On the morning of June 6, 1944, the beginning of the Normandy Invasion, American soldiers prepare to land on Omaha Beach. They struggle against German infantry, machine gun nests, and artillery fire and suffer heavily. Captain John H. Miller, a company commander of the 2nd Ranger Battalion, survives the initial landing and assembles a group of his Rangers to penetrate the German defences, leading to a breakout from the beach. In Washington, D.C, at the U.S. War Department, General George Marshall is informed that three of the four brothers of the Ryan family were killed in action and that their mother is to receive all three telegrams in the same day. He learns that the fourth son, Private First Class James Francis Ryan, is a paratrooper, and is missing in action somewhere in Normandy. Marshall, after reading Abraham Lincoln's Bixby letter, orders that Ryan be found and sent home immediately. Three days after D-Day, Miller receives orders to find Ryan and bring him back from the front. He assembles six men from his company— TSgt. Mike Horvath, Privates Richard Reiben, Stanley Mellish, Adrian Caparzo, Danny Jackson, medic Irwin Wade—and T/5 Timothy Upham, a cartographer who speaks French and German, loaned from the 29th Infantry Division. Miller and his men move out to Neuville; there, they meet a platoon from the 101st Airborne Division, and Caparzo dies after being shot by a sniper, who Jackson kills with a skillful shot. Eventually, they locate a Private James Ryan, but soon learn that he is not their man. They find a member of Ryan's regiment who informs them that his drop zone was at Vierville and that his and Ryan's companies had the same rally point. Once they reach it, Miller meets a friend of Ryan's, who reveals that Ryan is defending a strategically important bridge over the Merderet River in the town of Ramelle. On the way to Ramelle, Miller decides to neutralize a German machine gun position, despite the misgivings of his men. Wade is fatally wounded in the ensuing skirmish, but Miller prevents a surviving German from being executed and sets him free. No longer confident in Miller's leadership, Reiben declares his intention to desert the squad and the mission, prompting a confrontation with Horvath. The argument heats up until Miller defuses the situation by revealing his origins, upon which the squad had earlier set up a betting pool. Reiben then reluctantly decides to stay. Upon arrival at Ramelle, Miller and the squad come upon a small group of paratroopers commanded by Corporal Henderson, one of whom is Ryan. Ryan is told of his brothers' deaths, the mission to bring him home, and that two men had been lost in the quest to find him. He is distressed at the loss of his brothers, but does not feel it is fair to go home, asking Miller to tell his mother that he intends to stay "with the only brothers [he has] left." Miller decides to take command and defend the bridge with what little manpower and resources are available. Elements of the 2nd SS Panzer Division arrive with infantry and armor. In the ensuing battle, while inflicting heavy German casualties, most of the Americans—including Jackson, Mellish, Horvath and all the paratroopers—are killed. While attempting to blow the bridge, Miller is shot and mortally wounded by the German prisoner set free earlier, who has returned to battle alongside the SS. Just before a Tiger tank reaches the bridge, an American P-51 Mustang flies over and destroys it, followed by American reinforcements who rout the remaining Germans. Upham executes the German who shot Miller and allows the rest to flee. Reiben and Ryan are with Miller as he dies and says his last words, "James ... earn this. Earn it." In the present day, the elderly Ryan and his family visit the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. Ryan stands at Miller's grave and asks his wife to confirm that he has led a good life, that he is a "good man" and thus worthy of the sacrifice of Miller and the others. His wife replies "You are." At this point, Ryan stands at attention and delivers a military salute towards Miller's grave. Cast Tom Hanks as Captain John H. Miller, company commander, 2nd Ranger Battalion, U.S. Army Tom Sizemore as Technical Sergeant Mike Horvath Vin Diesel as Private First Class Adrian Caparzo, a rifleman Edward Burns as Private First Class Richard Reiben, a BAR gunner Barry Pepper as Private Daniel Jackson, a sharpshooter Adam Goldberg as Private Stanley "Fish" Mellish, a rifleman Jeremy Davies as Technician Fifth Grade Timothy E. Upham, a cartographer and interpreter Giovanni Ribisi as Technician Fourth Grade Irwin Wade, a medic Matt Damon as Private First Class James Francis Ryan, a paratrooper Harrison Young as James Francis Ryan, present day Kathleen Byron as Mrs. Ryan, present day Ted Danson as Captain Fred Hamill, a pathfinder Paul Giamatti as Staff Sergeant William Hill, a paratrooper Dennis Farina as Lieutenant Colonel Walter Anderson, battalion commander, 2nd Rangers Harve Presnell as General George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff of the United States Army Leland Orser as Second Lieutenant DeWindt, pilot of a crashed glider Bryan Cranston as Colonel I.W. Bryce, an officer at the War Department Nathan Fillion as Private James Frederick Ryan Max Martini as Corporal Fred Henderson, ranking paratrooper at Ramelle Demetri Goritsas as Private Parker, a paratrooper at Ramelle Joerg Stadler as "Steamboat Willie", a German soldier Dale Dye as a War Department Colonel Ian Porter as Private Trask