What is the most moving historical place you have visited?

2015-07-08T16:37:31-04:00

I have been to a lot of battlefields and museums, but the one place that has actually moved me the most has been Fort McHenry in Baltimore, it was here that Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the Star Spangled Banner. What places, in your travels have moved you?

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 8 at 2015 4:39 PM

2015-07-08T16:39:25-04:00

The pyramids of Egypt.

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Jul 8 at 2015 4:45 PM

2015-07-08T16:45:40-04:00

Toss up between Arlington National Cemetery, Black Hills National Cemetery, and the USS Arizona Memorial.

Response by SSG Sean Gallagher made Jul 8 at 2015 4:49 PM

2015-07-08T16:49:50-04:00

Omaha Beach and Pont du Hoc Normandy, France

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 8 at 2015 4:50 PM

2015-07-08T16:50:08-04:00

To many to count....the military blessed me with the opportunity to live in Europe for almost 16 years and with multiple trips to the dessert as well......I saw more history before I was 10 years old than most people will get to see in their entire lives....much thanks......and no regrets.

Response by COL Mikel J. Burroughs made Jul 8 at 2015 4:51 PM

2015-07-08T16:51:15-04:00

CW3 Kevin Storm The National Cemetery in Luxembourg where General Patton is buried and the German Cemetery in Luxembourg. When I was stationed at Chievres AFB, Belgium I had the chances to visit all the great battle grounds throughout Europe and the National Cemeteries. That one impressed me the most. Back in 1976 the German cemetery wasn't as well taken care of as the US Cemetery. There was a big difference.

Response by CPO Joseph Grant made Jul 8 at 2015 4:55 PM

2015-07-08T16:55:03-04:00

Easily the Arizona memorial. We also remembered our brothers on Wahoo as we transited the La Perouse strait. That was a little eerie as we were submerged and had a casualty onboard shortly thereafter.

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Jul 8 at 2015 5:00 PM

2015-07-08T17:00:55-04:00

CW3 Kevin Storm, for me, without question, it's Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknowns.

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 8 at 2015 5:06 PM

2015-07-08T17:06:26-04:00

The Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial in St. Avold, France.

Response by MSG Brad Sand made Jul 8 at 2015 5:07 PM

2015-07-08T17:07:27-04:00

Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgoZWQ1opDE

Best Changing of the Guard, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington

Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Infantry Regiment, The Old Guard, conduct a change of guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, A...

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 8 at 2015 5:09 PM

2015-07-08T17:09:09-04:00

It's hard to believe this happened almost 14 years ago....

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 8 at 2015 5:12 PM

2015-07-08T17:12:32-04:00

Also, it is hard not to get choked up when you see THIS quote just before exiting the Holocaust Museum.

Response by LTC Bink Romanick made Jul 8 at 2015 5:14 PM

2015-07-08T17:14:21-04:00

Two places had a profound effect on me. The Wall, with 6 of my friends names on it. The Sunken Road at Antietam where so many were slaughtered.

Response by SSG Christopher Freeman made Jul 8 at 2015 5:36 PM

2015-07-08T17:36:59-04:00

The USS Constitution. My division (1st armored division) was named after it and I finally got the chance to see it. What a site it was

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 8 at 2015 6:02 PM

2015-07-08T18:02:52-04:00

Saratoga New York was a great place to visit. Especially seeing all the battle sites and the monument that was dedicated to Benedict Arnold.

Response by PO3 Alan Haynes made Jul 8 at 2015 6:12 PM

2015-07-08T18:12:57-04:00

All Equal:
- Valley Forge National Historical Park
- Midway Island (Wreath Ceremony Offshore)
- USS Arizona Memorial
- The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall
- Battle of the Coral Sea (50 Year Memorial)

Response by SPC Rick Vujs made Jul 8 at 2015 6:23 PM

2015-07-08T18:23:11-04:00

For me it was the Arizona, there is just something about that place...

Response by PVT Robert Gresham made Jul 8 at 2015 6:47 PM

2015-07-08T18:47:36-04:00

During my time in Europe I visited the concentration camps, Dachau, Buchenwald and Auschwitz-Birkenau. Each of them left an indelible impression on me. The museums on site showed many photos of the terrible conditions, and the mistreatment, and experimentation, of the prisoners there. These places have never failed to bring a tear to my eye, and a heavy feeling to my heart. I always thought that without the US Military and her allies it might be possible for such an atrocity to occur once again. It brought further pride to my personal service, as well as that of my Brothers and Sisters in Arms.

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Jul 8 at 2015 8:04 PM

2015-07-08T20:04:34-04:00

Hands down Gettysburg and Arlington. Both are moving in their own way. I was at Gettysburg when you could still walk the entire battlefield and I swear you could feel the ghosts walking right beside you. Changing of the guard at Arlington - there is nothing that comes close to that experience.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 8 at 2015 8:05 PM

2015-07-08T20:05:09-04:00

The Holocaust Museum is profoundly moving in a terribly sad way. Everyone should go once. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was a very challenging place to be. The Gettysburg Battlefield has something special to it as well.

That said, most of the deeply moving places I have been have been natural sites rather than monuments, museums, or buildings.

Response by MSgt Jamie Lyons made Jul 8 at 2015 8:56 PM

2015-07-08T20:56:06-04:00

Cambridge American Cemetery in England

Response by SGM Eric Lobsinger made Jul 8 at 2015 9:04 PM

2015-07-08T21:04:57-04:00

Growing up in Michigan, I was mesmerized by Fort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, which lies east of the Mackinac bridge that connects the upper peninsula of Michigan with the lower peninsula. I have many fond memories of traveling there and learning about the history of the settlement of the Great Lakes. Later in life, however, while serving as a Pfc. in Germany, another place moved me but for tragic reasons: the Auschwitz Concentration Camp. It is horrific to think of how humans treated their fellow human beings. I will always remember both, but for significantly different reasons.

Response by SGT Joe Sabedra made Jul 8 at 2015 10:02 PM

2015-07-08T22:02:10-04:00

Southern Germany. Garmish.

Response by LCpl Mark Lefler made Jul 8 at 2015 10:13 PM

2015-07-08T22:13:23-04:00

Probably Gettysburg or Arlington or the Mayan ruins in Guatemala.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 8 at 2015 10:19 PM

2015-07-08T22:19:58-04:00

There are three for me: The Great Pyramids of Giza, The Ziggaraut of Ur, and the area around the Sea of Galilee.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 8 at 2015 10:33 PM

2015-07-08T22:33:33-04:00

Either Arlington National Cemetery or the Vietnam Wall.

Response by LTC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 9 at 2015 12:14 AM

2015-07-09T00:14:45-04:00

Watching the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery during a light snowfall.

Response by LCpl Mark Lefler made Jul 9 at 2015 12:23 AM

2015-07-09T00:23:56-04:00

After thinking about it a bit, while not too far in the past the site of 9/11 in NYC.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 9 at 2015 12:24 AM

2015-07-09T00:24:06-04:00

I would say 3 places,
1) Pearl Harbor, when I went there the first time, you can sense all those souls, and felt the cumbersome tasks they have to deal with.

2) Arlington, Keeps me grounded, and thankful for the sacrifices of those that are there.

3) Old city in Jerusalem, inside the walls, it was very moving for me.

Great question

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 9 at 2015 12:52 AM

2015-07-09T00:52:44-04:00

Yorktown, Virginia - where the British Army fought it's last losing battle, leading to the independence of America's 13 Colonies.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 9 at 2015 12:55 AM

2015-07-09T00:55:21-04:00

The memorial at Fort Hood. It is small, not grand or famous, but I buried brothers whose names adorn that brick. So, it means the most to me.

Response by PO1 Kerry French made Jul 9 at 2015 3:00 AM

2015-07-09T03:00:27-04:00

Lots of places... the grave of Ben Franklin... I wept. We couldn't keep the republic. The old South Church and North Church... the place of the Boston Masacre... I loved Boston... my ancestors fought on the Breeds Hill at the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Response by Sgt Matt Koeneman made Jul 9 at 2015 4:49 AM

2015-07-09T04:49:41-04:00

I walked the sands of Iwo Jima. It was the most amazing feeling. To stand where so many heroes became heroes was awe inspiring, and one of the reasons i re-enlisted the following year.

Response by CPL Rob N. made Jul 9 at 2015 6:13 AM

2015-07-09T06:13:12-04:00

For me, there are several places. But the one place I love to go because it is so close is Gettysburg. So much to do during the day and just as much to do at night! Great place to take the family.

Response by CH (MAJ) William Beaver made Jul 9 at 2015 6:16 AM

2015-07-09T06:16:14-04:00

Andersonville National Civil War Prison Site

Response by PO3 David Fries made Jul 9 at 2015 6:26 AM

2015-07-09T06:26:03-04:00

The Arizona Memorial, Arlington, and the Vietnam Memorial.

Response by Sgt Daniel Albrecht made Jul 9 at 2015 6:42 AM

2015-07-09T06:42:04-04:00

Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima. I was called a boot but a WWII Marine.

Response by CSM Jennifer Dehorty made Jul 9 at 2015 7:16 AM

2015-07-09T07:16:25-04:00

Chief, for me it was Normandy and the American cemetery. I too have been to numerous, but Nirmandy was just so raw. I looked at all the headstones and you can see how many died right there or died within days mostly likely from their wounds.

Arlington is very moving, but at Normandy, you are able to get a feel for the tremendous task that was at hand.

Response by PO1 Ken Johnson made Jul 9 at 2015 7:48 AM

2015-07-09T07:48:25-04:00

Viet Nam Wall, Pearl Harbor, and Arlington {especially the Tomb of the Unknown} would be the TOP THREE. As a 6 year old visiting Arlington, my son asked, "Did all these people die in war?" I answered, "No, not all of them, but a lot of them served in wars! They may have died after serving." He looked around again and said, "We've had way too many wars!"
What can you say to that except, "Son, you are way beyond your years in wisdom!"

Response by SCPO Fred Andy made Jul 9 at 2015 8:35 AM

2015-07-09T08:35:25-04:00

Pearl Harbor. I was amazed at the effect on everyone present. Being a retired sailor it seemed to hit me very hard. I had to gather myself several times while reading plaques and names on the memorials. I couldn't help thinking of possibly losing so many of my own shipmates had we been in that situation.

Response by COL John Spiszer made Jul 9 at 2015 8:39 AM

2015-07-09T08:39:07-04:00

American Military Cemetery at Normandy

Response by SSG Gerhard S. made Jul 9 at 2015 8:46 AM

2015-07-09T08:46:24-04:00

Arlington National Cemetery hands down!

Response by PO1 Brian Schletty made Jul 9 at 2015 9:03 AM

2015-07-09T09:03:47-04:00

For me, it would be Torbay, England. I visited the piers where D-Day was launched from.

Response by MSG James Mace made Jul 9 at 2015 1:02 PM

2015-07-09T13:02:39-04:00

The Tower of London during the poppy display, honouring all British and imperial soldiers killed during World War One (over 880,000), was very moving. I have a great-uncle, who though an American, went over to fight for the British in 1916. I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase one of the poppies in his honour after the display came down.

Response by COL Jon Thompson made Jul 9 at 2015 1:16 PM

2015-07-09T13:16:04-04:00

I was discussing this with my wife and could not pick one so here is my list in no particular order:
1. Vietnam Wall memorial in D.C.
2. Arlington National Cemetery
3. Yorktown Battlefield
4. Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem
5. Sea of Galilee in Israel
6. Flag ceremony at Mount Rushmore
7. MLK's church and memorial in Atlanta
8. Some small depressions in the ground in Belgium that used to a be a company CP on the frontlines at the start of the Battle of the Bulge.

Response by SSG Carlos Madden made Jul 9 at 2015 1:20 PM

2015-07-09T13:20:45-04:00

Theres a lot but some of the most memorable were the Normandie Beaches, Gettysburg, Ellis Island, Sec 60 in Arlington.

Response by MSgt David Haupt made Jul 9 at 2015 1:46 PM

2015-07-09T13:46:50-04:00

Mine would be Gettysburg or any other Civil War Battle sights. It is amazing to think these soldiers got in line and advanced without question. It is a true testament of loyalty, integrity, service before self and the belief GOD will be there for them in the after life.

Response by CW3 Kevin Storm made Jul 9 at 2015 2:19 PM

2015-07-09T14:19:19-04:00

Everyone has had some really great responses. Many of these places I have been to such as the Arizona Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, Gettysburg, Antietam, Point du Hoc, Normandy, and I lived in the area where Hemmingway wrote a Farewell to Arms. Amazing the roads our service will take us.

Response by SFC Thomas Twigg made Jul 9 at 2015 3:37 PM

2015-07-09T15:37:18-04:00

Dachau Concentration camp. Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. Seeing the original Founding Documents. And waking up to the most beautiful sun raise in the Grand Canyon.

Response by CPO Mike Castro made Jul 9 at 2015 6:25 PM

2015-07-09T18:25:57-04:00

Nagasaki, Japan

Response by CPT Jacob Swartout made Jul 9 at 2015 9:20 PM

2015-07-09T21:20:30-04:00

Pearl Harbor in 2004

Response by PO3 Paul Griffin made Jul 9 at 2015 9:40 PM

2015-07-09T21:40:11-04:00

Arlington

Response by COL Charles Williams made Jul 9 at 2015 11:32 PM

2015-07-09T23:32:42-04:00

CW3 Kevin Storm I was lucky to have been able to visit many historic places... i was thinking Normandy... but then I reminded I hiked up Mount Sinai... where, if you believe... Moses received the 10 commandments...

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 10 at 2015 1:05 AM

2015-07-10T01:05:19-04:00

I finally got the chance to visit Fort Sumter a few years ago. I was very moved to stand at a place where true patriots stood to defend freedom and the values our country was founded on. It was a moving experience I would recommend to anyone who values our country and what it really stand for...

Response by LCDR Jeffery Dixon made Jul 10 at 2015 1:46 PM

2015-07-10T13:46:50-04:00

I walked the fields at Gettysburg. By the time I got to little round top I was shaken by the weight of history, the spirit of this grand turning point in our Nation's past and the passionate sacrifice.

Response by Sgt Nick Fedchenko made Jul 10 at 2015 2:02 PM

2015-07-10T14:02:15-04:00

There are a few Pre-Revolutionary forts in and along the state of New York like Fort Stanwix in Rome, NY that give you a real picture of how things were and how things got during the revolution in the building of our country. Plus it is some nice open country to hike and explore some awesome waterfalls along the way. Great area to visit and make sure you go through the Finger Lakes for some wine. ANother incredible area is the Mackinaw bridge and Island in Michigan. If you enjoy seeing some sights that will knock your socks off, it will not disappoint, plus it is nice to go somewhere that cars and truck are not allowed. I always enjoyed Montana and South Dakota to include Wyoming and everything that surrounds. I would avoid biker week unless you are into that then go. Cali is nice, but I would say northern Cali is nicer. Again I guess I like my wine

Response by LCpl Ed Lamb made Jul 10 at 2015 3:45 PM

2015-07-10T15:45:04-04:00

Wow, that's a hard one. Gettysburg national Cemetery if I had to choose one.

Arlington and the Iwo Jima flag at the USMC Museum are very close seconds.....

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 10 at 2015 4:02 PM

2015-07-10T16:02:22-04:00

Westminster Abbey London, UK. Walking amongst Kings and Queens of history, a very awe inspiring place to be in.

Response by SFC William Swartz Jr made Jul 10 at 2015 4:13 PM

2015-07-10T16:13:33-04:00

For me personally it was Gettysburg National Park. Although I was only 8 or 9 the last time I was there, the significance of the field of honor and what had taken place there over 100 years earlier was not lost on me as a child. I have always had a strong love of history, even way back then, and knowing that I had relatives that fought there to preserve our nation is special to me. Another special place was Ft. Sumter, again the historical significance of the place is special to our nation as a whole, no matter what side one's relatives may have fought for.

Response by Sgt Jay Jones made Jul 10 at 2015 6:55 PM

2015-07-10T18:55:12-04:00

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. Followed closely by the Arlington National Cemetary and the Tomb of the Unknown Solders.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Jul 10 at 2015 7:58 PM

2015-07-10T19:58:42-04:00

The spot when the treaty was signed on the U.S.S. Missouri BB63 in Pearl Harbor. Small tears, but remembrance of the sacrifices and lives that caused the surrender.

Response by PO1 Glenn Boucher made Jul 10 at 2015 8:52 PM

2015-07-10T20:52:01-04:00

I have been to both Nagasaki and Hiroshima when I was stationed in Japan. I have also been to Corregidor in the Philippines. Seeing those places really made me think.

Response by SSgt Jeremy Eddy made Jul 10 at 2015 10:42 PM

2015-07-10T22:42:56-04:00

Bois de Belleau, France (Belleau Woods) and Caporetto Valley in Slovenia (Battle of Caporetto aka Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo). (Both World War I)

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 11 at 2015 1:12 AM

2015-07-11T01:12:07-04:00

though I don't know if you can call it historical quite yet but the 9/11 memorial was by far the most powerful site I have been to. Other then that I would give it a toss up between the National Cemetery on the Rock Island Arsenal and the Gettysburg Battlefield.

Response by Sgt Jerami Ballard made Jul 11 at 2015 3:23 AM

2015-07-11T03:23:49-04:00

I've had the fortunate chances to visit many sacred sites and memorials. From Arlington to the Clark Veteran's Cemetary and everything in between. Honestly though I think the one that got to me the most was Iwo Jima. Being there on the beaches and the sands, looking at the distances my forebears had to cross only to be greeted by the deadliest patch of jungle we had fought in til Vietnam, and to see how the island was fortified and prepared for our invasion really gives a sense of how dire a struggle of two unerring wills the battle was. The eeriness was magnified by the gentle crashes of the waves as the day we visited was gorgeous weather.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Jul 11 at 2015 6:05 AM

2015-07-11T06:05:03-04:00

CW3 Kevin Storm, I would have to say the Battleship Missouri, moored on Ford Island HI and site of the Japanese Surrender Treaty of WWII.

Response by COL Jeff Williams made Jul 11 at 2015 8:31 AM

2015-07-11T08:31:22-04:00

Verdun. Our guide talked extensively about how life was in the trenches and the fixed fortifications. Not sure if I would have made it through an experience like that

Response by Lt Col Timothy Parker, DBA made Jul 11 at 2015 10:27 AM

2015-07-11T10:27:04-04:00

Red Square before the end of the Cold War. I was there as a tourist in '84 and again in '88-89 on official business. It was errie to see the "enemy" close up and personal. As it turns out, I went to a site 600 miles east of Moscow (the official business part) and was treated very well in all cases. The people on the street were wonderful.

Response by Capt Brandon Charters made Jul 11 at 2015 4:46 PM

2015-07-11T16:46:12-04:00

Normandy Beach. Still such a somber feeling on that shoreline.

Response by Maj Mike Sciales made Jul 11 at 2015 7:48 PM

2015-07-11T19:48:06-04:00

The D-Day memorial in Bedford, VA, a small town with the sad distinction of losing the most citizens (per capita) on June 6. It's stunning design captures the complexity of the operation and the heroism of all those brave soldiers. It's out of the way but so worth going to see. https://www.dday.org

Home - National D-Day Memorial

The National D-Day Memorial located in Bedford, Virginia is tribute to those who bravery and valor fought and died during the invasion during World War II in Normandy in Axis occupied France on June 6, 1944.

Response by SGT Rick Ash made Jul 11 at 2015 11:03 PM

2015-07-11T23:03:59-04:00

I have been to Baltimore too and visited where Francis Scott Key wrote "The Star Spangled Banner.
My favorite place was Mt. Vernon where George Washington lived. Every building has been preserved and all are interesting. But to stand right on the banks of the Potomac where GW would have stood was amazing. Well worth the trip. I don't recall an admission price (or have forgotten....:-) I visit "The Wall" every year and hit the museums along the Mall. And Arlington National Cemetery was incredible. All of those lives for our country!
Thanks for posting about a great topic. Lot's of comments.
Take Care,
Rick Ash

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made Jul 13 at 2015 8:59 PM

2015-07-13T20:59:53-04:00

I visited the tomb of John Paul Jones at the Naval Academy back in 99" or 2000. It was pretty amazing. I also once visited the USS South Carolina which is of course is a pre WWII ship. That was amazing too.

Response by SGM Steve Wettstein made Jul 14 at 2015 5:11 AM

2015-07-14T05:11:52-04:00

Hands down it would be Arlington National Cemetery.

Response by CWO3 Sharon Spangler made Jul 14 at 2015 5:18 AM

2015-07-14T05:18:34-04:00

The Bridge on River Kwai - the museum was a testament as to how badly the POWs were treated.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 12:37 PM

2015-07-14T12:37:36-04:00

Agreeded I am currently stationed at FT Lee and it has been by far the most moving experience. There is just a ton of history all around the area.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 12:39 PM

2015-07-14T12:39:21-04:00

I would have to say when I did the Bastone march in Belgium... My grandfather fought it WW2 and it was really moving to me to see what he went through..

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 1:37 PM

2015-07-14T13:37:27-04:00

I visited the Wall in DC three times in the one weekend in my life I visited there. Very moving. But the site that moved me the most were the Cu Chi tunnels in Saigon. Very small, tight quarters. The displays of "booby traps" really brought Vietnam and OIF together for me. In the grand scheme of things, there's not much difference between a hole filled with punji sticks and an IED.

Response by SGT Kenneth Duncan made Jul 14 at 2015 1:50 PM

2015-07-14T13:50:45-04:00

I was stationed at Conn Barracks in Schwienfurt Germany. I was given a chance to tour Prague Checoslavackia. I had to get a passport to go. I drove down to Munich to the American embassy to get my passport. It was a four hour drive, even on the autobahn. I passed a Jewish concentration Camp and you can still smell the burning flesh. Another spot that actually made me cry, was while stationed in Hawaii, Pearl Harbor was a sad place.

Response by PO1 Jose Roman made Jul 14 at 2015 1:51 PM

2015-07-14T13:51:33-04:00

Top 3 in no specific order... 1) Standing on the beaches in Normandy France. Omaha and Utah. 2) Arlington 3) Vietnam Memorial

Response by LTC Martin Metz made Jul 14 at 2015 2:10 PM

2015-07-14T14:10:47-04:00

Jerusalem and Israel.

Response by CPT David Dickerson made Jul 14 at 2015 2:14 PM

2015-07-14T14:14:08-04:00

As far as American history it has to be Gettysburg. After visiting I began to wonder if Robert E Lee didn't send Pickett and his men across that open ground to bring the war to a swift end no matter who was victorious. I cannot think of any tactical justification for making that decision. Internationally, I have to say Masada in Israel. It is amazing they were able to hold out so long against the most powerful military in the world at that time and ultimately chose death over enslavement.

Arlington National Cemetery is unforgettable and this past Memorial Day I was honored to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns on behalf of IAVA. That place is humbling and one I think every American should visit to get a sense of the sacrifices made for this nation.

Response by MSG Tim Donahue, M.Ed. made Jul 14 at 2015 2:27 PM

2015-07-14T14:27:35-04:00

Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial - I had the honor to be there for the 50th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings. 9,397 souls - including 41 sets of brothers and three Medal of Honor Recipients.

Response by LT Steve Wilson made Jul 14 at 2015 2:28 PM

2015-07-14T14:28:57-04:00

If I had to only pick one it would be the Gettysburg Battlefield and Memorials.
However, the USS Arizona Memorial is a very close second.
Hopefully, the number of battle memorials on our soil will never increase.

Response by MCPO Douglas Pennington made Jul 14 at 2015 2:37 PM

2015-07-14T14:37:16-04:00

I was at the WWII memorial last September and making my rounds and could have sworn i heard the battles raging as i passed. When i came back around there was this old man sitting there with his brothers wife's sister. Well she approached me since i was wearing my Retired MCPO ball cap and asked me if i was a Chief. I happily repled yes, and she went through the story were the man she was escorting served at Leyte Gulf and that he was a Chief and wanted to meet me. We must have sat there for almost an hour. That was the greatest meeting i had ever had with one of the Greatest Generation. His mind was as young as if the battles happened yesterday. It was a very inspirational visit.

Response by Capt Tom DiMicelli made Jul 14 at 2015 2:59 PM

2015-07-14T14:59:36-04:00

Arlington National Cemetery; Lexington and Concord; Gettysburg; Antietam; Omaha Beach; Korean War Memorial, National Mall; USS Arizona.

Response by SGT Kristjan Rahe made Jul 14 at 2015 3:00 PM

2015-07-14T15:00:46-04:00

I have too many to list Arlington is in my top 3, Gettysburg but as to experiences I will concur with you CW2 Storm. In 1976 I attended Esto 76 in Baltimore. A conference of Estonians from around the world. On July 4th we were at Ft McHenry watching 200 persons be naturalized follow by the philharmonic playing patriotic tunes and fireworks to the Star Spangled Banner. It was very moving. The icing on the cake was the tall ships coming into the harbor and the Russian's refusal to enter the harbor because they feared the Estonians they had subjugated.

Response by Cpl Natasha McCoy made Jul 14 at 2015 3:03 PM

2015-07-14T15:03:21-04:00

The USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor had me crying my eyes out.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 3:06 PM

2015-07-14T15:06:31-04:00

This is not an easy one to answer. Arlington National Cemetary by far is the most moving. I was detailed to support President Ford's State Funeral and my team was billeted on Fort Meyer for that week. Simply walking amongst the graves of the famous and not so famous buried there and reflecting was moving in itself. The most impactful on the horrors that man inflicts on each other would have to be my visit to the Dachau Concentration Camp in Germany and to counter that with the sacrifices that we as Americans make for others is when I visited the American Cemetary in Luxembourg that same summer.

Response by SSgt Case Mike made Jul 14 at 2015 3:06 PM

2015-07-14T15:06:58-04:00

Antietam, the corn field, at night.
Years ago I was privileged to participate in some living history for the National Park Service. We were allowed to camp on the battlefield. The monument to the 2nd US Sharpshooters (my great great grandfather's regiment) was illuminated by candles. Chilling and humbling experience.

Response by Cpl John M Dutrow made Jul 14 at 2015 3:08 PM

2015-07-14T15:08:45-04:00

Antietam battlefield and the wall

Response by CPO Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 3:28 PM

2015-07-14T15:28:11-04:00

Reading through these posts, there are so many great places mentioned. I have a special place in my heart for the Yorktown battle field. Right in front of the USCG training center and it's beautiful in it's simplicity. The most emotional memorial I've ever been to is the Oklahoma City Bombing memorial. If you've never been I strongly recommend it.

Response by MSgt Raymond Hickey made Jul 14 at 2015 3:28 PM

2015-07-14T15:28:47-04:00

"The WALL" this was my war and these were my brothers...

Response by SGT James Allen made Jul 14 at 2015 3:33 PM

2015-07-14T15:33:14-04:00

I thought the graves of those killed in the 1956 Hungarian revolution was quite moving. It was originally a mass grave behind a cemetery that officially didn't exist and it was forbidden to go there. After 1990 they gave them a proper burial. Many are known only to God.

Response by SrA Edward Vong made Jul 14 at 2015 3:43 PM

2015-07-14T15:43:24-04:00

While visiting Thailand, I went to the ruins of the former capitol Ayutthaya. The city was destroyed by the Burmese Army causing the collapse of the Kingdom. I was traveling in a boat ride at night, and well, it felt weird. I can almost feel the battle when it took place hundreds to years ago.

As far as the United States goes. The 9/11 memorial. I know it's not as historic as other places. But as someone who witnessed the events with my own eyes, and lost loved ones, going to the memorial and the museum brings tears to my eyes.

Response by CPO Michael Callegri made Jul 14 at 2015 4:01 PM

2015-07-14T16:01:49-04:00

The Arizona Memorial. the films and then going out to the memorial on top of the ship. Seeing oil still surfacing and knowing there are shipmates down there made all the most moving. It's a day I will never forget.

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 4:10 PM

2015-07-14T16:10:12-04:00

I was walking through the Freedom trail in Boston. The cemetery at the Old North Church really got to me. The place where the Lantern was lit to have Paul Revere start his ride. Just incredible, all the history that started from that one fateful night. Not to mention reading the head stones the dates on them wow.

Response by CW2 Geoff Lachance made Jul 14 at 2015 4:17 PM

2015-07-14T16:17:35-04:00

Bunker Hill, where it all began! Gettysburg, Sent chills right through me! West Point. Have not been to Arlington or the war memorials, but when I do, there will most definitely be tears and prayers!

Response by SPC Douglas Bolton made Jul 14 at 2015 4:30 PM

2015-07-14T16:30:48-04:00

It has to be the Arlington National Cemetery, and the Tomb of the Unknown soldier, but even more to see the thousands of white crosses of men and women who gave their all for our country.

Response by LCpl Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 4:51 PM

2015-07-14T16:51:56-04:00

I would have to say it's not just a place but the moment. Walking through Arlington is always a misty eyed moment, but this one time, I was literally on a two day hop to Fort Belvoir for some training, and ran into the D.C. to wander the Mall, hit Air and Space, and go to dinner with my cousins in Alexandria. Well I ended up back on the Mall, it's dark and I'm alone, just me and the Wall. "Green Fields of France" has always been a mourning song, and as I was alone I started to work through the song. Well as I finish the last bars, I'm in tears, but then I look to my left, and up by "the Book" there's a Park Ranger watching me and she's white as a sheet so I walk to the right and "vanish" into the dark. So it was a interesting experience because it was very intensely emotional for both of us in different ways, I got to be someone's ghost story.

Response by SGT Jeff Gardner made Jul 14 at 2015 5:06 PM

2015-07-14T17:06:43-04:00

It had to be the tomb of the unknown soldiers.

Response by SCPO Benjamin Heim made Jul 14 at 2015 5:10 PM

2015-07-14T17:10:11-04:00

I was TAD in Japan and went to Hiroshima. I got to walk through the museum that is built there and see pictures of the devastation from the bomb. To see the pictures from then and to see what it looks like now was something I will never forget. I understand why it took place, it just really brought home how devastating that decision turned out to be. Hopefully no country ever has to resort to that kind of action again.

Response by SSgt David Swart made Jul 14 at 2015 5:17 PM

2015-07-14T17:17:43-04:00

Gettysburg battlefield

Response by LTC Charles Blasdell made Jul 14 at 2015 5:27 PM

2015-07-14T17:27:23-04:00

Gettysburg is always a place where I close my eyes and can feel the past.

Response by SPC Greg Holland made Jul 14 at 2015 5:31 PM

2015-07-14T17:31:52-04:00

Dachau concentration camp when stationed in Gremany

Response by SGT Robert Riley made Jul 14 at 2015 5:32 PM

2015-07-14T17:32:32-04:00

A few years ago, while on R&R in St. Lucia, I decided to explore a fortress outside Castries which had been captured by the English from the French in 1796. To appreciate how the 27th Inniskilling Regiment carried that assault, I left the cab at the bottom of the hill and proceeded to climb the trail in a torrential downpour. I wondered if the regiment endured that when they attacked the fortress on the hot, Caribbean morning. After an hour, I reached the spot where the Inniskillings, supported by naval gunfire, stormed the fortress and put down its French defenders to a man and followed this by removing the white plumes from the headgear of their vanquished and dead opponents, dipped it in blood and it is seen today as part of the Inniskillings headgear. My cab driver met me at the top of the hill and shared a beer with me as we read the plaque marking the capture of the fortress and the spot where the regiment replaced the French fLag with the regimental colours. It was very moving, because one has to imagine what it was like to climb that hill with a heavy woolen read coat, white breeches, a haversack and and a Brown Bess Musket in 90 degree weather, under semi-accurate musket and cannon fire and follow up with grim hand-to-hand fighting to secure the place only to relinquish it because of a treaty and retake it again a few years later for the last time.

Response by CWO3 Will Rowland made Jul 14 at 2015 5:42 PM

2015-07-14T17:42:36-04:00

To date, our visit to the Pearl Harbor / Arizona Memorials. We visited in the late 1980's. We were guided on the tour by veterans of the attack. The first hand account was memorable. Those sailors and Marines are what made the tour. During that period Hawiaii was the number one tourist destination for the Japanese. I was astonished by the number of Japanese that visited the Arizona Memorial and went on the tour. The ratio may have been 4 Japanese to 1 American. One portion of the tour was held in an auditorium where we were given 1st hand accounts of the attack by the veterans. Words cannot describe the charged atmosphere! The entire audience was in tears at one time or another.

Response by SSgt Charles Henderson made Jul 14 at 2015 5:47 PM

2015-07-14T17:47:30-04:00

For me it was Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Seeing the oil stains that remain in the water after all of these years.

Response by SPC Todd Hanson made Jul 14 at 2015 5:48 PM

2015-07-14T17:48:56-04:00

Mr. Storm,
Fort Sumter SC

Response by PO1 Don Mac Intyre made Jul 14 at 2015 6:11 PM

2015-07-14T18:11:41-04:00

The Aleutian Islands, Kiska and Attu especially. Many things just left after WWII, eerie.

Response by LTC Marc King made Jul 14 at 2015 6:17 PM

2015-07-14T18:17:41-04:00

There are many great responses here and on reflection I have been to most and find them all moving. The one that comes to my mind is the fortress Masada! It is increasable from both sides... the sheer stubbornness of defenders and their quest for freedom and the tenacity of the Romans to look up at that mountain and make the decision to build a ramp to attain the top. It should be an inspiration to all of what man can achieve and aspire to...

Response by SGT Ronald Audas made Jul 14 at 2015 6:44 PM

2015-07-14T18:44:43-04:00

All Military monuments are emotional to me,but when that drop of oil from the U.S.S. Arizona in Hawaii,hit the surface,the tears flowed.I could almost see the Sailors in position.

Response by PO1 James Friedman made Jul 14 at 2015 7:44 PM

2015-07-14T19:44:09-04:00

Arlington

Response by SSgt Carrie Foster Campbell made Jul 14 at 2015 8:50 PM

2015-07-14T20:50:35-04:00

without a doubt the US MILITARY ACADEMY at WEST POINT. Actually live then when I was in high school. Another place of course is Arlington National Cemetery

Response by CPO Michael Burns made Jul 14 at 2015 9:18 PM

2015-07-14T21:18:52-04:00

Iwo Jima / Mt. Suribachi.

Response by MCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 9:20 PM

2015-07-14T21:20:11-04:00

Response by MCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 9:21 PM

2015-07-14T21:21:21-04:00

Three spots equalliy:
1) Arizona Memorial
2)Punchbowl
3)Arlington

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 9:24 PM

2015-07-14T21:24:15-04:00

Dachou... my knees got weak. No words to describe.

Response by SGT Thomas Mccann made Jul 14 at 2015 9:38 PM

2015-07-14T21:38:50-04:00

Growing up in Pennsylvania I have had the honor visiting dozens & dozens of historical military Battlefields & historical sites! I live in one of the most historical counties in the country called Bucks County, Pennsylvania...
One fantastic site is called, "Washington's Crossing" where George Washington & his troops camped for the night & then crossed the Delaware River on Christmas Eve to attack the Hessians who were camped in Trenton. I have the privilege of living only a few minutes from that site!
another great site to visit is Gettysburg! Knowing how important that site is & how many Americans gave their lives during that battle, you can truly feel the energy at that site! I recommend visiting there if you never have. Entervisiting there if you never have.
I truly am privileged to have grown up in the area I have with so many historical sites to visit & learn about. From Philadelphia to Trenton to where I live, right across the river at Washington's crossing. there's even a historical tower called, "Bowman's Tower" which is real close the Washingtons Crossing site, which also was used as a lookout and built during colonial times.

Response by SrA Eddie Hanshew made Jul 14 at 2015 9:39 PM

2015-07-14T21:39:02-04:00

My best friend, his wife and my wife and I placed wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery this past November. I didn't realize how emotional, and humbling it was going to be! Very moving place, no matter when you go... But go!!

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Jul 14 at 2015 9:39 PM

2015-07-14T21:39:16-04:00

Arlington? Got it. Arizona Memorial? Got it. Great places to reflect on the greatness of of our Nation and the sacrifices made. However, what has haunted me to this day was my time at Tuol Sleng Prison and the Killing Fields. There you could see in a pretty raw nature the inhumanity that existed then and does today in certain areas of the world. Pol Pot's regime were anal about record keeping and photographs. So the picture of the torture bed with the blood stains on the deck is the bed and stain you're looking at in real life. Going out to the Killing Fields to that memorial with layers of skulls is bone chilling. And the "war" still creates new suffering with all the mines still out there. I remember CMAG people telling me at the current rate of demining, there was about a century of work left to do.

Response by CPL Anne (Karpinski) Pfeiffer made Jul 14 at 2015 9:47 PM

2015-07-14T21:47:08-04:00

The most moving historical place I have visited would have to be Auschwitz Concentration/Death Camp in Poland. I hold two Masters degrees in History and Military History concentration of Europe from the French Rev thru the Cold War. I also hold a degree concentration of The Holocaust. While I have seen countless films and read countless books on The Holocaust visiting Auschwitz was incredibly moving. My family is Polish and my grandparents emigrated here in the late 1800s. My mother wen to. Polish school until she was in the 3rd grade in the USA and there were children she went to school with that we're Auschwitz and other camp's survivors. I geared up several times as we walked the grounds of both Auschwitz-Birkenau and Auschwitz II. We went in April and it was sunny but sort of chilly. While we were there it snowed like a blizzard for about an hour and then it became much colder. We were bundled up from head to toe and all I could think of was that those prisoners had nothing but wooden shoes, no coats, straw for bedding, and thread-bare blankets. We were freezing all bundled up and I could only imagine how cold they must've been. Also it was eerie to walk thru the gas chambers, see the ovens and walk along the train tracks. Seeing the piles of clothing, shoes, eyeglasses, toys, prostetics, etc. was also just so unbelievable and really gave you a sense of what 11 million murdered Jews could be. That number is so u fathomable to imagine. The entire experience is one I'll never forget and really put a lot of my studies into perspective and also my faith and just how horrible war can be amongst other things. I don't think any other place I have visited and I have been all over the world and been to so many museums, battlefields, and monuments, will ever touch me the way Auschwitz did.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 9:49 PM

2015-07-14T21:49:58-04:00

Fort Mitchell National Cemetery . I worked as a volunteer there after retiring. The peace & tranquility was most appropriate for these brave souls at the end of their struggle and sacrifice they had given to this country. It was an honor to walk among them.

Response by SPC William Weedman made Jul 14 at 2015 10:03 PM

2015-07-14T22:03:09-04:00

I think I was too young to appreciate Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknowns as I was a young teenager. As an adult, I would say it was my visit to the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam, Netherlands. A very sobering look at the constant state of fear in such close quarters they must have felt. I will be moving to Netherlands later this year, and my fiance has agreed to accompany me to the US cemeteries and to Omaha Beach. An old Army buddy is a veteran of Desert Shield/Storm in the 101st Airborne and wants to travel from Omaha Beach (although the 101 came in from the sky) to Bastogne. So that trip might be for us veterans...

Response by 1SG Marvin Vanderventer made Jul 14 at 2015 10:26 PM

2015-07-14T22:26:57-04:00

Andersonville GA Union POW's lived and died there

Response by PO1 Gregg Mundy made Jul 14 at 2015 10:57 PM

2015-07-14T22:57:52-04:00

Fort Sumter, Charleston, S C.

Response by SSG Steven Bison made Jul 14 at 2015 11:21 PM

2015-07-14T23:21:35-04:00

The 1st Cav memorial on the 38th parallel in Korea

Response by TSgt Mario Guajardo made Jul 14 at 2015 11:49 PM

2015-07-14T23:49:42-04:00

The Korean War Memorial in DC. The sculptor captured the inevitable fatigue of combat infantry. I got all verklempt.

Response by PO3 Jeff Hawkins made Jul 15 at 2015 2:02 AM

2015-07-15T02:02:34-04:00

2 ideas here...Gettysburg (2 years ago) and Arizona Memorial on Pearl Harbor Day (20 years ago). Gettysburg was mind-blowing, spent 8 hours there and felt like we had only scratched the surface of understanding and experiencing all that was there. I went to the Arizona memorial during a port visit in 1993. Was "neat" on December 6th, but when we came back on the 7th and the somber crowds, authors and speakers who had survived the attack were ther sharing, and the whole atmosphere was just so moving it's hard to explain (and i guess with the passing of most of that generation of survivors and veterans they aren't doing much like that anymore).

Response by SP5 David Cox made Jul 15 at 2015 2:08 AM

2015-07-15T02:08:09-04:00

I've been to a lot of Civil War battle sites, but Appomattox just felt so different. No battle took place there, but the war effectively ended there. It had a very different feel from any other such site I've visited. Two other sites that touched me deeply were the USS Arizona Memorial, and the Plötzensee Memorial in Berlin. So many people died in the Holocaust that will never be positively identified, and many people want to see the final resting places of family that was lost, but the records often are missing. So they went to every known camp and gathered up some soil from each location, and placed that soil into two large urns. It was chilling to realize that we were looking at the (symbolic) graves of about 12 million people. I also got to see the Wall and what is was like before it came down, and was there when it finally did come down, so that entire Berlin experience ranks real high in my thoughts and feelings. I also got a chance to participate on one of the annual motorcycle rides to the "other" Wall - the Vietnam Memorial in D.C. I did not think much of the design when I first heard of it, but was totally awestruck when I actually experienced it for the first time.

Response by TSgt Paul Barone made Jul 15 at 2015 3:14 AM

2015-07-15T03:14:00-04:00

My Father took me to Valley Forge when I was a young lad. I was so proud of what the brave men and women endured in the Winter of 1776! I have served in our Armed Forces and in Public Service my entire life to continue our proud tradition!

Response by Maj Kim Patterson made Jul 15 at 2015 3:33 AM

2015-07-15T03:33:33-04:00

I grew up in New England and my family made a trek to see every historical spot across the country. As an adult, I saw the crumbles of the Berlin Wall, the memorials in DC and the USS Arizona. All were places I could only look on in reverent silence. But the place that brought me to absolute breathlessness for the pain was the pile of shoes in the Holocaust museum. My father had bombed all over Europe to stop this horror. My best friend in college invited me to her home where I met her parents, both with numbers tattooed on the insides of their arms. That meeting is burned in my memory just as that pile of shoes haunts me.

Response by LCpl Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 15 at 2015 4:54 AM

2015-07-15T04:54:13-04:00

Utah memorial Pearl Harbor.When I first visited there you couldn't visit it unless you were military or dependent since access to Ford island was restricted.

Response by SPC Jeffrey Bly made Jul 15 at 2015 6:32 AM

2015-07-15T06:32:04-04:00

I have 2 places that have moved me. The Vietnam Wall Memorial in D.C., and Ground Zero during 9/11.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 15 at 2015 7:11 AM

2015-07-15T07:11:45-04:00

The Saratoga National Park is right up the road from me and I've been there countless times. On one occasion, around the time the battles took place (September - October), I visiting alone and walking through the woods. Dead quiet, and I heard what sounded like musket fire. It was midweek, so I know there wasn't any reenactment going on nearby. For a brief instant, it was like the boundaries of time came down. A powerful moment...

Response by MAJ Charles Ray made Jul 15 at 2015 8:43 AM

2015-07-15T08:43:33-04:00

I've been in hundreds of amazing historical places, here in the US and abroad. The most moving here was Gettysburg. Walking that field, I could see, hear, and smell the battle. The most moving abroad was the cemetery near the Bridge over the River Kwai in Thailand. The British, Aussie, and Kiwi soldiers there, who were POWs of the Japanese and died building the bridge, were mostly youngsters under 21.

Response by MSgt Calvin Ridley made Jul 15 at 2015 9:01 AM

2015-07-15T09:01:44-04:00

I have been to FT McHenry in Baltimore, Yorktown in Virginia, among other great battlefields and museums. However, Pearl Harbor was problably the most moving place. Especially meeting and talking with the suvivors.

Response by CW3 Chuck Huddleston made Jul 15 at 2015 9:07 AM

2015-07-15T09:07:50-04:00

I have been to a lot of places that stirred me such as the Vietnam Wall, Arlington National Cemetery, Civil War Battlefields, etc.. I think the one I can remember feeling the most emotion was the USS Arizona @ Pearl Harbor. What a stupid and terrible thing the Japanese did with their sneaky attack on my country!

Response by CW2 Max Dolan made Jul 15 at 2015 9:38 AM

2015-07-15T09:38:21-04:00

The Wailing Wall in Jerusalem.

Response by SGT Stanley Bass made Jul 15 at 2015 9:54 AM

2015-07-15T09:54:10-04:00

During my time in service I spent most of it on the East Coast, While I have seen gettysburg and all the placed from philly to VA. I even lived on Chicahominy bluff which was the sight of a good sized battle. I was stationed in Richmond and worked 1/2 mile from confederate prison island. When I was stationed in the ATL, I saw Vicksburg Mississippi, look out mountain in Chattanooga TN. Kenesaw mountain as well as the other surrounding pigeon hill and other sites in GA. The one that moved me the most and I got the most out of was Andersonville

Response by A1C Mike Simons made Jul 15 at 2015 10:07 AM

2015-07-15T10:07:37-04:00

In 2006, my wife & I took a tour of Italy. As we toured Rome, the thought of how long some the sites have been around staggered me. The Coliseum (pictured in background), The Pantheon, have been standing for thousands of years. I'm from Boston & can remember going on The Freedom Trail, hearing about the sites that been there for less than 200 years. Then we went to Pompeii. That place was amazing! The roads, the buildings, the casts of the body outlines that were found.

Response by CPT Raymond L Pettersen SR. PHD made Jul 15 at 2015 10:15 AM

2015-07-15T10:15:20-04:00

CW2 PETTER
SEN HERE- I AGREE THE MOST AWE INSPIRING SITE WAS AND WILL BE FOR ME ANYWAY; FT. McHENRY IN BALTIMORE. GETTYSBERG RUNS A CLOSE SECOND IF NOT A TIE. BOTH ARE POINTS IN OUR HISTORY WHERE OUR NATION WERE IN A PITCH BATTLE TO PERPETUATE OUR UNION!

Response by Maj Paul Jungel made Jul 15 at 2015 10:52 AM

2015-07-15T10:52:58-04:00

If you want another venue to visit that will move you, try visiting the Alamo in San Antonio, TX. You can still hear the voices of those who defended this Republic and just picture what they were going through in that last battle. It's one of the most moving experiences I've had and one that is very difficult to explain.

Response by LT Ray Platt made Jul 15 at 2015 1:55 PM

2015-07-15T13:55:27-04:00

Either Bloody Nose Ridge where the Battle of Pelilieu was fought, or ground zero in Hiroshima. Both places made a huge impact on me.

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 15 at 2015 2:21 PM

2015-07-15T14:21:40-04:00

The American cemetery in Normandy, France. To make it even more moving, I was there last year for the 70th anniversary of D-Day.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 15 at 2015 3:36 PM

2015-07-15T15:36:47-04:00

Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Response by TSgt David Blakley made Jul 15 at 2015 4:07 PM

2015-07-15T16:07:31-04:00

#1 is the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor and #2 is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

Response by Sgt David Clark made Jul 15 at 2015 7:33 PM

2015-07-15T19:33:11-04:00

In 1979 I visited the Arizona Memorial. It was a very moving and emotional experience. That I will never forget.

Response by SPC Johnny Velazquez, PhD made Jul 15 at 2015 9:09 PM

2015-07-15T21:09:42-04:00

The one historic place that stands out for me is, The Alamo. I had read and studied about it in High School, and always wanted to see, and touch the walls that sheltered so many of our heroes. That opportunity presented itself in 1956, when I moved to San Antonio. What a thrill to have been able to connect with a piece of history. I'll never forget that.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 16 at 2015 4:16 AM

2015-07-16T04:16:41-04:00

Washington D.C.: the Vietnam memorial, Abe Lincoln, holocaust museum, Korean War memorial, Arlington cemetary, Thomas Jeffersons house,

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 16 at 2015 12:49 PM

2015-07-16T12:49:05-04:00

The 9-11 museum is on my bucket list, really would like to take my grandchildren there. It was the major event of my life and they were both born a few years after. I've seen it on TV and it brings that day right back again.

Response by 1LT Lawrence Lackey made Jul 16 at 2015 1:10 PM

2015-07-16T13:10:40-04:00

Khe Sanh --- former MACV SOG

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 16 at 2015 1:21 PM

2015-07-16T13:21:38-04:00

I've been to both Arlington National Cemetery and the USS Arizona memorial and found them both to be moving. Those two experiences and my fathers military service was a large part of why I joined.

Response by SSG Keith Cashion made Jul 16 at 2015 1:46 PM

2015-07-16T13:46:37-04:00

Arlington National Cemetery during the changing of the guards. I have been there a few times, at least whenever I am on that side of the country. I have stood in the heat, cold and rain (No Snow), and have always been in awe of these Soldiers that never desert their post. I have known a lot of Soldiers that have been on tomb gaurd, and though the training, preparation and just plain mind set you have to have for this mission is out of this world, my hat is off to all of then. I know all branches have their Honor Guards and everytime I have been around them it amazes me. The eary calm of the garden itself is amazing. You can get so lost in your thoughts, and then to be suddenly brought back to reality when you hear the three vollies, and then the one and only song that brings me to tears everytime "TAPS".

Response by SSG Red Hoffman made Jul 16 at 2015 1:48 PM

2015-07-16T13:48:24-04:00

I have to say that Pearl Harbor has to be the one that 'moved' me the most. A very solemn place, even though the day I visited there were many, many people. The names on the wall. The story behind the attack and the fact that the sailors who died on the Arizona were still entombed on the ship below the memorial. It is hard to leave that memorial without emotion, considering the horrific, unexpected attack on our country.

Response by SPC Andrew Griffin made Jul 16 at 2015 2:06 PM

2015-07-16T14:06:36-04:00

West Point! Picatinny Arsenal! Washington Monuments!

Response by SGT Steve Mobley made Jul 16 at 2015 2:33 PM

2015-07-16T14:33:59-04:00

Without a doubt, Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers.

Response by MAJ David Kline made Jul 16 at 2015 4:28 PM

2015-07-16T16:28:02-04:00

The surviving portion of the Berlin Wall. Seeing it in its original configuration with the death zone behind it, guard towers, etc gave me chills. My dad served 22 years and the Army focus during his career was Vietnam and the Iron Curtain.

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Jul 16 at 2015 5:05 PM

2015-07-16T17:05:18-04:00

Masada in the Israel Negev (southern desert). Praying the morning prayers as the sun broke the horizon, was intensely spiritual... Imagining the battles there 2000 years ago, even more so...

Response by SMSgt Dan Powell made Jul 16 at 2015 5:44 PM

2015-07-16T17:44:54-04:00

Washington's Chapel at Valley Forge, Dachau. I had the opportunity to drive from Ramstein, Germany to Paris with my Army WO brother and we were impressed with the fact that every little town between the German border and Paris had a war memorial from before the Napoleonic Wars to WWII. The sites around Verdun, like Fort Douaumont, where the reinforced concrete positions looked like weathered rock from the artillery fire from the Germans. The memorial at Chateau Theirry with the insignias of all the American units who fought there. The name of it escapes me, but the memorial built over a section of the trenches where a German artillery barrage buried a whole French colonial unit where they sat, awaiting the word to go over the top. There is a line of rifles with bayonets poking up out of the ground. This was a fresh unit and they never saw a German.

Response by SGT Christopher Hamman made Jul 16 at 2015 5:45 PM

2015-07-16T17:45:30-04:00

Shiloh National Military Park, in Tennessee. It becomes even more moving when you consider that ALL of the soldiers who died there, on both sides, were Americans.

Response by SGT Christopher Hamman made Jul 16 at 2015 5:45 PM

2015-07-16T17:45:49-04:00

Shiloh National Military Park, in Tennessee. It becomes even more moving when you consider that ALL of the soldiers who died there, on both sides, were Americans.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 16 at 2015 11:27 PM

2015-07-16T23:27:20-04:00

CW3 Kevin Storm, Sir, My answer is the same as LTC Stephen C., except I will add the Vietnam Veterans Memorial War, the WWII Memorial, and the Nurses Memorial on the mall in D.C.

Response by MSG Floyd Williams made Jul 16 at 2015 11:37 PM

2015-07-16T23:37:03-04:00

It would have to be Spandau Prison in Berlin, Germany when I was stationed there, Rudolf Hess was the only prisoner that the Allied Forces had to guard no thanks to the Russians. The Russians was the only nation that didn't want Mr. Hess to go free, that give them a reason to try to spy on us.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 16 at 2015 11:41 PM

2015-07-16T23:41:13-04:00

Arlington National Cemetary, Changing of the guard at the thumb of unknown, Vietnam Memorial Wall, Vietnam Nurses Memorial, Three Vietnam Soldiers Memorial, WWII Memorial.

Response by SSgt Donnavon Smith made Jul 17 at 2015 12:07 AM

2015-07-17T00:07:06-04:00

the Korean war memorial on a cold winter night @ 0200. Erie and unforgettable!

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 17 at 2015 12:46 AM

2015-07-17T00:46:40-04:00

There are two that are near and dear to me and I cry like a baby. Arlington National Cemetary, my mother and my father are buried there. And then the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial. I have eighteen soldiers, friends, buddies, that kept me alive. And I couldn't do the same for them. (God forgive me and pray for their. souls). De Oppresso Liber.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 17 at 2015 8:42 AM

2015-07-17T08:42:18-04:00

I'd have to go with Jerusalem. The whole Old City is teeming with history, and has been the focal point of human endeavor for millennia. It is sobering to stand there and see the ruins that have spanned the ages, each new empire declaring itself to be more eternal than the last, and now we pick through their dusty monuments and ponder.

Response by GySgt Robert Oglesby made Jul 17 at 2015 9:32 AM

2015-07-17T09:32:59-04:00

Iwo Jima in 1982. It sent chills up my spine standing in the exact spot where the flag was raised and looking 360 degrees around that small island where so many fought. I'll never forget that as long as I live. The Coast Guard has done a very fine job in maintaining along with a few Japanese citizens the Island.

Response by MCPO Forris Hudkins made Jul 18 at 2015 10:38 AM

2015-07-18T10:38:00-04:00

I've seen many sites that impressed me during forty-odd years of sailing. It would be difficult to pick one, but high up on my list if Fort McHenry and the old Spanish fort in Saint Augustine. The Arizona Memorial sent chills up my spine when I visited it a couple-three times.
If ships count as historical places, I'd have to state the USS IOWA was extremely impressive. I sailed on her for thirty days just prior to my retirement IOT determine if she was suitable for the COMSIXTHFLT flagship. She wasn't due office space and communications suite. GOD, what a ship! I didn't think I could be impressed what with my experience, but she managed to impress me greatly. History was at every turn on that ship. The ghosts of famous admirals and generals abound. I told Captain Seaquist that I wished I would have had been able to serve a full tour in his ship. Again, GOD, what a ship!

Response by SPC Jesse Montemayor made Jul 18 at 2015 11:41 AM

2015-07-18T11:41:55-04:00

I was Stationed in Ft. Sill, Ok ! Our run from our barracks was to Geronimo ' s grave and back! Visited the Artillery museum and the Historic sites there!

Response by SPC Jesse Montemayor made Jul 18 at 2015 11:49 AM

2015-07-18T11:49:41-04:00

I got to visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington and it was Awesome! I am an Honor Guard guy so seeing the changing of the guard was moving!

Response by SSG Robert Webster made Jul 18 at 2015 12:38 PM

2015-07-18T12:38:02-04:00

I actually have two, both were visited when I was with the MFO.
Saint Catherine's Monastery and Mount Sinai
Jerusalem

Response by SFC Jacob Hinkkanen made Jul 18 at 2015 7:30 PM

2015-07-18T19:30:35-04:00

In the states I have been to several Recolutionary and Civil War battlefields. I think the most powerful one was Andersonville in Georgia. It is home to a civil war prison camp and the current National POW/MIA Museum.

Overseas it would be Babylon.

Response by SPC George Rudenko made Jul 18 at 2015 7:35 PM

2015-07-18T19:35:12-04:00

Normandy. It was 2007, and to my surprise, the French there loved us. When one D-Day museum employee learned we were US Embassy civilians working in Europe, we got a free tour. Not all french are like parisians... and the Normandy region is just spectacular, filled with people who care.

Response by MSgt Richard (Rick) Celia made Jul 19 at 2015 2:28 PM

2015-07-19T14:28:43-04:00

Wow. I think if we as military are not moved, we would never have joined. I have been to Gettysburg 7 or so times and are many reasons I go back. I walked the cornfield at Antietam. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and ALL of Arlington are incredible. But for me (and it was 7 or so years before I enlisted), it has to be the Naval Academy, Annapolis. Growing up a Revolutionary War fan, I was mesmerized by John Paul Jones tomb and grotto. But what took my breath away and started the tears was seeing THE flag from the Bonhomme Richard when Jones response was "I have not yet begun to fight!" at the academy. Everyone standing there wanted to join at that moment!

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 20 at 2015 5:08 PM

2015-07-20T17:08:28-04:00

For me It would have to be Gettysburg, PA. Just the magnitude of death in just 4 days is humbling. THE bloodiest battles in U.S history. What would the US, and the world look like had we lost that battle?

Response by SSgt Chris Robinson made Jul 21 at 2015 5:11 PM

2015-07-21T17:11:00-04:00

I would have to say the island of Corregidor in the Philippines. When I was stationed there from 1981 to 1985 I had the opportunity to spend the weekend there. While there I met members of the Philippine tourism authority. They took my buddy and I to all the gun emplacement's and gave us a tour of the whole island. Pretty impressive......

Response by 1SG Harold Piet made Jul 22 at 2015 6:05 PM

2015-07-22T18:05:04-04:00

I am very Prejudice on this as I am born and raised in St Augustine Florida and also Minorcan Descendant, But the Castillo de San Marcos is still my favorite and I have been there at least 100 times. Never conquered! But the most Emotional is the War memorials in DC.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Aug 2 at 2015 5:39 PM

2015-08-02T17:39:31-04:00

The Kennesaw mountains. The confederates owned the hill tops and the incline was around 50%. When the Union Army attacked the hills they were mowed down by canons and mass fire. The hills were so steep in some places that the Union Soldiers were physically incapable of reaching the top. The confederates took pity on them and threw rocks at them instead of shooting. I realize there are more hallowed grounds.

Response by Sgt Eric L West Sr made Aug 21 at 2015 1:05 AM

2015-08-21T01:05:34-04:00

Pearl Harbor, Cemetary of the Pacific (Punch Bowl), Arlington Cemetery (Iwo Jima Monument).

Response by SPC George Rudenko made Aug 28 at 2015 12:01 AM

2015-08-28T00:01:35-04:00

Normandy

Response by MSG Tim Donahue, M.Ed. made Sep 3 at 2015 4:02 PM

2015-09-03T16:02:55-04:00

Normandy American Cemetery - I was there for the 50th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings.

Response by SGT Christopher Hamman made Sep 3 at 2015 11:24 PM

2015-09-03T23:24:32-04:00

Shiloh!! Or what the yankees called Pittsburg Landing. In Tennessee, it was one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War. Actually, its listed as the sixth bloodiest battle, behind Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Spotsylvania Courthouse, Wilderness, and Chancellorsville. Other lists have slightly different orders. This list is found at
http://americanhistory.about.com/od/civilwarbattles/tp/civil_war_battles.htm

The 10 Bloodiest Battles of the Civil War

The Battle of Gettysburg resulted in 51,000 casualties, the most during the Civil War. The second bloodiest was the Battle of Chickamaug with 34,624 dead.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 4 at 2015 4:16 PM

2015-09-04T16:16:44-04:00

Pearl Harbor

Response by PO1 Gregg Mundy made Sep 10 at 2015 7:17 PM

2015-09-10T19:17:00-04:00

During my time in the Navy I was fortunate enough to visit the beautiful city of Rome. Home to the Vatican and the Coliseum. Just looking over the grounds of the Coliseum from what use to be the seating area, and imagining all those that lost there lives was chilling to me. Then, just down the street there is the magical, historical, Vatican City. I will Never forget that day.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 10 at 2015 8:48 PM

2015-09-10T20:48:38-04:00

Can't remember if I've responded or not. Yes, I'm getting old. Anyway, it was Dachau, Germany. A place where your knees get weak.
Another one was Job's tomb in Salalah, Oman. It's on a hill that seems to have a permanent cloud on it. Tame cows that come up to you to be petted. A Cleric, a Rabbi, and an Eastern Orthodox Priest comes to the tomb every hour to pray.

Response by CW2 Max Dolan made Sep 11 at 2015 8:39 AM

2015-09-11T08:39:18-04:00

Gettysburg Battlefield. I "fought" as a member of the 26th NC Regiment and "died" at "the wall." I got lost in the moment for awhile and it was very, very real to me. I felt the loss of our nation that happened during that terrible conflict...the Civil War. I have ancestors who fought on both sides of it. I will never forget.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Sep 17 at 2015 3:18 PM

2015-09-17T15:18:49-04:00

I liked the Korean Memorial of infantrymen on an eternal patrol.

Response by CW2 Geoff Lachance made Sep 17 at 2015 5:04 PM

2015-09-17T17:04:19-04:00

Been to a bunch, but the most moving to me was Gettysburg!

Response by SPC Douglas Bolton made Sep 24 at 2015 11:29 PM

2015-09-24T23:29:29-04:00

I have been to many historical sites, but the following impacted me the most:

Gettysburg-actually walking the battle filed.
Korean memorial- brought back many memories of my time there.
Vietnam memorial-Seeing the veterans in tears touching their buddies name.
Arlington Cemetery and the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Holocaust museum- Words can't describe it.
The USS Arizona- Still seeing the oil coming up out of the ship brought tears to my eyes, knowing all those men were still there.

Response by SPC Mark Beard made Sep 25 at 2015 1:17 PM

2015-09-25T13:17:59-04:00

Gettysburg

Response by Lt Col Timothy Parker, DBA made Oct 11 at 2015 7:18 PM

2015-10-11T19:18:38-04:00

I was lucky enough to have visited a few significant sites, all during the Cold War: the DMZ and one of the tunnels discovered between North and South Korea; East Berlin before the wall fell; Red Square and Lenin's tomb; some weapon storage bunkers in Europe that still had Nazi insignia on them. Red Square was the most moving at the time.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 11 at 2015 7:27 PM

2015-10-11T19:27:59-04:00

(double post; deleted)

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 11 at 2015 7:34 PM

2015-10-11T19:34:42-04:00

Auschwitz and Jerusalem:

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 12 at 2015 2:06 PM

2015-10-12T14:06:43-04:00

Andersonville National Historic Site, located near Andersonville, Georgia, preserves the former Camp Sumter, a Confederate prisoner-of-war camp during the American Civil War *wiki

We did our "staff ride" in OCS to Andersonville - such a surreal site, after reading about the historical significance.

Response by PV2 Scott Goodpasture made Oct 12 at 2015 2:31 PM

2015-10-12T14:31:00-04:00

I stumbled across a revolutionary graveyard in Bridgeport Connecticut when I was 16 it was surreal

Response by SGT Paul Mackay made Apr 21 at 2016 11:33 PM

2016-04-21T23:33:17-04:00

Pearl harbor

Response by 1LT Aaron Barr made Apr 22 at 2016 3:51 PM

2016-04-22T15:51:35-04:00

The Tomb of the Unknowns and Washington's grave near Mount Vernon are high on the list but the most to me was Pickett's Field at Gettysburg. It's one thing to 'know' that those men marched three-quarters of a mile over open ground like that but to stand and look across that distance, from both sides, its amazing that they did. Even more when you realize that not to long ago, those same men had been firing from behind the stone wall at Fredericksburg. Add to that the consequences of that battle and its hard not to be moved.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 28 at 2016 12:23 PM

2016-04-28T12:23:19-04:00

Too many to simply just list one. Walking thru Arlington National Cemetery and reflecting on the names of each fallen Warrior. Looking at a tombstone that simply says "Unknown" on it in one of our many Civil War cemeteries is moving as well. When you look out over the rolling farmland and hills of places like Gettysburg, Manassas, Seven Pines and think of the thousands of troops that fought and died in such small geographic locations or looking out over the beaches of Normandy and closing your eyes and envisioning the massive landings of 6 June 1944.

Response by MAJ David Kline made Apr 28 at 2016 2:40 PM

2016-04-28T14:40:38-04:00

Arlington.

Response by TSgt Mario Guajardo made May 5 at 2016 11:29 PM

2016-05-05T23:29:47-04:00

Korean War Memorial in D.C. - superb sculptures of infantrymen captured the fatigue in their faces

Response by SGT Kenneth Duncan made Sep 8 at 2022 1:39 PM

2022-09-08T13:39:20-04:00

I left High School halfway through my senior year. I went to Maui, Hawaii to pick pineapple. We toured all of the islands before we came home. That was my first time seeing Pearl Harbor. I cried. When I got home, I put in my paperwork to be a missionary for my church. I went to Hiroshima, Japan. I joined under an open contract. At graduation I was handed my orders. Schofield Barrack, Hawaii. I fished off of Pearl Harbor. We went to Korea for 2 months of each year that I was there. Anyone over 60 spoke Japanese. My mission had me learn Japanese.