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This is developing into an interesting thread as on one hand, we have those that have an interest in military history with little or no first hand military experience (I am guessing that this covers the majority of us here??) and wondering what it would be like to be 'under fire' and how we would react in such circumstances!
I know that I have often thought of this, wondering what it would be like to have been at the Somme on 01 July 1916, at Messines when the mines were blown on 7 June 1917 and the mud fields of Passchendale during WW1, what it would be like to have flown on 15 Sept 1940, to have taken part the Dambusters raid, what it would have been like, to have been on the end of the two 1000 plane bomber raids to Hamburg and Cologne and the battle at Hurtgen Forest to name a few.
On the other hand, we have those that have experienced combat, may possibly have seen sights that will live with them for the rest of their lives and would not want anybody else to experience the same.
My father is one of these, having served in the Royal Navy during 1940-46. He is happy to discuss certain areas of his service but steadfastly refuses to discuss any of the combat he experienced. Why, I am unsure and all I know is that he did one or two Convoy runs to Russia, a few Atlantic Convoy runs and was based at Scarborough.
Both my Grandfathers served during 1914-18 and fortunately both survived but my paternal Grandfather never spoke of his experiences to anybody. He was 97 when he died and from the end of the War until he died, he suffered from nightmares on an almost nightly basis and would regularly wake up bathed in sweat. Then 3 weeks before he died and for each meal, he insisted on setting two extra places (including wine glasses) at the dinner table and then proceeded to talk with his two friends that unfortunatley did not survive. In this 3 week period, not one nightmare??????
To some extent and while I do not use them, I imagine that computer sims can offer an insight into the 'experience' but what none of these programmes will do, is kill the 'player' like a 'live' enemy will do or what it will feel like to witness the loss of a best friend killed, so while it is possible to 'fly' a P-51, B-17, Bf109, or to take part in a land battle, it can never be a real simulation.
So, which viewpoint is right?
My personal point of view is both are right, because if someone is happy to sit down and talk to me about their experiences, I am happy to listen and learn but equally, if someone has trouble come to terms with their experiences, who am I to insist on making that person relive the horrors they experienced?
However what should be remembered is that as time moves on and survivers of all conflict dwindle, then what was learnt and experienced, WILL be fogotten and WILL be re-learnt the hard way.
Tony
PS
I am the first member of my family who has not served in the forces. This was not my choice but a direction that I was prevented from taking by my parents. As such, if anything that I have written, has been taken the wrong way, then I apologise now as this is really not intended, as I do appreciate what is done on my behalf even though I will never understand what has been or is being experienced.
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...and pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in Space cos there's bugger all down here on Earth!
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