thedrifter
05-08-08, 08:42 AM
Report: Real-life ‘Private Ryan’ ignored by stars of war movie
Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Thursday, May 8, 2008
The stars of “Saving Private Ryan” have declined to support legislation that parallels their hit film, according to The Hill, a daily newspaper that reports on Congress.
Hollywood’s top GIs have spurned an effort by Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., to help real soldiers who have lost family members in Iraq and Afghanistan, the paper noted. These soldiers returned home under the “sole survivor” policy, which was a storyline in the 1998 Oscar-winning film.
In the movie, a troop of soldiers led by Tom Hanks’ character risks their lives to save Private Ryan (Matt Damon), whose three brothers have all been killed in World War II.
Nunes had a similar situation in his district. According to the report, after former Army Spc. Jason Hubbard lost his two brothers in Iraq, the military:
would not provide the customary support for a veteran transitioning to civilian life;
denied him GI bill benefits;
refused to provide transitional health care;
and ordered him to repay a portion of his enlistment bonus.
So far, however, Hanks, Damon, director Steven Spielberg and writer Robert Rodat have brushed aside attempts to enlist their support, The Hill reported.
An e-mail reply from Hanks’s agent, Meghan Hurlbut, to a Nunes staffer said the star had “politely declined” the request for a signature on a letter of support, it said.
Spielberg had a similar response.
Damon’s agent, Jennifer Allen, said Damon was in Europe shooting a movie but would get back to Nunes’s aides. So far, he has not, the Hill reported.
Nunes is disappointed that the celebrities who made the film and benefited from it financially are too busy to sign a letter to help real-world soldiers.
“Hollywood made millions on this film, and we thought they’d want to give back,” Nunes told the paper. “We have a real-life Private Ryan who could use their help … it has been rather frustrating on our end that they’re not interested.”
Ellie
Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Thursday, May 8, 2008
The stars of “Saving Private Ryan” have declined to support legislation that parallels their hit film, according to The Hill, a daily newspaper that reports on Congress.
Hollywood’s top GIs have spurned an effort by Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., to help real soldiers who have lost family members in Iraq and Afghanistan, the paper noted. These soldiers returned home under the “sole survivor” policy, which was a storyline in the 1998 Oscar-winning film.
In the movie, a troop of soldiers led by Tom Hanks’ character risks their lives to save Private Ryan (Matt Damon), whose three brothers have all been killed in World War II.
Nunes had a similar situation in his district. According to the report, after former Army Spc. Jason Hubbard lost his two brothers in Iraq, the military:
would not provide the customary support for a veteran transitioning to civilian life;
denied him GI bill benefits;
refused to provide transitional health care;
and ordered him to repay a portion of his enlistment bonus.
So far, however, Hanks, Damon, director Steven Spielberg and writer Robert Rodat have brushed aside attempts to enlist their support, The Hill reported.
An e-mail reply from Hanks’s agent, Meghan Hurlbut, to a Nunes staffer said the star had “politely declined” the request for a signature on a letter of support, it said.
Spielberg had a similar response.
Damon’s agent, Jennifer Allen, said Damon was in Europe shooting a movie but would get back to Nunes’s aides. So far, he has not, the Hill reported.
Nunes is disappointed that the celebrities who made the film and benefited from it financially are too busy to sign a letter to help real-world soldiers.
“Hollywood made millions on this film, and we thought they’d want to give back,” Nunes told the paper. “We have a real-life Private Ryan who could use their help … it has been rather frustrating on our end that they’re not interested.”
Ellie