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The story of my family revolves around D- Day June 6th, 1944 and our
family's connection with Steven Spielberg's movie Saving Private Ryan.
I am Preston Niland. I am called Pete named after my Uncle Preston whom I never
met. I work at the University at Buffalo and have a daughter named Briana and my
wife Jan.
| We are from Tonawanda New York, not Iowa as the movie suggested. Our family's
history of service includes my Grandfather, Michael Niland, who served in The
Spanish American war with the Rough Riders. He went up San Juan Hill with Teddy
Roosevelt. (Photo right... Mike Niland is top right above, sitting with Teddy Roosevelt, lower left, at San Juan Hill, almost half a century before D-Day.)
In addition, my
great Uncle Fred was a WWI hero.
My Grandmother, Augusta Niland, (Nicknamed Gussie) had six children. (Four sons
and two daughters) All four boys joined the service and fought in WWII.
I read a letter, at the HBO taping, from my Uncle Bobby to his mom that moved
the entire production crew. It revolved around the fact that all her sons would
return safely which clearly was not the case. My three uncles were in the
invasion of Normandy and my Dad was sent into the China Burma Theater. So, as of
June 7th, 1944, all four brothers had been reported killed or missing
in action.
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All Brothers Reported Lost:
 Edward Niland
(My father Eddie)
Edward was my father. He was the oldest brother and served as an Army Air Force
Sergeant. Two weeks before D-Day he was shot down in a B-25 over Burma. He went
MIA on May 20th, 1944. He was serving as a radio operator and gunner
on the bomber for the 434th Squadron, 12th Bomb Group.
Although my Grandparents never gave up hope, because of the lack of
communication, he was presumed dead. My grandfather had a dream. He dreamed that
he saw the plane crash and Eddie walked out of it and said, “I'm OK Dad, I'm
coming home.” After that my grandmother always set a place for him at the dinner
table, and true to the dream, he returned.
After my Dad was shot down over Burma, he survived, set the mayday signal and
wandered through the jungle for about seven days. Eventually he wandered into an
unfriendly village that turned him over to the Japanese. He then spent almost a
year of his life beaten, starved and tortured. When he finally escaped/released,
he weighed 85lbs. After my Dad escaped and before his rescue, he lay down in a
field to rest when he heard Preston's voice tell him, “Move! What kind of a
soldier are you?” He moved and the area was laid down with machine gun fire.
 Robert Niland
(Uncle Bobby)
Bob Niland served as a Motor Sergeant with D Company 505th Parachute
Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. Bob had also seen combat
in Italy before jumping on D-Day. Bobby was killed at Neuville au Plain on June
6th, 1944, north of St. Mere Eglise.
When I was in Hollywood, I met
with Jim Kelly, who served as a medic and was with my Uncle when he was killed.
They were best of friends. Jim Kelly with tears in his eyes told the story that
after their unit moved out Kelly decided to stay with the wounded soldiers. Bob
said, “If you're staying, I'm staying”.
After they ran out of ammo they decided
to leave and have the Germans take care of the soldiers. They tried to make it
across a hedgerow and Kelly recalled how the Germans shot the heel right off his
boot, but Uncle Bob was shot in the head landing on top of Kelly, already dead.
Jim said that he never got over that.
 Preston Niland (Uncle Pete)
Preston was a Lieutenant with the 22nd Infantry Regiment 4th
Division and came onshore at Utah Beach.
On June 7, 1944 D + 1 Day he was shot
in the head by a sniper inland, northwest of Utah Beach.We know
before D-Day he visited briefly with his first cousin, BillyAnna Niland, in
Redondo Beach, California before shipping out to take his officer's training on
Christmas Island.
Aside from that no one knows too much more how Uncle Pete died
because most of the records at the National Archives and Records Administration
located in St. Louis, Mo. were lost in a fire on July 12, 1973.
The family
story indicates that he was going after a wounded soldier.
He is sometimes
referred to as the mystery brother.
 Frederick Niland
(Uncle Fritz)
Fritz served in H Company 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st
Airborne Division. He jumped into France on June 6, 1944 . . . His plane was hit and
the pilot had the paratroopers jump out early of their drop zone. Typical of the
miss drops they were scattered all over behind enemy lines. Uncle Fritz landing
near Raffoville, southwest of Carentan.
It took him nearly a week to fight his
way back to his regiment. With the help of Jean Kapitem, who was a leader in the
French Underground, he rejoined his unit in time to assault Hill 30 on June 12th,
1944 near La Billonnerie.
Fritz had been told by his brother's company Commander that Bob had been killed
and was buried in a cemetery near St. Mere Eglise. Fritz sought out the help of
Father Francis Sampson, a Chaplain for the 101st Airborne. They drove
around most of the day looking for the grave; finally at one cemetery Father Sam
told Fritz what he believed was a mistake in identity. That there was no Robert Niland buried there, only a Preston. Fritz said, “That is my brother too”. In
this sad way he discovered that his other brother had also been killed. The
account is given in Father Sampson's book,
Look Out Below!
In the late summer of 1944 Father Sampson came to see Fritz again before their
jump into Holland for Operation Market Garden. He told him that his orders had
arrived. The President had ordered him to return to the states as sole surviving
son. His jump buddy, John Bacon, told the family that Fritz refused to come home
and was ready to be taken back in handcuffs. He wanted to stay and fight. Father
Sam told him that he could take it up with General Eisenhower or the President,
but he was going home. A day and half later he was gone, en route back to New
York. In the 1950's he told his two daughters (Cate and Mary) to always remember
that it took a Presidential Congressional order to get him out of Europe.
Sixty-seven years after the real life tragedy of the Niland Brothers, the
dynamics and sadness of their sacrifice has not diminished. Their story and
others like them continue to embrace the courage, discipline and love of country
that all men and women who serve demonstrate.
The Niland family wishes to extend our special thanks to:
 Author,
Mark Bando, for his friendship and historical research in telling the
story of the Niland Brothers in his book...
The 101st Airborne, The
Screaming Eagles at Normandy
College of the Ozarks for the opportunity to tell our family's story and to
commend their dedication and commitment educating this and future generations
about the experiences of war.
Website links to read more about the Niland Brothers:
Wikipedia:
Saving Private Ryan
http://www.canisius.edu/archives/niland.asp
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