The Weapons of War

Chris and I hit it off right away.  We had lots in common and we both had interest in warfare.

So Chris, thought it would be great if the two of us went to visit the Imperial War Museum before we met up with Kae and Rio at the London Eye.

Constructed during WW I, the museum really depicts how life in Britain was during WW II.  It boasts a 3-story building with all the details of life built within the walls.  And outside, massive 15-inch Naval guns that served aboard Queen Elizabeth battleships, used to bombard Normandy on D-Day.

I have been to many museums over the years -- the kind that depicts warfare and weaponry as if mankind was innately savage and the home front stayed behind and supported the effort.  I expected it be just another token museum, similar to the plethora of Civil War and World War II Museums and memorials I've visited back home in DC and throughout the Eastern seaboard.  But when I arrived, I was given a rare glimpse of hell.

It may be old and rustic, but it is beautiful, formidable and remarkably exciting.  The museum skillfully weaves personal narratives with artifacts from the era and uses vivid, state-of-the-art technology to wow visitors.  The holocaust exhibit was very emotional and definitely not for the faint of heart.

The Trench and Blitzkrieg experience were scarily realistic and truly depicts the sacrifice and courage of Londoners during WW II.  Their artifacts is truly extensive, covering every aspect of warfare, even the most unnerving.

In WW II, the main weapons of ground warfare for the Germans were machine guns, submachine guns, anti-tank weapons, flame throwers and grenades.

Sadly in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the main weapon is IEDs.   They not only strike ground patrols in road convoys maiming soldiers and causing serious traumatic brain injury, but they also indiscriminately kill civilians.


During the Soviet invasion, the Afghan mujahideen were supplied with military weaponry by the US.  The guerillas often disassembled the anti-tank mines, removing the explosives and inserting them in a cooking-oil can thus creating a more powerful blast.  Since 2001, the Taliban have been using these IEDs on US and NATO troops.  That is why the US has expended countless resources sweeping and detecting IEDs.


Today, the Taliban has developed a new generation IED that is is virtually undetectable because it has metal or electronic parts.  Instead of using metal blades, the Taliban now deploy graphite and have also replaced the artillery shells with ammonium nitrate.

As I boarded the Eurorail train at the Saint Pancras International Station, I waved an emotional goodbye to Kae, Rio and Chris.  This was an action-filled 30 hours, whizzing all around London's historical streets, from the art deco Underground to the neo classical facade in Piccadilly Circus.  Now I was primed and ready to explore the rugged terrain of A Thousand Splendid Suns.