"Earn this, James…"

Private Ryan stood up shakily, seeing Captain Miller's motionless hand resting peacefully for the second time in his life.

As the memory faded from his mind, Ryan eyes shifted into focus. Slowly, the white cross came into view.

John H. Miller

Captain 2nd Ranger Battalion Company C

Pennsylvania 1909

"To be honest with you, I wasn't sure how I would feel coming back here," he told the cross.

He lifted his heavy head and slowly took everything in. The trees, the crosses…

… the beach.

Had it really been sixty-five years? It felt like only a few seconds had passed since Miller had whispered his last words in his ear.

"Every day, I think about what you said to me that day on the bridge," he spoke again.

It was interesting, really, how Normandy was like the bookends of his life. He had come here once as a young man, in the early years of his life, and now, as an old man, in the final years of his life.

This was it. Private Ryan knew he would never be able to make the trip to Normandy again. If he had something to say to Miller, he would have to say it now.

"I've tried to live my life the best I could. I hope that was enough. I hope that at least in your eyes, I've earned what all of you have done for me," he said shakily.

He took one last look at the white cross as his wife came up from behind him.

He felt a pang in his heart, knowing that this would be the last time he would ever see the long line of crosses on the Normandy coast.

I am planning on writing three chapters for this story- one on Ryan, one on Reiben, and one on Upham.

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