“In my experience it’s not the fight that’s the scariest part it’s the waiting. You know it’s coming. Your commanders have told you what’s coming. Some of you will surely die. Not all of you, but some. Will it be me?

Coming to understand that you may die is not a pleasant thing. You sweat, you can’t eat. Your muscles are tense and you feel this ball in your stomach that grows bigger and bigger. It is enough to drive a man mad!

Uncertainty is the true horror. Will I be shot? Will I step on a bomb? Will my arm or jaw be shot off? What about my family? Will they ever find out what really happened?

Battle is the release. Bullets and bombs fly and for me, it was a relief. It was finally happening and the uncertainty is gone. You live in the moment because there may not be another moment. There is no time to think about what may happen you only think about what is happening and what you will do in 5 seconds time.

I swore never to feel that again and have been living in America ever since. If waiting is constipation, battle is the laxative.”

– Anonymous Bosnian Soldier. Bosnian War, 1993.

This story was documented by Battles and Beers. Every soldier has a story, and every story deserves to be told.

If you’d like more stories like this, check out my book, “What War Did To Us” which is now available on Amazon. Hundreds of stories just like this told by hundreds of veterans.