Fascinating Reminders Of War – Abandoned Tanks From All Over The World (Watch)

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What is more fascinating than an enormous instrument of war wasting away in a landscape that has long forgotten the war that occurred there?

These haunting images of tanks from the wars of the 20th century make people wonder what transpired inside them and what happened to the men that left them behind.

Tanks from all wars and decades dot the earth from the far northern reaches of Europe to the warmth of the South Pacific. Some locations are accessible to the public.

The Otterburn Ranges in Northumberland National Park in England is used as a training area for the military but is occasionally open for those who want to see the abandoned tanks that were used. Some of these tanks are only hulls, while a few still have their tire treads.

The tanks at Fort Knox in Kentucky featured in this video are in areas of the Fort open to visitors. Some lie alongside cemeteries, and the public can view them at times when memorial services are being held.

In Laos, tanks rest among the pine trees and an odd assortment of large stone vessels known as the Plain of Jars. Curious tourists who are willing to risk stepping on unexploded mines and bombs from the Vietnam War can hire a guide to take them to the site.

The beautiful beaches of Puerto Rico are home to two tanks, but they were not left there in the aftermath of war. The tanks were part of US military training exercises in the 1970s.

Puerto Rico opposed the training because there were fears of hazardous contamination. Its citizens protested, and US President Nixon relented, ordering the removal of the army and all its equipment.

Only these two tanks remain. They are now magnets for beachgoers and graffiti artists.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhvCI1xnAVk#t=195

Jinny McCormick

Jinny McCormick is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE