Is ‘Fury’ based on a true story?

From Sisu to Saving Private Ryan, watching Nazis meet their maker is one of the most entertaining things on Earth, which is precisely why 2014’s tank-centric action flick Fury is so fikken’ good. Frankly, is there anything better than a great World War II movie? (I’ll help you out. The answer is no.)

As a quick refresher, Fury follows the members of an American tank crew as they fight their way through Germany during the final days of the Second World War. Complete with an eccentric list of characters brought to life by Brad Pitt, Logan Lerman, Shia LaBeouf, Michael Peña, and Jon Bernthal — there’s nothing quite like Fury.

With such impressive attention to detail, could it be possible that Fury was based on a true story? Well, kind of. Although not directly adapted from any particular source or retelling, Fury did draw inspiration from real-life events.

What is Fury based on?

David Ayer, the film’s writer-director, seemed to take great care in making sure that his movie remained history, which meant a few things. Ayer ended up supplying his cast with working WWII tanks, forcing them through Navy SEAL boot camp, and at every turn tried to make his actors genuinely believe that they were a team. Talk about commitment.

Believe it or not, Brad Pitt’s character Wardaddy is based on American Staff Sergeant Lafayette G. “War Daddy” Pool. Who, according to Wikipedia, arrived in Europe after D-Day and destroyed 258 enemy vehicles before his tank was finally brought down in late 1944. Honestly, I shouldn’t have to tell you how absolutely mind-blowing that is, although you probably don’t get the nickname “War Daddy” for nothing—just a guess.

Fury also drew inspiration from another story from the WWII memoir Death Traps, wherein an American tank operator could hold a slew of German soldiers by himself overnight until help arrived in the morning. Okay, here’s the deal; I might not be a tough guy, I write articles for a living, but I know a couple of badasses when I see them.

So is Fury based on a true story? No, but there are fractions of truth peppered throughout the film, giving it an authenticity that can be genuinely felt on-screen. I loved Fury when it came out; I love it now. It’s true that not everyone you meet has seen this thing, but in my opinion, it’s definitely a story worth watching.