Robert J. Niland lies next to his brother Preston in the American Cemetery.
The Niland Brothers were a group of four American brothers from Tonawanda, New York serving in the military during World War II. Of the four, two survived the war, but for a time it was believed that only one, Frederick Niland, had survived. Frederick was sent back to the United States to complete his service, and only later learned that his brother Edward, presumed dead, was actually captive in a JapanesePOW camp in Burma. Steven Spielberg's film Saving Private Ryan is loosely based on the brothers' story.
Technical Sergeant Robert Niland, Company D, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division (KIA June 6, 1944 in Normandy. He volunteered to stay behind with 2 other men and hold off a German advance while his company retreated. He was killed while manning his machine gun, the other two men survived)
Encyclopedia
top
