Lieutenant Colonel Anderson is the commander of the 2nd Rangers Battalion. He gave the order for Captain Miller to go find Private James Francis Ryan.
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On D-day he would most likely have been on the ships away from the battle like most of the commanders of the different battalions and divisions. He would have only seen the later part of combat when most of the fighting was done and they were rounding up German soldiers.
Shortly after D-day, he ordered Miller to take out towed 88s and three different areas around the villages surrounding the beach. He asked for how many casualties it took to take them to which Miller replied "35 dead, times 2 wounded... They just didn't want to give up those 88s". Anderson then replied "It was a tough assignment, that's why you got it".
He then calls Miller by his first name, almost sympathetically, and then proceeds to tell him of another assignment he has for him; to find Private Ryan.
This is the only time he is seen in the film.
Trivia
- Lt. Col Anderson wasn't the commander of the 2nd Rangers Battalion. In reality, it was actually Lt. Col Rudder.
- Anderson is the only person in the entire film that Miller swears in front of. This is shown when he is explaining the mine troubles they faced when trying to flank the enemy. He lists several different mines then says, after listing a certain mine, "the little bastards the mine detectors don't pick up".
- It is unknown why he would swear in front of someone of a higher rank but not in front of his own soldiers.