{"id":190795,"date":"2023-07-30T00:56:55","date_gmt":"2023-07-30T04:56:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=169958"},"modified":"2023-07-30T00:56:55","modified_gmt":"2023-10-03T02:29:51","slug":"ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Dabbs – Ralph Goranson: The Real Captain Miller"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Saving Private Ryan was a simply fantastic movie.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Movie’s Captain Miller<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 1998 Stephen Ambrose, Stephen Spielberg, and Tom Hanks debuted what is arguably the finest war movie ever made. The storyline of Saving Private Ryan<\/em> was fabricated from whole cloth. While there were several actual heartrending tales of multiple brothers from the same family having been lost in combat during World War 2, the operation to task Captain Miller and his Ranger detachment to retrieve a single young paratrooper amidst the chaos of the D-Day invasion never actually happened. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
This is Harrison Richard Young. He logged more than 100 film and TV credits prior to his death in 2005. I found his brief role in Saving Private Ryan to be incredibly powerful.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ll level with you guys, when I saw that movie for the first time in the theater I struggled to keep my composure. I had only fairly recently left the military, and I missed the brotherhood and camaraderie terribly. When the old guy at the end asked his family if he had lived a good life that just touched a visceral chord. While this particular story was indeed the product of an imaginative screenwriter, reality was all the more compelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Closer to Home<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
I knew a guy who actually did this. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Roberson was a patient of mine who was assigned to the 5th Ranger Battalion during World War 2. He hit Omaha Beach in the first wave on the morning of June 6, 1944. He actually did what was depicted in the movie. Here\u2019s his story<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
It’s one thing to see extraordinary historical events depicted in movies. It is quite another to talk to someone who was actually there.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Getting to know Mr. Roberson put a human face on the film for me. He was like so many of those great old guys\u2014quiet, humble, and awesome. The only reason I ever found out about his military service was that I inquired about some scars on his forearm. He didn\u2019t write a book, try to monetize his time downrange, or seek attention of any sort. He just did what it took and then came home to raise a family and be a great American.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The guys who won World War 2 and freed the world from tyranny were just cut from stouter stuff than we are today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, the real-life inspiration for the characters in the movie was even better than what we saw on the big screen. These men, all of them young and hard, were products of the Great Depression. They left the relative comfort and security of home to travel to foreign lands and, in many cases, suffer and die so that we could enjoy the freedoms we so often take for granted today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Background <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
If you haven’t yet seen Saving Private Ryan, and both of you know who you are, you need to go fix that right now.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Spoiler Alert\u2014If you haven\u2019t seen it already, then I\u2019m about to ruin the plot of the movie. However, if you frequent GunsAmerica and you haven\u2019t seen Saving Private Ryan<\/em> at least twice I\u2019ll be holding onto your man-card for safekeeping until you remedy that. Stop whatever you\u2019re doing, surf on over to Amazon, and knock it out. It\u2019ll take you 2 hours and 49 minutes. You\u2019ll thank me later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Tom Hanks’ depiction of CPT John Miller captured the essence of a competent and professional combat leader.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One of the central threads in the film orbits around Tom Hanks\u2019 character, Captain John H. Miller. CPT Miller is universally respected by his men, even when they disagree with him. As a commander, he seems to strike the perfect balance between intimacy and aloofness, something that can be tough to do in the real world. There\u2019s really nothing he wouldn\u2019t do for his guys, but there is also no ambiguity regarding who is ultimately in charge. Throughout the first half of the film, there is a pool going to try to guess what CPT Miller\u2019s profession was before the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Captain Miller’s mysterious backstory ends up becoming a pivotal part of the narrative.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We eventually find out that John Miller was a teacher. He is married but has no children. Just like all of them, what he really wants to do is get the war over with and go home. This revelation is one of the more poignant moments in a very poignant movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
In the movie, CPT Miller goes out heroically for a righteous cause.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Captain Miller ultimately gives his life saving Private Ryan. He and most of his men are spent defending a critical bridge that is probably in the middle of some peaceful little French village nowadays. However, that is obviously the point. Were it not for countless Allied soldiers like Mr. Roberson who were willing to fight to the death over such stuff the death camps would still be running today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fact is Cooler Than Fiction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
This was Ralph Goranson in his early years.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
CPT Ralph Goranson exemplified the Ranger ethos.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While CPT Miller is indeed one of the most compelling characters in the film, the real guy who inspired him is all the more extraordinary. Tom Hanks\u2019 character was based on 24-year-old CPT Ralph Goranson. Born, appropriately enough, on the 4th<\/sup> of July, 1919, CPT Goranson was the commander of C Company, 2d Ranger Battalion. Though my friend Mr. Roberson never mentioned him by name, he would have trained alongside CPT Goranson in the leadup to Operation Overlord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The reality of the D-Day invasion was unimaginably gruesome.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Movie vs. Reality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the movie, the Rangers landed on the Dog-Green section of Omaha Beach. In reality, this little piece of hell mostly fell to the grunts of the 116th<\/sup> Infantry Regiment, 29th<\/sup> Infantry Division. Charlie Company, 2d Rangers actually landed a few yards west of Dog-Green on a place called Charlie Section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
This is a British LCA. It was a bit more robust than an American Higgins boat but not by much.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

C Company consisted of 68 Rangers, and they didn\u2019t actually hit the beach in Higgins Boats. They rode to war aboard British Royal Navy LCA\u2019s (Landing Craft, Attack). These British-designed boats sported a 4-man crew and carried 37 assault troops. Unlike their American counterparts, the LCA\u2019s featured armored bulkheads and hulls along with a modest deck over their troop wells. Of the Royal Navy crews, CPT Goranson later said they, \u201cBeached us on time in the best place, exactly per our instructions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
It is easy to lose the power of the D-Day narrative by fixating on the big picture.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Overlord was the largest amphibious invasion in human history. However, for all its scope and power, the real story of D-Day resides in the smaller stuff. June 6, 1944, was Ranger Sergeant Walter Geldon\u2019s third wedding anniversary. As they approached the beach, his buddies were singing in his honor to celebrate. An hour later SGT Geldon lay dead on the sand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
LTC James Rudder led the Rangers’ assault on Pointe du Hoc.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The commander of the 2d Ranger Battalion was LTC James Rudder. His guys called themselves \u201cRudder\u2019s Rangers\u201d as a result. A month before the invasion Rudder told Goranson, \u201cYou have the toughest goddamn job on the whole beach.\u201d He wasn\u2019t kidding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CPT Goranson Goes to War<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Like all good combat leaders, CPT Goranson led from the front.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

CPT Goranson was naturally in the first British LCA. At around 0645 the defending Germans opened up on Goranson\u2019s boat with artillery, mortars, and small arms. Four high explosive rounds struck the LCA as it landed, killing twelve Rangers outright. Many of the rest were wounded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The first wave of the D-Day invasion was all chaos and death.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The second LCA was led by Ranger Platoon Leader LT Sidney Salomon. LT Salomon made it off the boat safely amidst a hail of machine gun fire, but the man behind him, SGT Oliver Reed, was riddled. Salomon dragged Reed through waist-deep surf onto the shingle only to be bowled over by a nearby mortar round. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
It takes some rare stuff indeed to move forward in a place like this.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Advancing into hostile fire is arguably the most unnatural of all human endeavors. Seeing his Rangers becoming bogged down at the water\u2019s edge, 1SG Steve Golas stood up and shouted, \u201cGet your ass off this beach!\u201d 1SG Golas was gunned down moments later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
These guys were such studs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rare Men<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A BAR man named T\/5 Jesse Runyan was shot through the groin and paralyzed from the waist down trying to cross the 300 yards of killing ground between the water\u2019s edge and the first available cover. Despite his injuries, Runyan dragged himself forward, firing his BAR as he went. This young stud earned the Silver Star for his actions that horrible morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The majority of the Rangers fell prior to reaching the top of the ridge overlooking Omaha Beach.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Another nineteen Rangers were hit near the Vierville Draw. With only thirty or so Rangers left unhurt, Captain Goranson directed his men west to a modest cliff face. His guys moved three hundred yards further west to reach the roughly 100-foot cliff face. Using their bayonets as climbing aids, the Rangers scaled the cliff and emplaced a toggle rope. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once atop the cliff the first few Rangers immediately assaulted the German defensive works. Those first three Rangers, LT Bill Moody, SGT Julius Belcher, and PFC Otto Stephens, were likely the first three Allied troops to reach the high ground overlooking Omaha Beach. LT Moody fell to a sniper soon thereafter, but LT Salomon recovered his wits enough to rejoin the attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
CPT Goranson led the attack on the defensive positions overlooking his landing beach.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Chaos<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What followed was a chaotic back-and-forth engagement ultimately decided by small arms and hand grenades. CPT Goranson led his men along with a handful of 29th<\/sup> ID grunts as they assaulted the defensive works, machinegun nests, and mortar emplacements that had exacted such a horrible toll on his Rangers. For the next several hours the Rangers fought their way through the maze of trenches and prepared emplacements that the Germans had constructed over the previous months. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
CPT Ralph Goranson was the archetypal citizen soldier. When his nation was in need, this man answered the call.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By 1400 in the afternoon, CPT Goranson\u2019s Rangers had killed 69 Germans in their defensive works and were ready to move inland. Goranson formed a combat patrol and pressed forward to Pointe-de-la-Percee. Later that afternoon they transitioned to Pointe du Hoc to link up with the surviving Rangers there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
General George Patton was unique in American military history. He’d never make it past Captain today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

According to Mr. Roberson, after pushing through the Bocage country in Normandy his unit subsequently went to work as a reconnaissance element for General Patton’s 3d Army. He met Patton twice himself and told me that the General\u2019s voice had a peculiar high-pitched tone that seemed incongruous. He subsequently fought in both the Hurtgen Forest and the Battle of the Bulge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
One of the first things Ralph Goranson did after returning from World War 2 was get married. He and his wife Ruth remained together until her death in 2002.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
This is the face of a true American hero.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Unlike CPT Miller in the movie, CPT Goranson actually survived the war. He later told some of his fellow Rangers, \u201cHere\u2019s one for Ripley. I found nine slugs and bullet holes in my gear and clothing. I didn\u2019t get a scratch, yet so many around us have died.\u201d He came home to Illinois to marry his sweetheart Ruth and enjoy a long, rich life, ultimately dying peacefully on November 14, 2012, at 93 years old. CPT Ralph Goranson was one of the finest Americans ever to salute the flag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*** Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica!<\/a> ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While CPT Miller is indeed one of the most compelling characters in Saving Private Ryan, the real guy who inspired him is all the more extraordinary. Tom Hanks\u2019 character was based on 24-year-old CPT Ralph Goranson. Born, appropriately enough, on the 4th\u00a0of July, 1919, CPT Goranson was the commander of C Company, 2d Ranger Battalion. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":169963,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_specdata_upc":"","_specdata_placement":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,772],"tags":[132,102,2760,2836],"featured":[],"hunt365":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-190795","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gunsamerica-authors","8":"category-will-dabbs","9":"tag-buzz","10":"tag-feature-articles","11":"tag-war-hero","12":"tag-will-dabbs"},"yoast_head":"\nDr. Dabbs - Ralph Goranson: The Real Captain Miller<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dr. Dabbs - Ralph Goranson: The Real Captain Miller - The story of a man who inspired Saving Private Ryan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dr. Dabbs - Ralph Goranson: The Real Captain Miller\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"While CPT Miller is indeed one of the most compelling characters in Saving Private Ryan, the real guy who inspired him is all the more extraordinary. Tom Hanks\u2019 character was based on 24-year-old CPT Ralph Goranson. Born, appropriately enough, on the 4th\u00a0of July, 1919, CPT Goranson was the commander of C Company, 2d Ranger Battalion.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gun Reviews and News | GunsAmerica.com\/Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gunsamerica\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/will.dabbs.9\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-07-30T04:56:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-10-03T02:29:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Screen-Shot-2022-11-01-at-10.43.44-AM.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1598\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1034\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Will Dabbs\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@gunsamerica\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@gunsamerica\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Will Dabbs\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"14 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Will Dabbs\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/4b818f415191c071a88bdc0d8cb33eca\"},\"headline\":\"Dr. Dabbs – Ralph Goranson: The Real Captain Miller\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-07-30T04:56:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-10-03T02:29:51+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1998,\"commentCount\":19,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/11\\\/Screen-Shot-2022-11-01-at-10.43.44-AM.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Buzz\",\"Feature Articles\",\"War Hero\",\"Will Dabbs\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Authors\",\"Will Dabbs\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\\\/\",\"name\":\"Dr. Dabbs - Ralph Goranson: The Real Captain Miller\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/11\\\/Screen-Shot-2022-11-01-at-10.43.44-AM.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-07-30T04:56:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-10-03T02:29:51+00:00\",\"description\":\"Dr. Dabbs - Ralph Goranson: The Real Captain Miller - The story of a man who inspired Saving Private Ryan\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/11\\\/Screen-Shot-2022-11-01-at-10.43.44-AM.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/11\\\/Screen-Shot-2022-11-01-at-10.43.44-AM.jpg\",\"width\":1598,\"height\":1034,\"caption\":\"3-Will-Ralph Goranson: The Real Captain Miller\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Dr. Dabbs – Ralph Goranson: The Real Captain Miller\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/\",\"name\":\"Gun Reviews and News | GunsAmerica.com\\\/Digest\",\"description\":\"Gun Reviews, Industry News, and Product Reviews for Rifles, Pistols, Revolvers, Shotguns, Optics, and Ammunition. Looking to purchase a firearm online? Look no further than GunsAmerica.com, America's premier destination for buying and selling firearms.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"GunsAmerica\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/image-3.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/image-3.png\",\"width\":286,\"height\":156,\"caption\":\"GunsAmerica\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/gunsamerica\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/gunsamerica\",\"https:\\\/\\\/instagram.com\\\/gunsamerica_official\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/GunsAmerica\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/4b818f415191c071a88bdc0d8cb33eca\",\"name\":\"Will Dabbs\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/3f92754a3ed333ac83169c15688576870270fedca39840d42964bdc8aba0f8bc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/3f92754a3ed333ac83169c15688576870270fedca39840d42964bdc8aba0f8bc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/3f92754a3ed333ac83169c15688576870270fedca39840d42964bdc8aba0f8bc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Will Dabbs\"},\"description\":\"Will is still trying to figure out what he really wants to be when he grows up. However, shooting guns and claiming it was work seemed like a pretty sweet hustle. As a result, Will serendipitously transformed an avocation into a vocation. Raised in the Mississippi Delta, Will flew UH1H, OH58A\\\/C, CH47D and AH1S helicopters operationally as an Army Aviator. He is SCUBA-qualified and has parachuted out of perfectly good airplanes at 3 o'clock in the morning. Will has summited Mount McKinley, Alaska, six times\u2026always at the controls of an Army helicopter, which is the only way sensible folk climb mountains. Will has delivered sixty babies and occasionally wrung human blood out of his socks. He is married to his high school sweetheart and has three awesome adult children. Turn-ons include vintage German machineguns, flying his sexy-cool RV6A airplane, Count Chocula cereal and the movie \u201cAliens.\u201d www.word-monkey.com Experience: -Professional Writer-thousands of publishing credits for dozens of titles -Mechanical Engineer\\\/Practicing Physician -Instrument-rated Commercial Pilot -Sunday School Teacher\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.word-monkey.com\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/will.dabbs.9\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/drwildmanmd\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/author\\\/willdabbs\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Dr. Dabbs - Ralph Goranson: The Real Captain Miller","description":"Dr. Dabbs - Ralph Goranson: The Real Captain Miller - The story of a man who inspired Saving Private Ryan","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Dr. Dabbs - Ralph Goranson: The Real Captain Miller","og_description":"While CPT Miller is indeed one of the most compelling characters in Saving Private Ryan, the real guy who inspired him is all the more extraordinary. Tom Hanks\u2019 character was based on 24-year-old CPT Ralph Goranson. Born, appropriately enough, on the 4th\u00a0of July, 1919, CPT Goranson was the commander of C Company, 2d Ranger Battalion.","og_url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\/","og_site_name":"Gun Reviews and News | GunsAmerica.com\/Digest","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gunsamerica","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/will.dabbs.9","article_published_time":"2023-07-30T04:56:55+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-10-03T02:29:51+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1598,"height":1034,"url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Screen-Shot-2022-11-01-at-10.43.44-AM.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Will Dabbs","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@gunsamerica","twitter_site":"@gunsamerica","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Will Dabbs","Est. reading time":"14 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\/"},"author":{"name":"Will Dabbs","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#\/schema\/person\/4b818f415191c071a88bdc0d8cb33eca"},"headline":"Dr. Dabbs – Ralph Goranson: The Real Captain Miller","datePublished":"2023-07-30T04:56:55+00:00","dateModified":"2023-10-03T02:29:51+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\/"},"wordCount":1998,"commentCount":19,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Screen-Shot-2022-11-01-at-10.43.44-AM.jpg","keywords":["Buzz","Feature Articles","War Hero","Will Dabbs"],"articleSection":["Authors","Will Dabbs"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\/","url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\/","name":"Dr. Dabbs - Ralph Goranson: The Real Captain Miller","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Screen-Shot-2022-11-01-at-10.43.44-AM.jpg","datePublished":"2023-07-30T04:56:55+00:00","dateModified":"2023-10-03T02:29:51+00:00","description":"Dr. Dabbs - Ralph Goranson: The Real Captain Miller - The story of a man who inspired Saving Private Ryan","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Screen-Shot-2022-11-01-at-10.43.44-AM.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Screen-Shot-2022-11-01-at-10.43.44-AM.jpg","width":1598,"height":1034,"caption":"3-Will-Ralph Goranson: The Real Captain Miller"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/ralph-goranson-the-real-captain-miller\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Dr. Dabbs – Ralph Goranson: The Real Captain Miller"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#website","url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/","name":"Gun Reviews and News | GunsAmerica.com\/Digest","description":"Gun Reviews, Industry News, and Product Reviews for Rifles, Pistols, Revolvers, Shotguns, Optics, and Ammunition. Looking to purchase a firearm online? Look no further than GunsAmerica.com, America's premier destination for buying and selling firearms.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#organization","name":"GunsAmerica","url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-3.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-3.png","width":286,"height":156,"caption":"GunsAmerica"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gunsamerica","https:\/\/x.com\/gunsamerica","https:\/\/instagram.com\/gunsamerica_official\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/GunsAmerica"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#\/schema\/person\/4b818f415191c071a88bdc0d8cb33eca","name":"Will Dabbs","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3f92754a3ed333ac83169c15688576870270fedca39840d42964bdc8aba0f8bc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3f92754a3ed333ac83169c15688576870270fedca39840d42964bdc8aba0f8bc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3f92754a3ed333ac83169c15688576870270fedca39840d42964bdc8aba0f8bc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Will Dabbs"},"description":"Will is still trying to figure out what he really wants to be when he grows up. However, shooting guns and claiming it was work seemed like a pretty sweet hustle. As a result, Will serendipitously transformed an avocation into a vocation. Raised in the Mississippi Delta, Will flew UH1H, OH58A\/C, CH47D and AH1S helicopters operationally as an Army Aviator. He is SCUBA-qualified and has parachuted out of perfectly good airplanes at 3 o'clock in the morning. Will has summited Mount McKinley, Alaska, six times\u2026always at the controls of an Army helicopter, which is the only way sensible folk climb mountains. Will has delivered sixty babies and occasionally wrung human blood out of his socks. He is married to his high school sweetheart and has three awesome adult children. Turn-ons include vintage German machineguns, flying his sexy-cool RV6A airplane, Count Chocula cereal and the movie \u201cAliens.\u201d www.word-monkey.com Experience: -Professional Writer-thousands of publishing credits for dozens of titles -Mechanical Engineer\/Practicing Physician -Instrument-rated Commercial Pilot -Sunday School Teacher","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.word-monkey.com","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/will.dabbs.9","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/drwildmanmd\/"],"url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/author\/willdabbs\/"}]}},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Screen-Shot-2022-11-01-at-10.43.44-AM-150x97.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190795","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=190795"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190795\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":191845,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190795\/revisions\/191845"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/169963"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=190795"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=190795"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=190795"},{"taxonomy":"featured","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured?post=190795"},{"taxonomy":"hunt365","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hunt365?post=190795"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}