BAR NONE

As a combat veteran of World War II, I was amused at your article on “Saving Private Ryan” (“In the Footsteps of G.I. Joe,” by Sean Mitchell, July 19).

The first thing I see is Tom Hanks in combat wearing his steel helmet with his captain’s bars on the front. No officer in combat, where he might get shot, ever showed his officer status on the front of his helmet. (From major on up, maybe, because they were usually not close enough to be shot at.)

The Germans were not idiots (as shown on “Hogan’s Heroes”) and certainly would shoot officers first if they could be identified.

The only way to know about combat is to be there, and usually the military technical advisors (always a high-ranking officer) never got shot at during the whole war.

EARL YOUNG

Buena Park

*

If I wasn’t in my right mind I would think that The Times was working with Paramount and DreamWorks at trying to make “Saving Private Ryan” a classic before it hit the movie theaters. Two articles in one week, both praising the realism and boldness of the film while putting down a majority of the World War II films that have come before.

I just hope you do the same when Terrence Malick’s “The Thin Red Line” is released.

LOFTY ALVAREZ

Alhambra