Frederick W. Niland was the youngest of four American brothers of German descent from Tonawanda, NY, to serve in the U.S. Military during World War II. Beginning with the oldest, his brothers were Edward F. (1912-1984); Preston T. (1915-7 June 1944); and Robert J. (1919-6 June 1944). They were the sons of Michael and Augusta Niland. Fritz's father, Mike "The Bull" Niland, served with the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War.

World War II Service

During the war, Fritz served as a Sergeant with Company H, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. He was close friends with Warren Muck and Donald Malarkey from Company E, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division ("Easy Company"), who were both featured prominently in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers.

On D-Day, SGT Niland's plane missed its drop zone and dropped the paratroopers away from Carentan. Fritz and his buddy, Jack Brier, fought their way back to the 501st circa 11 June, where they fought with the 501st through the early days of the Normandy campaign. During that period Fritz was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for throwing a grenade into a German machinegun nest on 12 June.

Several days after D-Day, Fritz went to see his brother, Bob (also known as 'Bob the Beast') (Honoree Record ID 2906), who was serving with Company D, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. Upon his arrival at the 82nd, he was informed that Bob had jumped near St Mere Eglise and was then killed in heavy fighting at Neuville au Plain on D-Day, 6 June 1944.

All three of Fritz's brothers were on active duty with the U.S. military and became casualties in a period of less than three weeks. Oldest brother Eddie was a U.S. Army Air Forces Technical Sergeant on a B-25 Mitchell bomber that was shot down in Asiatic Theater Burma on 16 May 1944. His mother, Augusta, received the MIA telegram about Eddie on 8 June 1944 while her other three sons were all participating in the Normandy invasion with U.S. Army Infantry units. It was soon learned that Preston (Honoree Record ID 2905), a Second Lieutenant in Company C, First Battalion, 22nd Infantry, 4th Infantry Division, had landed on Utah Beach and, on 7 June 1944, was killed in the area NW of Utah Beach near the fortresses at Azeville and Crisbecq, France.

After learning that Fritz was probably the sole surviving son in his family, Fr. Francis Sampson, Catholic Chaplain of the 501st PIR, started paperwork to have Fritz sent back to safer duty in the U.S. The paperwork took quite a while to go through, and didn't come back approved until the end of the summer of 1944.

Fritz was not pulled out of the front lines as asserted in the Stephen E. Ambrose book and in the movie, Saving Private Ryan. He remained in Normandy with the 501st through the summer of 1944. During that time he suited-up for two missions, although both were canceled. Fritz was then ordered back to England on an LST. He protested the order, wanting to return to battle and avenge his lost brothers. Against his objections, he was overruled and sent back for Military Police duty in New York state until the war ended.

One of his brothers did survive; Eddie returned from his MIA status many months later after having been interned in a Japanese P.O.W. camp. So, the book and movie created two major fictitious items: (1) Mrs. Niland did not receive three telegrams in one day regarding the loss of her sons; and (2) it was two of Fritz's brothers that were killed in action - not three.

The connection to Company E, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division ("Easy Company"), was that Warren 'Skip' Muck knew the Nilands from their mutual hometown of Tonawanda, NY. Before D-Day, Skip, Don Malarkey, Joe Toye, and Chuck Grant, met Bob and Fritz in London. Bob Niland had already experienced battle with the 82nd Airborne and gave his eager audience some views on the realities of combat.

Medals, Awards and Badges

Bronze Star Medal with Combat Valor Device
American Defense Medal
American Theater Campaign Medal
European, African, Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Combat Infantryman Badge
Parachutist Badge

Post-War Life

After the war, Fritz Niland attended the University of Georgetown Dental School in Washington, DC, for four years and graduated in the Class of 1950. He then attended post-graduate training in Oral Surgery and became an Oral Surgeon known for innovating new surgical techniques.

Fritz married Marilyn Hartnett and they had two daughters, Catherine (Cate) and Mary.

Death and Burial

Sergeant Frederick W. Niland died on 1 December 1983 in San Francisco at the age of 63. He is buried at Fort Richardson National Cemetery in Fort Richardson, Anchorage Borough, AK, in Plot G, Grave 1599.

His wife, Marilyn, died on 20 January 1990 and is buried with him.

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