"War Department Colonel"
- Rank: Colonel
- Occupational Speciality: Aide to General Marshall
- Organization: Army General Staff, Army Ground Forces
This colonel (Dale Dye), an aide to General Marshall, was present when two officers from the Adjutant General presented information about the recent deaths of three brothers of the Ryan family, and of the presence of a fourth brother, a paratrooper who had been dropped in Normandy as part of Operation Overlord. Although the colonel did not think that a rescue mission was feasible, General Marshall insisted the the surviving Ryan son, Private James Ryan, be found and returned to his family.
Notes
Along with his role as the War Department Colonel, Dale Dye served as Saving Private Ryan's senior military advisor.
