Technician 5th Class Corporal Timothy E. Upham

 

Originally a mapmaker and translator in the 29th Infantry Division, Timothy Upham (Jeremy Davies) was assigned to Captain Miller's Ranger squad on June 9th in order to provide the Rangers with someone that could speak fluent French and German. Ill-suited to the battlefield, Upham's attempts to socialize with his new comrades were awkward and unsuccessful.

The Ranger company's search for Private Ryan ended at Ramelle on June 13th, and during their defense of the city from a German attack, Upham found himself paralyzed with fear and unable to carry out his duties. The docile Upham's nature changed when he witnessed a German soldier fatally wound Captain Miller. The soldier had been previously captured by the Ranger squad days before, and Upham had approved of Miller's unpopular order to release the German in spite of the rest of the squad's desire to execute the soldier, who might have been responsible for the loss of the squad's medic. Seeing his commanding officer shot, Upham advanced on the German position and held them at gunpoint. As Allied forces began to enter Ramelle, Upham shot the former prisoner, and allowed the other German soldiers to escape.