Original Item: Very Few Available. This is an original Ranger Assault Vest costume piece or prop used during production of Steven Spielberg’s landmark 1998 WWII film Saving Private Ryan. Each vest is stamped CRC beneath the collar, identifying it as having come from the Costume Rentals Corporation, which supplied a substantial amount of WWII-era wardrobe and uniform material for the production.

These vests were released following the closure of Costume Rentals Corporation in 2025 and, according to the supplied provenance, had not previously been offered on the collector market.

There is some variation among the examples available. Sizes differ, and some vests show heavier staining, wear, and general use than others, reflecting the different amounts of handling and filming each piece received. Certain examples may also retain additional markings or tags, although most are marked beneath the collar with: CRC and a handwritten: USA

Each vest is accompanied by a scanned and printed copy of a notarized letter confirming that the uniform material originated with Costume Rentals Corporation and was used in the production of Saving Private Ryan. The letter was signed by Harlan Glenn, who worked on the production as a Costume Consultant and Purchaser.

This provenance is especially significant because it ties the surviving wardrobe directly to the production source rather than relying solely on later collector attribution.

IMA also has a direct connection to the film. International Military Antiques supplied machine guns, edged weapons, and other military equipment for Saving Private Ryan, which was released in 1998 and became one of the most influential WWII films ever made.

The Ranger Assault Vest itself is closely associated with the U.S. Army Rangers portrayed during the Normandy sequences of the film. The 5th Ranger Battalion was activated on September 1, 1943 at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, and later took part in the Normandy invasion.

On D-Day, elements of the 5th Ranger Battalion landed on Omaha Beach along with Companies A, B, and C of the 2nd Ranger Battalion. The Rangers came ashore amid intense German machine-gun, mortar, and artillery fire while elements of the 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division, were pinned down along the beach.

It was during this fighting that Brigadier General Norman Cota, Assistant Division Commander of the 29th Infantry Division, is famously associated with the phrase:

“Rangers, Lead The Way!”

The 5th Rangers pushed inland through beach obstacles, barbed wire, and fortified German positions, advancing toward Vierville-sur-Mer and helping open routes through the beach defenses for follow-on troops.

Company C of the 2nd Ranger Battalion landed farther west after being displaced by rough seas and suffered severe casualties during the landing. Despite this, its men scaled the cliffs and attacked German positions dominating the beach.

The 5th Ranger Battalion later linked up with elements of the 2nd Ranger Battalion and continued fighting through Normandy. The Rangers also took part in subsequent operations including the fighting for Brest, the Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge.

The combination of recognizable Saving Private Ryan wardrobe styling, CRC markings, surviving production wear, and the accompanying notarized provenance makes these highly appealing pieces of modern military film history.

Because only a very small number are available and each shows its own individual wear and markings, every vest has slightly different character.

Condition Note: Examples vary in size, staining, wear, markings, and tags. The vest received will show the type of genuine production use and handling described above.