The word "war" cannot be defined in one sentence, nor can its meaning be expressed using a few words. The word means more than just a "military conflict between nations or parties," as the dictionary says. War is complex. It arouses feelings of aggression, depression, confusion and satisfaction. It entails many stages of action, can last for years, and requires so much political detail that only a few people can truly understand it.
General William T. Sherman once said, "War is hell." That is the truth. War is "any place or state of supreme misery or discomfort," as the word "hell" is defined. The word "misery" stands for the grief and worry friends and families of the soldiers at war go through, and the word "discomfort" stands for the uneasiness the soldiers feel being placed in an unfamiliar environment, knowing that they could perish at any given moment.
War is a plague, contagious and deadly. Wars have been fought for hundreds of years, usually to satisfy one side with more freedom, power or wealth. Countries whom are allies with the nation at war may also get drawn into providing soldiers and supplies, thus spreading the impact of the war and increasing the number of casualties. For example: the war in Iraq. Britain is not the original country to feud with Iraq; it is the United States. However, since Britain is the US's alley, they help by providing soldiers, as the US would do the same for them. In result, more people are affected by the war. Like a plague, war takes advantage of the weak and kills the innocence. .
The word "war" has affected myself on a more personal level. A person who is an important part of my life is in the midst of the conflict in Iraq, and I"ll never forget the day he told me he would be leaving. My heart dropped like an apple from a tree and my eyes opened to face reality. The war became real. The emotions you hear that the "friends and families of soldiers" go through from the interviews on TV became real.