Rekindling The Horrors Of War

D-Day is known as one of the longest and most horrifying days for the thousands of men who stormed the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944.

Rick Carrier, then 18 years old, was there. He'd had his heart set on art school, but instead, found himself in a ferocious battle. Carrier still has painful memories of the day he attacked the Germans on Omaha Beach.

Watching the newly-released Steven Spielberg film, Saving Private Ryan, brought back the horrors of his experience.

"It brought back a lot of vivid memories," Carrier told CBS 'This Morning' Co-Anchor Mark McEwen. "It was pretty direct. It moved me quite a bit."

Carrier's job that day was to sweep for land mines. He said that actor Tom Hank's portrayal stirred a lot of adrenaline, but that the opening sequence did not show how bloody the battleground actually was.

"It lets you see what war is like," Carrier said. "And I want to tell you one thing: it wasn't gory enough. I really mean it."

Sergio Maddalena was barely out of high school when he served in World War II. At age 19, Maddalena carried ammunition to the soldiers of the 29th division. For him, the movie rekindled the sense of fear and anxiety he felt when he hit the beach.

"The shot where he shows the landing craft and they're going in full speed - that was so clear," Maddalena said. "It reminded me of when I was in that craft."

For both veterans, Saving Private Ryan stirred old emotions and depicted the war in clear terms.

"The scenes on the beach when all the bullets were whipping around and everybody was being hit, realizing that I was in that very same position, said Carrier. "I knew I had a guardian angel that kept those bullets away from me."

Maddalena said one character reminded him of himself at that age. Other characters brought back images of lost buddies.

"Like someone told me, you gotta thank God you lived 50 years or more," he said.

Saving Private Ryan is said to depict WWII so well that many veterans have had flashbacks about their own traumatic experiences.

"I was holding my hand on my knee, and suddenly, my hand started to tremble a little bit like Tom Hanks' because that's one of the characteristics of battle," said Carrier.

The film's impact has led the government to remind those who need counseling that they can contact the Veterans Administration at 1-800-827-1000 for help.