Saving Private Ryan is a cultural touchstone, but the real story that inspired it spans the globe, from the beaches of Normandy to the jungles of Burma, and ends with a twist Hollywood left out. This episode follows the four Niland brothers of Tonawanda, New York: Edward in the Army Air Forces, Preston in the 4th Infantry Division, Robert in the 82nd Airborne, and Frederick, known as Fritz, in the 101st Airborne, all deployed at once in 1944.

Using military records and unit histories, we trace the chronology: Edward's B-25 shot down over Burma and his capture on May 16, 1944; Robert killed on D-Day manning a machine gun at Neuville-au-Plain so his company could retreat; Preston killed the next day at the Crisbecq battery; and Fritz hitchhiking through a combat zone nine days after D-Day to visit his brother, only to learn he was dead. We ex ...