'Ryan' Too Real For Some Vets

Saving Private Ryan depicts war so well that it has caused many WWII veterans to experience flashbacks about their own personal tragedies of war.

The emotional impact this film has had on the nation's veterans has prompted the government to remind those who need counseling that help is available by calling the Veterans Administration at 1-800-827-1000.

Correspondent Sean Comey of CBS station KPIX-TV in San Francisco visited with some WWII veterans to see how the graphic and realistic nature of the horrors of war in Spielberg's latest epic has caused some of them to revisit painful memories that may have been latent for many years.

WWII vet Roy Gass saw Ryan and told Comey: "Last night was really bad. I must have gotten up at least a dozen times."

Gass' feelings about the film are similar to those of many other WWII veterans. Comey reports that many felt that "watching the movie was like being back in battle."

For WWII veteran Everett Stanley, the film was so reminiscent of his wartime experiences that he told Comey, "I was really happy the screen was there to block out the bullets."

Reported by Sean Comey