From a historical standpoint, Stonehenge, in Wiltshire, England, is one of the most mysterious structures in the world. Because Stonehenge was built by a culture that left no written records, no one knows for certain how, when or for what purpose the site was created. Today, the historic horseshoe arrangement of massive bluestones is a popular tourist attraction, drawing in more than 800,000 tourists a year.

Sailors of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (GHWBCSG) got to experience one of the world's Seven Wonders (according to some) while on a Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) tour of Stonehenge and the city of Bath.

Once Sailors arrived on the mainland in England, they began the tour by visiting the city of Bath. Sailors were able to see beautiful sights such as the Bath Abbey, the Royal Crescent, the River Avon, and the Victoria Art Gallery.

Afterwards, Sailors finished with a tour among the monoliths around Stonehenge.

"They're taller than I thought," said Cryptologic Technician Technical 2nd Class Aubrey Sapp of the stones. "I've been to England before and I didn't make it here. Stonehenge is a historic site and I'm glad I made it here. I've gotten to see so much."

Rather than take pictures and admire the sights, some Sailors were more curious about how Stonehenge was created.

"Honestly, I still don't know what to think about the stones," said Fire Controlman 3rd Class Clarence Walker. "There are so many different views on how they were built. I can't believe we don't know how they were made for certain yet. There's definitely a strange aura being here in the presence of such an ancient work."

Others were less fascinated with the construction of Stonehenge, but were more interested in the reason for its being built.

"It's definitely impressive that the managed to get the stones to this particular site, especially when you think about the primitive technology they had access to, said Airman Michael Chase. "But when you think about it, people don't do things for no reason at all. I doubt ancient people would drag stones that weigh several tons just because it's good exercise. Why drag them here? Why these stones?"

As the day ended on the tour, Sailors made their way back to the ferry leaving England with a rare cultural experience. Some Sailors may have made their way back with more questions than answers. Whether it was the food, the people, the local culture or the historical sites, they walked away with memories and a story to tell their loved ones back home.

The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group is conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interest.


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