in 1941 or attacking it in 44? Can you tell more? I love this. The old world is legendary to me, from the new world, a place with relatively such small known history. You old worlders are so lucky/unlucky to have that much/rich/incredible history. Every chance I get I gather money to travel to Europe and visit battlefields and beautiful old cities and villages (all of them almost)... on my own. ALWAYS blown away. Thanks for sharing your stories, *doorsdark* and *unrb. Epic shit. @@unrb7197

@JustShotsForMeh

Ай бұрын

​@@unrb7197 And what about you? Did you stay in Ukraine?

As a Vietnam era veteran, this movie gets me every time. My commanding officers were WW2 vets and I heard so many stories of the cruelty and hardships of war. We all need to earn it every day. Great review!

@ItsLikeFerrari

9 ай бұрын

Thank you for your service.

@holddowna

9 ай бұрын

Thank you for your service

@MrIsaacCorona

9 ай бұрын

Thank you for your service🇺🇸❤️

@OMEGATECH

8 ай бұрын

Thank you for your service sir 👍

@lillekenatnek195

8 ай бұрын

When I asked my father about the two lightning bolts on his old helmet he responded by saying he used to be an electrician. Later me and my family learnt he wasent electrician at all.

Your reactions are so genuine and real!! It makes me cry as well!!! You're so special!!

@Daggz90

5 ай бұрын

No they're not... It's an act... They all do this. Every single channel with women that reacts to movies are of them crying and showing empathy for fictional characters but in real life they're not so empathic towards others as long as they hold a different opinion as them. It's the same structure and script as all other channels like this. Yawn.

@CrimsonWillowBaitCo.

5 ай бұрын

@@Daggz90ong

i heard WW2 and Vietnam stories as a kid, and knew the houses you didn’t walk up to because the occupant “didn’t come back from the war”. I thought I was just gonna watch a war movie…but I went alone anyways. I watched it a few days after it opened next to a WW2 bet and his wife. I had seen vets break down at funerals, but I was not prepared for this vets reaction. He reached for the screen. Tears running, agonized face, he reached for the screen. His wife tried to hold him back while he went through it all again. He had our entire row bawling through the first 20, especially me. The Greatest Generation is not made of tougher stock. They just got asked way too much at an impressionable age, and paid a life long price for it. And if you knew one you didn’t approach them when asleep for a reason.

The scene with the medic (Wade) gets me every time. It's probably one of the most heartbreaking death scenes in any war movie. Dude deserves an Oscar for that scene alone. It's also important to remember that the actors playing these soldiers are usually in their 30s and 40s so seeing them call for their moms is heartbreaking but the actual soldiers in these wars were 18, 19, 20 years old... boys... Just boys that want to be back home with their mamas.

@holddowna

8 ай бұрын

It is such a heart breaking scene. It gets me the most too! Thanks for watching !

@finallychangedit4926

7 ай бұрын

@@holddowna to hold a dying brother as he cries for his mother is something i will NEVER forget. well captured here.

@Anon54387

6 ай бұрын

@@holddowna The lesson in all this sacrifice those soldiers made is to not vote for tyrants in our countries, those who would grow the power of government, never vote for leftists.

@therealchristfollower

6 ай бұрын

Yes there were a lot of good brave young men. But it was not just 18, 19 and 20 years old's. It was every man up to 45 years old who could pass a physical. The average age of the United States soldier in World War II is estimated at 26 with the draft including all able-bodied men from 18 years of age to 45 years.

@tk9780

5 ай бұрын

The average of US military personnel during WW2 was 26, however:; The average age of an infantry private was only 20.

As a combat vet I can say this is one realistic movie. Now you need to watch “we were soldiers” based on real events in the Vietnam war

@crackshot7141

10 ай бұрын

Yes please. And thank you sir

@JohnHill-bn5kn

9 ай бұрын

Agreed

@eteinnemiller2077

9 ай бұрын

And what happens if you hurt Doc, Doc 😡

@dannyhood4007

9 ай бұрын

Vietnam must’ve been awful. Guys out of highschool train. Into jungle they haven’t learned silence walking.

@SteveHealey-yq5on

9 ай бұрын

I've watched Saving Private Ryan many times before. The film absolutely blew me away. These 45 mins, spent "watching with you," has just blown me away. Watching you, watch scenes that I remembered twisting my emotions was beyond intense. Knowing the outcome of each scene, then watching "with you" and watching for your reactions was super intense. The obvious emotions of pain, sorrow, laughter, shock and, helplessness you made me relive the first time I had seen the film. Personally I believe this was a true masterpiece by Spielberg. The keen observations you made on the idiosyncrasies of the movie and how articulate you were explaining how you felt was really special. Your take on this movie completely blew me away. Best of luck and continued success. Cheers Stephen

My dad enlisted in the Navy on Dec 8, 1941 and served until the end. We had to compel him to talk about the war. He experienced Kamikazi attacks and was literally standing next to men who were killed in battle. He was lucky to survive, but was never the same after witnessing the evil and carnage of War. He died at age 68. I was only 29 when he died, so I had very few good years with him.

@Dontresd

4 күн бұрын

The day before…The Pearl Harbor attacks which also happens to be my birthday. Dec 7th. Bless ur father man

My grandfather was in the Marines during the Pacific Campaign. He never spoke of it and took it to his grave without a single word. My grandmother followed a few years later and she avoided it as strongly as he did.

I'm a huge military history buff, especially WWII, but I was utterly unprepared for this film when I saw it in theaters in 1998. After the Omaha Beach sequence at the beginning, I realized I was physically shaking from the intensity of the experience. It was, quite simply, unbelievable. Spielberg is a master of cinema and the emotional language of film.

@holddowna

10 ай бұрын

Wow thanks for sharing ❤️

@MC-xt6xf

9 ай бұрын

“The emotional language of film.” That is a phenomenal description.

@mattstrathis4328

21 күн бұрын

There were some pretty crazy Vietnam movies in the 80s too.

my father was a WWII vet. I took him to see this movie, and he was excited to talk about how he hadn't even been in a movie theater in years, even joking about it with the ticket booth employee. We sat down, started to watch SPR, and halfway through the film I asked him for his thoughts, and he was very quiet, he didn't answer me. This man was a hard S.O.B., a tough guy. But at the end of the movie I asked him again how was he doing... and he broke down in tears, saying the film brought back his memories of people he lost. - I didn't think a movie could get that reaction out of him, and I was wrong. VERY powerful film, and we need to treasure the few remaining vets of this generation, they really were the greatest, and we need to remember what they sacrificed SO MUCH for, and take better care of America.

@robinreiley1828

7 ай бұрын

All the European Theatre WWII Vets I knew growing up would only say "We were just doing our job, never giving details. The Pacific Theater Vets were much different, far more damaged and full of hatred for the Japanese. Besides the SS Soldiers who were hated, the Regular German Army soldiers much like our own, trying to do their jobs, and were treated much differently when captured. Their wounded were treated right along side our own and vice versa. The Japanese wounded if they couldn't walk, were given a grenade and told to take as many enemies with them as they could. Their" Medics" executed most of their own wounded. It was a much different War in the Pacific. Japanese enlisted men were called "issen gorin" by their Officers, 1 yen, 5 rin, the price of postage for a draft notice, less than 1 penny. Whole Divisions of Japanese soldiers were left to die in island jungles, expected to forage their own food from local sources and were not supplied food. They were the "Gyokosai":the Shattered Jewels of the Emperor, to lose a battle and survive meant they had not given their all to Hirohito the Young God King

@craigmiller4794

3 ай бұрын

I talked to one WW2 man with a CIB. He started smoking again after seeing SPR.

@alexandervasel6845

2 ай бұрын

The Sullivan brothers were mentioned early in this movie. They were 5 brothers serving in the navy and killed on the same day. There is a ship now named after them "USS The Sullivans"

I CRIED DURING THE NORMANDY BEACH D-DAY SCENE. I was crying over the American troops who landed on Omaha beach and Higgins boats and I lost it, and I just had tears running down my eyes even though I’m seen several World War II movies. I have seen other de de Normandy beach scenes, but none like that, and it was absolutely phenomenal and the most realistic of any I’ve ever seen.

@Daggz90

5 ай бұрын

Imagine how you'll weep when you read about Eisenhowers Death Camps where he starved 3,5 million Germans to death after the war. More Germans died after the war than during the war. Despite Allied terror bombings of entire cities where 100.000 souls were bombed, burned and smelted to death in the deadly firestorms created by saturation bombing and then flame bombs. That was just one night, in one town. This went on for months, before Germany responded with bombing raids on London. See, you first open up the houses and then set the debris alight with fire/flame bombs and it'll create hell on earth. A firestorm which sucks the air out of all cavities such as basements and cellars, suffocating anyone inside. The heat, smelting people into the cobblestone ground. People boiled to death when they sought shelter from the flames in wells and little ponds. The Germans did their duty, just as the British, Americans, Soviets, Canadians, French, and so on. Yet the Victorious Allies have demonizied and villainized Germans for almost a hundred years now and forced them to pay over 200 billions in reparations to the "survivors" alone. Then there's the war reparations for damages to countries such as Greece and Italy which is still being paid off today. This movie wasn't realistic whatsoever, it had some decent effects but the narrative is completely fictional and irrational beyond reason. If anything, this is lingering war propaganda and nothing less.

Your reactions are so good! I've watched you do: 12 Angry Men, The Deer Hunter, and now, Saving Private Ryan. The amount of caring, compassion and sympathy you show towards the characters and the subject matter of these films is absolutely inspirational!! You're doing a great job; thanks so much!!! Neal

the way Spielberg simultaneously told so many stories of each guy without losing the overall theme and got you identifying with so many situations and human emotions. masterpiece

@alanbrown4703

8 ай бұрын

Its a load of bull crap? Since when were the Americans outnumbered by the Germans ? The true story is the other way round, not this Alamo bull-crap scenario???

@TheThunder005

7 ай бұрын

I concur, Master piece! I remember watching this film in theaters and was stunned walking out along with everyone else in the crowd. I was so prideful to be an American and live in a free nation this generation secured for us! I pray we can get back to that simpler time when we were all just Americans looking out for kin and country...

It speaks volumes when Ryan's wife comes to him at the end and says Cpt Miller's name with a inquisitive tone. As was true with most returning veterans from this time, Ryan evidently never spoke a word of this... not even to his closest confidant.

@keithmays8076

9 ай бұрын

From what my father told me, there's two kinds of vets: those that just LOVE talking about their time in the military, and those that never talk about it. The later are the ones that I know have seen too much in one lifetime.

@vincentboyd6165

9 ай бұрын

i think many vets including myself don't talk about it, because there's a struggle within us, that many didn't come home and that what we do and what we experience is something everyday people can't understand or even come to grasp what it is we do. Yes, we talk of Patriotic and dying for our country, but the public never sees the horror that "War" we are defending with the very life born to one day defend a "belief" of a nation we strongly endure our hearts, while on the other side confronting our very own soul and the very sin we carry in life for what we are to believe is true. I get asked if I ever killed anyone. I tell them join the military and go in war then come and ask me that question. And what makes me angry the most, which I had to get psychological help from the VA is Civilians talk about courage in their political views and the B.S. that is going on today. That is not courage, it's talk.

@isntyournamebacon

9 ай бұрын

I had a relative that i first met when i was 15. I found out he served in WWII. My grandfather also served but never seen any action. He was a MP serving in Puerto Rico. He mostly broke up bar fights. Talking to the guy i met when i was 15, i mentioned something i'd seen in a WWII documentary one day expecting him to have some input. He just talked about something else. Like he didnt hear me. I know he did hear me and didnt push the subject. I could tell something was off. My uncle later said that he never once said anything about WWII. Turns out he was on that beach on D-day. Somebody should have warned me.

@billkibby7900

9 ай бұрын

My grandfather fought in ww2 and he never talked about it until he was dying and I went to visit him in the hospital. I spent time with him before he passed due to cancer. I was in my young 20's at the time and to listen to him tell stories of what happened was incredible to hear but at the same time horrifying.

@mystic37

9 ай бұрын

Talking about it to someone that wasn't there is painful. They ask dumb questions and will never understand. Even as a Desert Storm vet, communications with Enduring Freedom vets are not the same. People I served with in Honduras and El Salvador in the late '80s have different conversations than those I served with in Iraq in '91. The thing it took me 30 years to really understand is that no one survives. Some of us just come back alive. I am thankful that they treat PTSD now, I have no idea how useful that is but I hope it helps.

I was 14 years old when I first watched this on HBO with my dad. I held back tears but as soon as it was over I went in the shower and sobbed my eyes out. God bless those men

Tom Hanks yells: "Bring up the 'bangalores'!" My father used Bangalore Torpedoes in 1941 in Syria to capture a strong point. QX4626 Sgt V.N McGrath, M.M., 2/31 Btn A.I.F. (Australian Imperial Force). I will be 70 years old next birthday and still think of him and his quietly courageous wife, my mother, who held us together through his anger, nightmares and memories when he had returned. It exacted a toll on us but I miss you both, mum and dad. So many other families had the same experiences... and it is still happening.

My best friend's grandfather was on Normandy on that day. He would never speak of his service during WWII. I went with his 2 son's to see this movie with his grandfather. It was the only time that any of us ever saw him cry. He later said that no other movie even came close to what they went thru on that damn beach. He talked a little bit more about moving off the beach, but nothing more. That beach haunted him for the rest of his life. We found out from his wife, that he had nightmares every night from the war.

My Grandfather was in the 801st tank destroyer battalion. Arrived on D Day plus 1. He helped take part in the rescue mission of those caught in the battle of the bulge. We watched this movie together and he said this movie (along with band of brothers) was the most realistic depictions of war that he had ever seen.

@tomjackson4374

10 ай бұрын

My father was there, Omaha Beach, first wave. Just like this, they dropped the ramp and 19 out of 21 men died before even getting off the boat. He fought in North Africa and Eisenhower wanted some veterans there so he got included. I wonder what he would think about all that sacrifice if he could see this country now.

@Rusty_Gold85

9 ай бұрын

My Father In Law was on HMS Orion Cruiser that was the first ship to open fire and shelled the Beach that day . He had been at ANZIO too earlier in 1943. He died 2 years after this film came out at 82 yo

@ItsLikeFerrari

9 ай бұрын

​@@tomjackson4374I'd like to thank your father for his service. The greatest generation.

You are reviewing my all time favorite movie. As many of the people has said, when this first came out WW2 vets really struggled watching it for the accuracy in the film. It really was a masterpiece in film production. Thank you for bringing light to this film to the next generation.

@holddowna

4 ай бұрын

Thank u so much for watching! This movie is important to watch

My dad was in the 29th Division, 1st wave on Omaha Beach. When SPR came out in '98, my brother & I took our dad to see it. Never in memory spoke about the war, btw. Well, about 10 or so minutes into the movie, my dad got up & walked out. We followed him into the lobby & he was white as a ghost. He said the sounds of the landing just freaked him out. He also said he smelled the diesel from the landing craft & didn't want to see the movie. Fifty-four years after D-Day, & it was still with him. RIP, Dad. You deserve it.

@jonathanallard2128

5 ай бұрын

A nightmare we can never even fathom. They lived it for real. We'll (hopefully) never know that amount of dread and horror.

“Earn this”. Just two words but one of the most powerful lines in film history. Pretty much a perfect movie.

@holddowna

10 ай бұрын

two words so simple. So inspiring, so earth shattering. This movie is unreal. The depth, nuances yet unbelievably tragic

@advictoriam466

10 ай бұрын

@@holddowna I think this movie was loosely based on the Sullivan brothers. The Sullivans were five brothers who joined the navy during WW II and all were killed in action on the same day. There is a movie about them, The Fighting Sullivans, made in 1944. Great reaction to a powerful movie. You should watch Apollo 13 and Philadelphia, two very good movies with Tom Hanks.

@patrickkanas3874

Ай бұрын

​@advictoriam466 the sole survivor policy and the policy of separating siblings so they don't all die at once was because of the Sullivan brothers who were all killed when their ship was torpedoed. But private Ryan was inspired by sergeant Fritz Nihland who was sent home after fighting his way through enemy territory to regroup with the allies because all his brothers were killed. However, near the end of the war with the Japanese, it was discovered that his oldest brother, who ws declared KIA when his plane was shot down, was still alive and had escaped a POW camp before getting picked up by the Americans

“The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.“ - Gen. Douglas MacArthur.

@sie11pervan

5 ай бұрын

But often chose to, and didn't have to go.

I went through that with you. I can't begin to imagine what those guys went through except for these amazing films. Thank you to all who serve, have served and made the ultimate sacrifice ❤

We owe so much to our brave Soldiers for all that they give to protect us !!! I am 66 and very patriotic !!! And you are a sweetheart with a big heart !!!

As a combat veteran, you are one of the first people on KZread I have seen who somewhat comprehend what you saw. There has been untold sacrifice made so we can enjoy what we have today. Thank you for your heart felt reaction. We all come home changed, you recognized why.

@SeanHendy

10 ай бұрын

Very true. The events of 24 years ago, still very much with me. I am definitely not the same person as I was before. More than 3 years on operations leaves its mark in many ways.

@Viccerz

10 ай бұрын

I served, but I was a rear echelon motherfucker, combat vets have all my respect 🫡

@peteabrh-fairest9463

10 ай бұрын

100% agreed, most civilians have a reaction, but will have no idea about real combat... 22 years served. 🗡️🇬🇧🗡️

@stevejette2329

10 ай бұрын

Saved - Agree about her reactions and compassion. I had seen only actual short videos of D-day and some John Wayne type movies. But this opening scene was such a huge wakeup for me. Now I am 76, my dad was with Patton in North Africa. A neighbor was 82nd airborne in Normandy. I wish I could talk to them now.

@slestak5960

10 ай бұрын

You are so very right. She is one of the very few that seemed to comprehend the lasting effects. My experience was nothing like this movie, but the effects are the same. For me it was fighting against cartels and rebels in Central and South America. Nothing was clear cut and you never knew who was really on what side unless you knew them personally.

This current generation has to learn what came before. The sacrifice & struggle of the greatest generation must never be forgotten. Thanks for this!! !

@emersonmacclure1592

8 ай бұрын

Don’t generalize my generation I have made it a point to learn history and all of the darkness within I appreciate the sacrifice of those who came before my great grandfather was apart of the first special forces of the United States Of America it was joint with the Canadians

@lfaktore

8 ай бұрын

This generation wouldn't fight for nothing unless it's for views, the gram, tik tok, etc. .. all good..use em as sandbags unless otherwise designated..

@giga____chad

8 ай бұрын

Sadly its not thrir concerns.But they should at least keep honoring those who fought for them

@TheKsalad

7 ай бұрын

Yeah those Boomers need a lesson in humility, instead all they do is shit and piss themselves to death while leaving nothing for the next generations after them

@tyrantrex734

7 ай бұрын

This generation better get their shit together before it, figuratively, gets pushed in (even though they are probably literally used to it...) Our technical superiority is the only thing that will keep our heads above water in the next war, and the gap is closing.

Thank you for the review. The madness, the chaos, and of course the courage shown in war. Some are lucky. My Dad was with the Canadian army, in England, preparing fir the invasion. He was always a good soldier in his life. That time he was lucky. He tore up his knee in training. I saw the scars. He missed the invasion. Like all those guys he never talked about it much. But he always had courage. God bless them all.

Thank you so much for sharing all your videos my Dad was in WWll when you said So Much Courage We Know Nothing Of This your absolutely right very well said

I visited Normandy the year the film was released. I was 25 years old at the time. Stood on Omaha beach the morning of 6th June 1998 and visited all the other sites over the next few days. Met many veterans from all nations whilst there, and got "adopted" by a visiting group of the Normandy Veterans Association who invited me to join them on their visit to Normandy the following year. That was an absolute honour and hearing their stories whilst standing on those battlefields is a memory I shan't forget. They really were the greatest generation.

@krisfrederick5001

6 ай бұрын

That's on my bucket list. I want to go to England, cross the channel as they did, see the beaches and travel all the way to Berchtesgaden

One little detail at that scene at 7:01, the soldiers aren't speaking German but Czech. Their lines come out to something like, "Please don’t shoot me! I am not German, I am Czech, I didn’t kill anyone! I am Czech!" They were probably conscripted into the army and forced to fight against their will, or just used as laborers. Just another small detail that most people miss that shows how war dehumanizes us all, and what it can make people do. After their experience on the beach, they were filled with anger and eager to take it out on anyone who they thought was an enemy.

@rollomaughfling380

10 ай бұрын

And the one American soldier knew it, as he mocks them in a fake Czech accent, not a fake German one.

@meminustherandomgooglenumbers

10 ай бұрын

@@rollomaughfling380 To me it just sounds like a generic foreign accent from someone who doesn’t know much about accents. The most prominent trait I hear is the pronouncing of the “w” as a “v,” which is consistent with German.

@rollomaughfling380

10 ай бұрын

@@meminustherandomgooglenumbers Well, everyone living has the right to be dead-wrong, once in a while. I worked in Intelligence and was specifically trained for years in Eastern European languages and to identify subtleties in different European English accents, dialects and mannerisms to identify Foreign National operatives as part of my job. On top of that, I've had a career in television and film for decades, and know that for a production of this budget, hardly anything you see or hear isn't intentional, but yeah: *_you go ahead and do you._*

@jcarlovitch

10 ай бұрын

Ethnic Germans that lived in the Sudentenland area of Czechoslovakia enlisted by the tens of thousands. Germany did not draft people from conquered countries and only allowed volunteers out of fear that any draftee would be unreliable.

@kroanosm617

10 ай бұрын

Same thing is happening now. There's a video of a Russian soldier who wants to surrender to a Ukrainian drone. The drone pilot is able to guide him safely to the Ukrainian soldiers so he can surrender without being killed by his own men for surrendering.

Thank you Ames for this reaction video. Seeing your reactions touched my inner empath so deeply. I saw this movie when it first came out in the theaters. I can still feel all the things I did back then. Much respects and love, I am glad I found your channel. ❤

Yep. I saw this in the cinema and was so close to shouting at the screen, had to cover my mouth. It changed my life in many ways. Spielberg is an utter genius.

They don’t call them the greatest generation for no reason. I can’t even imagine. The respect I have for these men is ultimate

@stevie65able

7 ай бұрын

And we will never see the likes of them again. Privilege to have met a few in my time.

@ianmichelson768

7 ай бұрын

​@@stevie65ablesame type of men were sent to Korea, Vietnam, Persian gulf, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc...

@panzerlieb

7 ай бұрын

@@ianmichelson768yes they were. I guess we still haven’t learned.

@CL-uf9xw

7 ай бұрын

@@ianmichelson768 I guess the difference is those men you talk about were sent to expand the empire, not defend the country. The last time Americans defended their country was WWII.

@ianmichelson768

7 ай бұрын

@CL-uf9xw you think that what happens in other parts of tge world doesn't effect us? That type of thinking is pure ignorance.

My father in law served in the 1st Marine Division in WWII, Then Korea at the Chosen Resivoir. Then Vietnam. He finally retired in 1972 from the Marines. I served in the Marines also and he felt he could talk to me. His stories were absolutely amazing. He loved this country so much.

@KonaLife

9 ай бұрын

Thank you both for serving our country. 🇺🇸

@cjhmarine0621

8 ай бұрын

wow, you had the amazing opportunity to talk to someone that we are just taught about in Marine Corps history. The Frozen Chosen was one of the most famous stories and he actually lived through it. I am sure he was one hell of a man and a great Marine. Semper Fidelis Devil, RAH!!

@wordword6039

8 ай бұрын

@@cjhmarine0621 Any chance you get to speak to Marines from other era's you should. They normally will be very open and honest and forthcoming as long as you are respectful. I loved talking to the older vets when I was a DI they would often come to the MCRD to visit.

@musicartguy1

7 ай бұрын

There is a PBS special about the Chosin which is just brutal. Highly recommended.

Thank you for your candid, emotional commentary and reaction to this masterpiece. Though a fictional story, it pays homage to the real life heroes of the war, many of whom are still there in Normandy in the Ameriican cemetery. You honor their sacrifice with your compassion, tears and deep apreciation of their bravery and courage. Thank you. God bless our veterans.

The Oscar lost this film in its gallery. Such a masterpiece.

@garyg7145

Ай бұрын

It did win others like director and sound design if I recall. I'm still mad Shakespeare In Love won best picture that year.

@UTU49

15 күн бұрын

​@@garyg7145 I really like SIL, but if it were up to me, I would have given the Best Picture Oscar to SPR for sure. SIL is just a good movie. SPR has meant so much to so many people.

I honestly think Wade’s death (the medic) is one of the most traumatic deaths in film. Over the top gore doesn’t phase me, but that looked REAL, and the performance is disturbing and horrifying. Stays with me for ages after I watch the movie

@ChinzoGee

6 ай бұрын

100% agree. That scene, and the acting, just unreal.

@kwpres

5 ай бұрын

it's because of a common element in dying soldiers in that time...calling out for your mother as your last words. Vets from that time (my dad was a Korea vet) saw that a LOT.

@philiprice7875

5 ай бұрын

the scene that got me. the mother, seeing a car drive up, and a officer get out with the pardre. how many soldiers would die if the leaders of the country HAD to inform every family member of the death of son/father in defence of the homeland

@tk9780

4 ай бұрын

In the scene in the War cemetery at the beginning, when he [Private Ryan] falls to his knees in front of the grave and begins weeping, it brings back sad memories of my grandfather doing the same when found his brother's grave in France, who had died in WW1.

@lonniesides9302

2 ай бұрын

This scene hits real close to home for me. The fact they gave him a lethal dose of morphine (at Wades request) is what hit me. God, war sucks.

The 6 Sullivan brothers from Iowa were lost on the USS JUNEAU when it was sunk by a Japanese sub after the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. After that, they purposely broke up brothers to prevent that sort of event from happening. This story is inspired by the Niland brothers, one of which was sent home after losing 3 brothers, although one ended up being a POW, and not KIA, and returned home after the war. The battle at the end is inspired by the Battle of the La Fiere bridge by the 82nd Airborne in Normandy.

@fredkimtagg726

9 ай бұрын

My Father new the Rodgers brothers on the USS JUNEAU from the Bridgeport Ct area there were 4 of them. The day after Pearl Harbor he saw them on the way to the recruiting office he yelled over to them asking if they were joining the Army they yelled back hell no we’re joining the Navy see the thing was my father and one of the brothers had already been in the Army a few years earlier and they were only out for a short time when Pearl Harbor was attacked. It was a story I will never forget.My father served with the 32nd Division in the Pacific from the bottom of New Guinea to Manila he was awarded the Bronze Star 3 times and Purple Heart with Oak leaf clusters. He had a way with stories from the war to teach my siblings and I life lessons he hurried to learn having to lead men into combat. He was promoted to sergeant only 2 weeks after landing on New Guinea due to the devastating losses the American and Australian forces suffered. He instilled the same sense of showing respect and thanks for all those who served and serving by being good citizens,having a job, paying your bills and taking care of your family and anyone else who needed it I was so lucky to have a real Hero for a father. But not for just his time in hell (he slept with a an arm in the air for years after the war couldn’t even comprehend the nightmares he suffered) but his gentle love he had for everyone

@jamesedwards2483

7 ай бұрын

Actually, There Were Only 5 Sullivan Brothers!! George, Francis, Albert, Madison, And Joseph!!

@xxchaos315xx6

7 ай бұрын

If youre ever in Buffalo, NY you can go to the buffalo naval park and tour the fletcher class destroyer uss the Sullivan's (the ship that was named after them) also the uss little Rock a cold war era guided missile cruiser and the uss croaker a Gato class submarine.

I still can’t watch this movie without crying! My dad was a ww2 veteran! And I just can’t imagine the hell they had to go through! He never spoke about the war to us, but I remember seeing his army uniform and helmet in the basement. Rip🙏🕊️Dad!😢

@wardog141

4 ай бұрын

Very sorry for your loss.

@anibalbabilonia1867

4 ай бұрын

@@wardog141 thank you and god bless you! Merry Christmas 🎄🎁🎅🙏to you and your family!

Down to you thank you for honoring your grandfather here . I salute his service bravery and my heart always to the vets .

My father served at the battle of Okinawa. He had nightmares the rest of his life. He only talked about it to our mother. She was the only person he trusted with his story about his experience in the war.

@macmcleod1188

10 ай бұрын

Okinawa was horrible. The japanese leadership had ordered their soldiers to fight to the death to dissuade the allies from invading mainland bataan. And japanese propaganda told the Okinawans they would be tortured (and worse) by the allies so okinawans were leaping off of cliffs to avoid fates worse than death. It's a large part of why Nuclear weapons were used against Japan.

@keithetherington4824

10 ай бұрын

@macmcleod1188 Yeah, he had to see the worst of humanity and carnage of war. My mom told me some of his story on that island. I'm a Marine that served in the South Pacific in 1978 through 1982. I went to Okinawa twice during my tour of duty, so you know I'm a huge historyain of the 2nd world War. My dad begged me not to join the USMC because of horrible things he had to witnessed in the war. That's the first time I realized that had happened to him , because he never talked about it.

@TheTLElliott

10 ай бұрын

Okinawa was a pure hellhole, absolutely viscous fighting. Much respect to your father.

@windellmcspindell3652

10 ай бұрын

Same here.

@k.dalpha9367

8 ай бұрын

@@macmcleod1188 USA almost killed 150 k civilians from Okinawa... and their Hollywood propaganda never talk about it (but let's always remember nazis crimes!)

This movie starts and ends in a military cemetery. This particular cemetery (in this movie) is in Normandy, France, on the cliffs near the landing beaches for the D-Day invasion. It contains 9,800+ graves for American soldiers from the invasion beaches and fights for the cliffs. Sadly, there are two more cemeteries there, just as big. In total, approximately 30,000 allied soldiers died that day. In America, we just had Memorial Day for our soldiers that didn't make it back home......NEVER forget what they did for us. Remember their, "So costly sacrifice laid upon the altar of freedom."

@holddowna

10 ай бұрын

Thanks for this, I was wondering if it was in Normandy because there is also a big Canadian memorial there I would love to go visit

@Juan-os4hs

10 ай бұрын

Sadly this year there were more reminders given before and on Memorial Day to remind you that Pride Month was beginning June 1st.

31:51 "You thought he was gonna be a dork, but he's not. He's a stand up guy." Is my favorite part about the movie. The other Ryan still tried to get out of the war after they told him he was the wrong Ryan and his brothers were fine, breaking down and crying how he needed to go home and check on them... while this Ryan knows his are actually gone, and he's still ready to stay and fight.

I think everyone should watch moves like this and series like "Band of Brothers" so they realize just how blessed they really are because freedom is not free. Someone has to pay to keep us free. I thank every service man and woman for their service every chance I get. And the way our government has treated our vets is horrible.

After making this Hanks and Spielberg made two mini series for HBO about WWII “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific”. Both are made in the same amazing way this movie was the big difference is they are both true stories based off of memoirs written about/by actual WWII soldiers. I seriously can’t recommend both series enough

@kordova2182

10 ай бұрын

Band of Brothers goes down as the greatest Mini-series in my opinion especially the episode 8 or 9 that one had me in tears.

@SeanHendy

10 ай бұрын

Band of Brothers is an exceptional piece of work and incredibly accurate too. The interviews of the then surviving members of Easy Company, at the beginning of each episode just sets the tone perfectly. The final interview of the veteran talking about his granddaughter asking if he was a hero in the war, just broke me.

@enigma4430

10 ай бұрын

@@kordova2182 1000%

I remember getting my grandfather to talk about Juno beach, where the canadians landed. The scene was much the same, they were terrified, lost friends forever in seconds, but they kept pushing. Every person who were on those boats, in the water, and on the beach at any of the 5 assault locations had more heart and heroism in their soul that anyone I've ever known.

@rossgeorge245

7 ай бұрын

My great uncle was with the British in the 42nd commandos. He too said it was hell on earth many of his friends/brothers died. Mine and your family members did their duty with courage and extreme valour I thank him for his duty in the cause of freedom

This movie cuts me to the core every single time. Especially the end when Ryan asks his family if he was good man and if he led a good life. Its a shame younger generations are forgetting about these men and the sacrifices they made. We should never forget.

A very genuine and respectful reaction to one of if not the best war movies ever made. Your emotion as a woman externalizes what men internalize and most veterans never learn to let out. It's exemplified in men's ability to go from a soft to a hard heart in the blink of an eye during the chaos of war. It is also why as a combat veteran I would never want a woman in my foxhole. Not because a woman wouldn't have the skill, but might hesitate due to empathy. Thank you for the reaction and God bless the greatest generation.

Yes helicopters were made in 1939, however they were still basically prototypes. They really couldn’t do much at that time. Wades death always gives me chills and the knife scene is still one of the most brutal deaths I’ve seen in a movie.

@ultimatesunrise

9 ай бұрын

Yeeess, the way he tries to reason with him in the last moment.. brilliant acting 👏

@wellifailed392

8 ай бұрын

The Sikorsky R-4 was used a considerable amount in the Pacific considering how new and underdeveloped the technology was.

@joeyclemenza7339

7 ай бұрын

the thing that breaks my heart the most during Melish's death, is just before that Nazi stabs him through the heart... he tells him in German, "don't worry my Jewish friend. it'll all be over soon." that's gotta be the coldest goddamn thing you could say in that moment. the destructive nature of war, and the cruelty of it all. it's just so soul crushing.

@jonathanallard2128

5 ай бұрын

The knife scene is by far the one Hollywood death scene that has marked me the most. The first time I saw it I was REALLY pissed off. I thought about it for days. This movie stayed with me for a while.

Great reaction! This is, in my opinion, the hands-down - best war movie! I am a veteran of Desert Storm. I had two uncles that were in WWII and my Dad died in VIetnam. I was 11 months old - I never knew him. One of my uncles was stationed at Pearl Harbor and was awarded a purple heart. He survived the war and died at age 96 a few years ago. Thanks for doing this one.

I really enjoyed watching this movie with you! I wish all young people could feel the sympathy that you feel and know what a truly great Country we have the honor of being a part of! Thank you

One of my favorite movies and not very often that I watch a 40 minute KZread video start to finish without skipping any of it, loved your appreciation for the film and the setting. Your emotions and reactions were dead on to mine the first time I watched this movie, the way it makes you feel empathy for every character in it is unparalleled IMO.

We took my grandfather to see this in 1998. He was very much affected watching this. He said it was the most realistic depiction of war he had seen on screen. He was a Pearl Harbor survivor and fought in the Pacific (Invasion of Saipan). He couldn't speak more highly of this movie.

I loved your comment about courage, “We know nothing of this”. Truer words have never been spoken.

Recently found your channel, and I love that I can "watch" these movies again with someone who has never seen them. Your reaction to this movie in particular matches how I experienced it 25 years ago...still one of the most amazing and profound cinematic experiences of my life. Glad you felt it too!

I cried all the way through this. And, I have watched (and OWN) this 100 times. And, I still cried. Thank you for crying with me.

I don't care how many times I watch this movie, and how many times I watch someone else react to it; the reading of the Bixby letter makes me cry every single freaking time, for some reason that makes me cry more than the scene with the mother falling to the ground.

@holddowna

10 ай бұрын

its such a powerful letter so eloquently written.

@charlier711

10 ай бұрын

Agree. The Bixby letter is Lincoln at his best. So incredibly moving and eloquent.

@Stubbies2003

10 ай бұрын

I get the same reaction to that letter as well as watching the movie Lincoln when they quote the Gettysburg Address. I fear for the future of our country and that lives lost from the Civil War onwards will be in vain. Abraham Lincoln was an absolute word smith.

@randyshoquist7726

10 ай бұрын

Mrs. Ryan's knees buckling when she sees the chaplain is perhaps the most heart wrenching scene ever.

@RM6737

10 ай бұрын

That scene gets me every time.

Great reaction! My grandfather was in 5 major battles in Europe in WW2, including the Battle of the Bulge and Normandy. He never spoke about it, ever. When asked anything about the war he would say "you don't want to hear about that." His job was a mechanic, but told my dad once that when there was fighting, everyone fought. Before Steven Spielberg created this film, we could only imagine why fathers and grandfathers experienced night terrors and woke up screaming in the night.

@musicartguy1

7 ай бұрын

my first serious girlfriend had an uncle at Normandy. He was the kindest, soft spoken gentleman you would ever care to meet. If you asked him about the war, all he would say was "that was a lifetime ago".

@joemckim1183

7 ай бұрын

The Pacific miniseries really delves into the PTSD more so than SPR.

A few months before I join the Army myself to participate in the war on terror in 2001, I was in Washington DC at the Vietnam memorial. I ran into a couple of D-Day veterans who when they spoke of this particular day said what they showed in the movie was nothing compared to the reality on that day. In September of that year, after the attack on the World Trade center, I'm a self join the Army to fight the war on terror. I spent 17 years in as a combat medic.

@222aint

Ай бұрын

thank you

This is why this was called The Greatest Generation. Mrs. Ryan became triple Gold Star Mother in one day. This shows that some battle wounds are unseen but are always carried with you forever.

@deependz3231

10 ай бұрын

In the follow up movie, "Saving Private Ryan's Mother", Private Ryan has returned to the family farm to find that his grief stricken mother is being taken advantage of by their government. She's forced, against her better judgement, to go about the country and hawk War Bonds to the point of exhaustion. After learning his mother has already suffered one war bond related stroke, Private Ryan makes it his mission to locate, and rescue her.

@josephwallace202

10 ай бұрын

What a joke, to be recognized for your "greatness" in a mass orgy of mutual inhuman carnage.

I am a combat veteran ( Vietnam ) You can not possibly know the good you have just done. Thank you for this and God bless you

@blockboygames5956

10 ай бұрын

Thank you sir for your service. I really wish you every blessing and success.

@chuckhilleshiem6596

10 ай бұрын

@@blockboygames5956 Thank you for your thoughts and I pray God blesses you

@blockboygames5956

10 ай бұрын

@@chuckhilleshiem6596 I really appreciate that. Prayer is a wonderful thing. Thank you. Good Luck!

I'm a big World War II buff and collector of World War II things. I love watching your videos, because sometimes it's easy for me to forget the first time I saw movies like Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers. I had the same reactions you did. Movies like this are still difficult for me to watch, sometimes. So I admire your courage. I admire the fact that you want to honor the soldiers who served. You're a good person. When you start crying I just want to be there to tell you that it's okay and that it makes me emotional too. Also, you're really smart. Like, you're really intuitive. When they torched the bunker at the beginning and you said "yeah, save your ammo", I was seriously impressed. I didn't learn that until like ten years after I saw this movie haha. Keep doing what you're doing. I love talking about World War II so if you ever want to know more, let me know. But you already know so much. You don't need my help. You're doing just fine :)

This is my first video from you that I've seen. I must say that i greatly appreciate your emotion and understanding of the sacrifices that were made by the patriots and heroes. You have a new subscriber!

My grandfather was at sword beach he earned medal for bravery even though he died when I was younger I'm still so insanely proud of him.

@holddowna

10 ай бұрын

I’m proud of him too!!

@nyetzdyec3391

9 ай бұрын

@@holddowna At 26:18, you mentioned "your morals go out the window, I guess, when you're at war..." This is actually a hormonal thing. It's part of the human survival instinct... caused by the same stuff as "fight or flight"... cortisol. What it does, is to focus the brain on ONLY the things which are necessary to survive. That does NOT include morals, empathy, etc... not for the enemy. That stuff hits LATER. It's one aspect of "survivor's guilt". Morals, empathy, emotions, etc., are a different part of the brain, and during "life or death" situations, that part of the brain gets less blood... which means less oxygen, nutrients, etc. Other parts, like logic, thus get MORE blood... oxygen, etc... Now, let's say that you have a really unscrupulous leader... whose initials are AH... and he's already used things like pop culture to "program" his chosen people that a certain other group is "out to get them", "bad", "less than human"... and THEN you add an actual war... life or death situation... This is one way to cause... well... exactly what happened during that time period.

@GhillieMist

9 ай бұрын

my grand father was airborne. his stories and his journals live with me every day

@alanhilton7336caradventure

9 ай бұрын

@@GhillieMist because of his journals and story's he lives on in you.

@GhillieMist

9 ай бұрын

@@alanhilton7336caradventure beautifully said. Remeber the fallen. And remeber those who have sacrificed everything for us to just exist here today

This one shows just how big your heart is. Your sympathy and empathy really shine.

@Thatoddguy808

9 ай бұрын

fr made me re-think EVERYTHING

@essexboy95

8 ай бұрын

Shows why she could never be a soldier

I watch this in the theater on a date in 98. And when he asked his wife at the end if he was a good man, I fought with every ounce of strength to not cry.

Your reaction is so real...Thank you for being great full to the soldiers. That's why we don't disrespect the flag or the anthem.

It isn't often I see someone react as honestly as you do, and with such comprehension and insight. Loved your reaction to this, and cried along with you.

@holddowna

10 ай бұрын

Thank u for watching!

@thatsmynamesowhat2949

10 ай бұрын

This is a satirical comment right?

@DefextOfficial

9 ай бұрын

I was in tears, throughout. I mean, with a depiction as graphic, it forces all kinds of emotions to come bursting forth, realizing the sacrifice amid Hell, itself.

@Thatoddguy808

9 ай бұрын

in what way was that satirical? you make no sense rn so gladly elaborate to us@@thatsmynamesowhat2949

My grand father was in the pacific, New Guinea specifically. He never spoke about the war, right up until the last year or so of his life when he was 96-97. Dad and I basically sat listening to him for hours while he spoke about it, what he saw and did both during and at the end of the war the good/funny times and the bad times. It was humbling to say the least.

43:06 "Earn this" ... and your reaction is priceless !!! Best reaction ever ! So beautiful ! How Steven Spielberg makes the best movies? and you haven't seen "War Horse (2011)" yet.

Just found your channel. Can’t stop watching.👍🏻 When you said “we know nothing of this” it summed it up perfectly.

This is so refreshing to see a young person watching and sympathising/empathising what these brave men went through.

Great reaction... Wades death gets me every time. What a lot of people don't catch at the end of the movie when Ryan's wife reads the gravestone which tells you he never talked about it with her their whole marriage.

@holddowna

10 ай бұрын

Srsly… editing this I was a sobbing mess reliving it

@mycroft16

10 ай бұрын

I think I've seen this film more than a dozen times now... I have never caught that. Wow... thank you.

@HO-bndk

10 ай бұрын

The irony that most don't catch is that Wade actually dies of the massive morphine overdose his buddies give him.

I was having a bad moment and got stuck watching war movies... watching this with you was a great help. Keep doing what you are doing. I luvs ya.

I think it's really awesome how you share your emotions in these reviews! Binging through em all atm!

@holddowna

Ай бұрын

Thank u soo much for watching !!!!

What these men sacrificed for us so we could live in a free world…is immeasurable. As a 70 year old…this was a level of truth and realism missing from WW II movies I saw as a kid in the local theater.

@imvandenh

8 ай бұрын

I'll second that sentiment. First real movie I ever saw in a theater as a kid was Sink the Bismark... Love it still but even as a child, none of the acting seemed very realistic to me. But that was nothing very unusual in the early decades of American cinema, overacting and unnatural dialogue were the flavour of the times.

Albeit in the air force rather than infantry, my uncle flew 53 missions for the Royal Canadian Air Force in WW2 including on D-Day, but survived. They lost their tailgunner on June 7th over Versailles, France. Every time I watch this movie I think of him. Your reaction was raw, honest and full of compassion. This was the greatest generation. Imagine seeing what they did, then to come home to your life and raise a family without ever speaking of the tragedies they saw. It is why the Legion Halls are so important. Not any one of us can truly understand what they went through, unless they had been through it themselves. If you have not watched HBO's "Band of Brothers", I think after watching this it is one that you will also find a lot of value in doing so. Similarly, it is a great cast and Spielberg and Hanks directed/produced it.

@holddowna

10 ай бұрын

Thanks for this comment and sharing this story ❤️❤️❤️

@TheFioda

10 ай бұрын

exactly, BoB is a good learning sequence to SPR...and, after that..."The Pacific"...Man, that WAS hell

@Juan-os4hs

10 ай бұрын

The real reason Legion Halls (and the VFW too) exist, is to keep well trained & seasoned veterans from becoming disgruntled at the B.S. that (our own) politicians pull, and organizing and overthrowing said politicians, by dispatching them like they did to the Keiser and da Furer(sic). Make no mistake, this would be no revolution, veterans love America & the COTUS, but politicians-not so much. They wouldn't be changing THE government so much as CLEANSING the government. See the Battle of Athens (GA 1947ish), for proof.

@rcg1967

10 ай бұрын

I had an uncle who was a tail-gunner in a Lancaster ... made it home (with another brother and 2 sisters who served). He passed many years ago ... all of my dads brothers and sisters are gone now except 2; one in his 90's and one around 85. Time marches on. I lost my dad 2 years ago at 80 ... I miss my friend.

@anthonyeaton5153

Ай бұрын

Bomber crews had a higher chance of dying than did infantry.

wanted to take my grandkids to Normandy for one of the D-Day events. school said "no not during term time" i said to them "i am sure if Gen Eisenhower had known that missing a week of plasticine worm making and see spot run would have caused so much trouble he would have delayed the landings and my dad would might have not gotten him self killed". they got the time off

Roughly 7000 ships and 195,000 Naval Personnel participated in the D Day Operation. By June 30, over 850,000 men, 148,000 vehicles, and 570,000 tons of supplies landed on Normandy's shores.

I still remember seeing this in the theater. That first scene... I was literally hunched down in my chair, like I was avoiding fire. It felt so real. It was terrifying.

@holddowna

10 ай бұрын

In theatres must have been crazy