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. Captain John H. Miller survives the initial landing and assembles a group of soldiers to penetrate the German defenses, leading to a breakout from the beach.
Three days after D-Day, Miller receives orders to find Ryan. He assembles six men from his company, Sergeant Horvath, Privates Reiben, Mellish, and Caparzo,
sharpshooter Jackson, and medic Wade, plus Corporal Upham, a clerk who is fluent in French and German. Miller and his men move out to Neuville. On the outskirts of the town, they meet a platoon from the
101st Airborne Division. After entering the town, Caparzo is shot by a sniper. Jackson is able to kill the sniper, but Caparzo dies. They locate a Private James Ryan, but soon realize 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 locates 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. The last surviving German, known only as "Steamboat Willie", incurs the wrath of all the squad members except Upham, who protests the proposed execution of the German soldier. Miller decides to let the German walk away, blindfolded, and surrender himself to the next Allied patrol. 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. Reiben then reluctantly decides to stay.
The squad finally arrives on the outskirts of Ramelle, where they come upon three paratroopers, among whom is Ryan. After entering Ramelle, 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.
The Germans arrive with infantry and armor. In spite of inflicting heavy German casualties and destroying two tanks with
sticky bombs and
Molotov cocktails, most of the Americans — including Jackson, Mellish, and Horvath — are killed. While attempting to blow the bridge, Miller is shot and mortally wounded. Just before a
Tiger tank reaches the bridge, an American
P-51 Mustang flies over and destroys it, followed by more Mustangs, American infantry, and
M4 Sherman tanks who rout the remaining Germans. Upham, who was cut off and hid in a ditch, comes out of hiding as the Germans flee and orders them to drop their weapons; he recognizes "Steamboat Willie", and executes him, telling the rest to flee. Ryan is with Miller as he dies and says his last words, "James... earn this. Earn it."
In the present day, elderly veteran Ryan and his family visit the
Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial at
Colleville-sur-mer in Normandy. Ryan stands at Miller's grave. He asks his wife to confirm that he has led a good life and that he is a "good man" and thus worthy of the sacrifice of Miller and the others.
