There an be a latent acrid smell from a grenade going off. Iron from heaps of blood has a pretty distinctive smell that isn't pleasant too. Associate the two and I can understand.

Ever since Africa I'm not good with the smell of blood, though I will still process the natural bounty. Some people quite like it, or at least don't mind. Refrigeration keeps the smell down to a "rosy" level, as found in your local butchers which isn't so bad.
I do like liver, and I like many meats cooked rare.