MovieChat Forums > Saving Private Ryan (1998) Discussion > What about parents of an only child?

What about parents of an only child?

posted 3 years ago by Who (5146)
2 replies | jump to latest

They pulled Pvt Ryan out of combat because his four brothers died and losing him would be too much hardship for his mother. But, using that logic shouldn’t all only-children be pulled from combat too? The loss of any child is an unbearable hardship but letting Pvt Ryan go home while letting a guy from an only-child home stay doesn’t seem right either.

[–] thingmakersback (1370) 3 years ago

You are right but this was the thinking at the time... Because of: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sullivan_brothers
Five brothers on one ship all died at once in '42. It upset a lot of people and the military remembered it.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (77381) 3 years ago

That's a good point
I can only guess that a family hit with the sledgehammer four times has suffered enough