Based on a line in the Star-Spangled Banner, I used to think that wars were fought by each side firing cannons at one another's flags. Whoever's flag was obliterated first was the loser. That's why Francis Scott Key was so happy that his flag was still there in the morning.
A childhood belief about wars

others believed things like this
- I used to believe New Zealand and Australia were part of the UK because they have a UK flag on their flags — H
- I used to believe that it was the Star Wars "Tri-ology" instead of the Stars Wars "trilogy".— keith Key
- I used to believe that a football ref's flag was a banana peel.Anon
- I used to think that "Jabberwocky" was a character from Star Wars.— Katya
- I thought the Stromtroopers in Star Wars were robots.— Petra B.
- I used to think Star Wars wis Democrat vs. Republican because they would talk about the Republic.Anon