Have you ever been to a battlefield?

[TravelingMaaike]

If so, where? And from what war?

We have loads of battlefields in Europe. And there are apparently a lot in the Americas as well.

[pierre7i]

Yes I have:

* WW1 sites in France and along the highways between Germany + France

* Parts of what is now Jordan where Arab forces, advised by Lawrence of Arabia, attacked & defeated Ottoman Empire forces in WW1

* Dunkirk in France, where the British Expeditionary forces had to evacuate back to England in WW2/1940

* Biggin Hill and other RAF airfields that were used in WW2's Battle of Britain in 1940

* All 5 WW2 6th June 1944 D-Day invasion beaches in Normandy, plus Arromanche & Pointe du Hoc

* The Bridge at Remagen that was the site of a major WW2 battle to cross the Rhine River in 1945

* Places in Singapore & Malaysia where British forces fought the invading Japanese army in WW2/1942

* The WW2 River Kwai Bridge & railway line in Thailand, including Wang Pho Viaduct & Hellfire Pass (several times as I currently live in Thailand)

[Mansearching]

Yes. The Alamo, Gonzales, Goliad, San Jacinto. Haven't been to Ft. Velasco yet. Even though its 30 miles away... lol

[Mansearching]

by the way... mine are battle fields for war of Texas independence from Mexico.

[jennifer_bloom]

I went on vacation to Hawaii in 2018 and visited Pearl Harbour for several hours during our trip there, that was a battle field decades ago and is now a tourist site too remember the tragedies of war and the heroes who died. It was intellectually engaging cause we got to visit the inside of a submarine during our trip there. There was a very famous monument that was closed down for renovations during our trip but we still had a good time.

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

I was in the middle of war-zone, in 2008, in Russian-Georgian war. I was 11.

In 2022, after break up, I got enlisted to the army trainings to go to the war and fight against Russians in Ukraine, thankfully I failed the harsh trainings.

[BoopBoopBeep]

Look at that... learn something every day...

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

@BoopBoopBeep I am not very proud of that and they do still joke about my army story in my family.
I am a bit embarrassed but now I also find it funny.

I have made a post about it in the past. Don’t be too strict on me, I was fresh out of break up and acted a bit immature.

What’s something that you shamefully failed at? ↗

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

The captains told me to come back next year and try again… I am already in China but when I go back, if I have enough time, I’ll definitely get back to that training just to prove myself I can.

[BoopBoopBeep]

@lafemmefatale_1 I actually wouldn't be strict on you at all for that. You heard the call, you stepped up. Okay so it didn't work out too well for you and probably everybody is better off for it, but you learned something about yourself, and you did more than the people who didn't even sign up.

Most importantly you knew when it was time to ring the bell. We never fault or shame people for self-selecting out in my circles. It's hard work. Everybody isn't cut out for it. I've been to a few places where they let you ring the bell (It's an actual bell. You ring it to say you've had enough, and then you get to go home.). The rest of us will still have a drink with you and slap you on the back, wish you well.

I bet you matured a lot that week (however long you made it).

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

@BoopBoopBeep I was not giving up, actually. I kept going until I crawled. But… I didn’t want to make them slow for me. So, I asked them to leave me there.

They didn’t.

I would hate to be a burden to someone.

I quit to prepare myself well enough to never have that happen again and to be able to truly contribute instead of being a burden.

I figured, I was much stronger mentally than I was physically.

I lost 5 kg after that. I was 53 at that time. Went down to my current 48.

Started working out later on.

And hopefully in future I can prove myself that I can do it.

[BoopBoopBeep]

Then yep... definitely no reason for me to be strict with you. That's admirable. Sometimes you gotta ring the bell so you can regroup and recover. Doesn't mean you lost the war.

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

My goal is to be in a great enough shape and strength to be able to carry someone who experiences the same thing I did experience at my first week.

[BoopBoopBeep]

Haha, and actually..."I didn't want to hold my teammates back" IS the most common reason people ring the bell. It's rarely about themselves. You don't go all that way to get there because you're focused solely on yourself all the time. Those people always burn out.

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

@BoopBoopBeep I can relate to that, haha.
We were training very high in the forest of snowy Georgian mountains.

I’m thankful, they waited for me and didn’t actually leave me there alone as I asked for it haha. I went down from the mountain myself, I just needed some rest.

I was so frustrated with myself, but at least I was content I tried my best at that point,

When I got back home, I was all bruised, with clothes ripped off, my fingernails cut, my knees and hands bloody, my whole body hurting.

My brother made me a tea and I remember he barely contained his laughter.

In my family they know I am much more stubborn than I am strong, my brother is very strong, so was my dad all my life, he was the best in army and later on he was the winner of arm wrestling and boxing. So, they were physically much stronger than I and I guess, they knew from the beginning I would not do so well.

My parents visited to see me that evening and for a while we were all sitting in silence, then they burst in laughter and we laughed together.

At least, the day ended well.

[BoopBoopBeep]

I think that's a great way to end that little adventure. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that evening. I'm glad your parents were there to share that with you.

[BoopBoopBeep]

crap forgot to @lafemmefatale_1

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

@BoopBoopBeep Thanks so much for listening to my story and enjoying it 😇😊

Yep, I am lucky to have my family love me so much. Thinking of this, I haven’t called my dad for 3 days. He is such an amazing dad, my eyes get teary that I am not that attentive. I should call him when he wakes up and tell him “I love him.”

Sharing this story with you reminded me of it. Thank you.

[BoopBoopBeep]

I think that's a great idea. I'm glad I could play my small part in it.

Speaking of waking up. I will be in 5 hours, so I'm racking out for the night. Have fun everybody!

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

@BoopBoopBeep Enjoy your sleep.

[Lliam]

I visited the Colonial National Historical Park (Revolutionary War) near Yorktown, Virginia.

I visited Manassas and Yorktown National Parks (Civil War).

My dad was in WWII. He landed in one of the secondary waves on Utah Beach in Normandy and was in every significant battle on the march to Germany. I went to France and Germany with him and my mom to tour cemeteries and battle sites for three weeks in 1984. Aside from WWII, we saw some WWI sites, as well. Doing that with my dad was very memorable. He was treated with great respect at some of those places and, at times, he was quite moved. It brought back a lot of good, bad, and sometimes humorous memories for him. I think it was cathartic. And hearing some his stories gave me new insight.

[BoopBoopBeep]

I've been to the revolutionary battlegrounds in the Carolinas hundreds of times since they were miles from my mom's house. Found a few musket balls out there over the years. Went to Pearl Harbor. Went to a couple of the battle sites in South Korea when i visited the DMZ. Then of course Iraq and Afghanistan, briefly saw where the tanks rolled into Kuwait City when Saddam invaded, but that wasn't much of a battle. Went to a couple others in some other countries.

[Avicenna]

I've been to a bunch of Revolutionary War and Civil War battlefields in the US, the Plains of Abraham in Quebec, a bunch in Europe (including in the Balkans) and Vietnam.

I've probably also been a few places where battles were fought without even realizing it.

[Avicenna]

Singapore as well

[purplepoppy]

Most here in the UK are from the middle ages or the Civil War and I've been to a few. What strikes you is there's often little more than a simple plaque that tells of thousands killed for some small petty reason

[DJB72]

The Somme, Ypres, Flanders, the Normandy Beaches, Vimy Ridge...

Yep, I've been to a few - all before I was 14.

Standing at Thiepvaal reading some of the thousands of names is sobering when you remember that they were just some of the men whose bodies were never found.

[Bricealan]

Stupid me, I did not take the day trip, to Normandie, while in France. Regret it to this day.

[exitseven]

I have been to Lexington Battle Green where on April 19. 1775 where the "shot heard round the world " was fired. It was the beginning of the American Revolution.

[SaoirseS]

Yes, I've been to a couple of Civil War battlefield sites in the United States. There are quite a few of them.

[Still-alive]

damn i definitely gotta see those someday.

[zagor]

Waterloo, Gettysburg, Bull Run, and at least a dozen more.

[TravelingMaaike]

Waterloo is good

[zagor]

Also some of the WW I battlefields in Flanders area of Belgium.

[KostasKouvalis]

I've been to sites where battles have taken place. The only battle FIELD I recall visiting was in Quebec City. Those places usually don't interest me as they're nothing but grass

[SixFootSexy]

I've been to a lot of the Civil War battlegrounds and a few of the WWII sites as well. It's quite sobering to think so many men died for a cause they believed in.

[SPIRIT208]

I literally lived right near Charleston most of my life so I’ve been to Fort Sumpter a lot and plenty of other places including Yorktown, and the swamps of Francis Marion (literally lived in them)

[AviatorTom]

I've been to several US Civil War battlefields, as well as a few ancient history battlefields in Europe and Asia.

[AmeerX]

I have been to gunfight scenes involving gangsters

[Phoenix98]

There aren't many battlefields in the state where I'm from/live most of the fighting here was old wild west shootouts and duels.

[DaisyM23]

i don't remember which exact battlefield but I've been to some trenches from ww1 in Belgium

[lightbulb27]

normandy beach. humbling. gettysburg PA.

[Anonymous]

No

I’m cursed I don’t want to pick up any bad spirits

[DerekC321]

Normandy. Also Verdun.

[msc545]

I try not to. Too much sadness there.

[Slingblade1126]

Definitely true. I went to Gettysburg and Pearl Harbor. It was interesting but I just couldn't shake the feeling of sadness. It actually stuck with me for days! I don't think I would want to do it again.

[DryGermanGuy]

Yes, World War I and II.

[DaBiggestBird]

We’re all in it all the time

[eagle1951]

Vietnam

[TravelingMaaike]

Did you happen to witness and fight in that?

I see you are old enough

[eagle1951]

U. S. Army Combat Engineer.

[Charliefretz329]

Many, both historical and active.

[Charliefretz329]

Many civil war and revolutionary war and also “indian” war battlefields here in US are well known. I’ve been to many of those. It gives a perspective of the determination of the human spirit.

Even the battlegrounds of war between British and Spanish and French here locally leaves me awestruck

[QuietRunner]

yes, great historical trips

[Twalli]

gettysburg

[SUMAIREBRAHIM]

Nope never 😂😂🤣

[Anonymous]

dont think so