My first Battlefield, was not a battlefield, it was a castle. In 1965, I took a class field trip to see the Alcazar in Segovia, Spain.

I'll never forget it!
In 1970, my family and I were driving to JFK, in New York to catch a flight to Ethiopia, via Athens, Greece and driving through Pennsylvania I got to see a sign pointing to Gettysburg.
Since then, I have been to Gettysburg, Antietam, Harpers Ferry, Vicksburg and vicinity twice, [including Champions Hill (met Sid Champion who allowed us to walk the privately owned battlefield), Port Gibson, Black River Bridge, Raymond, Grand Gulf and Rodney]. Also Fort Pillow, Shiloh, Wilson Creek, Pea Ridge, Pilot Knob, Mansfield, Fort Donelson, Lookout Mountain, Chickamauga, and Kennesaw Mountain. Even drove over Missionary Rdge and didn't even know it as it is covered by residences. It was easy to do when I worked for the an airline for $10 a ticket. I'm not bragging, but most of the battlefields are hallowed ground and they give you serenity and comfort, when you are aware of what happened there. One of the blessings and best times of my life .