So many men under his command have died since North Africa. Now he has been assigned a special mission by the Chief of Staff of the United States Army. It is to find and bring back safely a young paratrooper, Private James Ryan.
In one week, Ryan's three brothers had died in battle. Two of them perished in the bloody landings at Normandy. Another had given his life in New Guinea. Now only Jimmy Ryan remained of Mrs. Ryan's four sons.
But now that Miller has found Ryan in the small battered town of Ramelle, he cannot get him to return. Ryan feels leaving his fellow sky warriors holding a key bridge in the town is tantamount to desertion.
Even when Miller's BAR man, Corporal Rieben confronts him angrily with the cost of finding him, Ryan is visibly moved, but remains firm in his commitment to his fellow paratroopers.
"Give my Mother a message. Tell her when you found me, I was here, fighting, with the only brothers I had left. Tell her that there was no way I was going to desert those brothers. You tell her that ... and she'll understand."
The captain pulls aside his long time friend, First Sergeant Michael Horvach, to talk over the situation. Horvach is a stocky, ruddy faced Minnesotan. He thinks straight and he talks straight. Horvach has been with Miller since North Africa, one of the very few that remain of Miller's original command.
Suddenly for the Captain, it is clear as a bell what has to be done. They have no choice but to stay and fight with the paratroopers. Though his small command now numbers only six, counting himself, there is no alternative. That will be six more men to help throw the enemy back from the town, or at worst, to not allow the bridge to fall into German hands intact.
They will fight to hold the bridge.
After examining the town and counting his meager resources, Miller begins giving orders. Paratrooper Corporal Henderson, who had been in command of the tiny garrison before Miller's arrival, immediately begins to displace his troops according to the instructions being given.
Soon every man is at his post. The rumbling of diesel engines in the distance, growing louder every second, is like the thunder of an apporaching storm. It was only a matter of minutes now. Miller now has two fights on his hands. The bridge must not fall, and Private Ryan must survive.
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This will be posted tomorrow in the Game Depot. Two versions: One with units displaced according to the movie and another where you'll have an extra turn to displace the men as you think best. Climb into Miller's combat boots either way and do what the moment calls for
Wild Bill
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Wild Bill Wilder
Coordinator, Scenario Design
Matrix Games
