Medal and Leave - 1

11 notes from an Iraqi captive

Compiled by Hedayatollah Behboudi
Translated by: M.B. Khoshnevisan

2025-8-3

Medal and Leave - 1

11 notes from an Iraqi captive

Compiled by Hedayatollah Behboudi

Translated by: M.B. Khoshnevisan

***

Reference

Sometimes our targeting in the Iraqi POW camps was accurate.

A cultural target!

Many Iraqi POWs wrote memoirs for the Office of Resistance Literature and Art. However, there were exceptions, like the author of this book.

We only saw him once, but that one meeting was enough for him to agree to write these eleven beautiful memoirs.

We have chosen the name "Medal and Leave" among the titles of this book. We still believe that the insights of Iraqi POWs, combined with the memories of our soldiers, can paint a more complete picture of our nation's glorious defense on the canvas of history.

                                                             Office of Resistance Literature and Art

                                                                December 12, 1990

Episode one: The martyr of Etka

The "Etka" cans containing delicious Iranian food that we received for free or as a gift from the Iranian Etka Organization or any other institution had become a part of our arsenal. These cans could either split someone's head open or, conversely, we could use them to split open someone else's head in order to obtain the delicious food inside. Ahmad, the naive soldier who often found himself in conflicts with others, was frequently assigned additional missions in ambush points deep within Iranian territory as a form of punishment. Surprisingly, he willingly accepted these missions without any hesitation. We had always been curious about his eagerness to participate in such risky missions until one day we finally asked him why. On that day, he proudly declared, "The canned stew will be divided equally among us." He then made us promise to keep his secret, to which we smiled and agreed to do so.

Below the very high peak of "Gordeh Mand," the ambush point was located on a slope filled with sand and gravel, where patrol units stopped every evening. The hand grenades thrown by Iranian forces from the height exploded in the air before reaching the ground due to the significant distance between the Iranian observation post and ours. The rocky terrain between the slope and the peak placed the first line of our company within firing range of the Islamic forces. We endured this situation for two years.

The situation was calm in both summer and winter. If there had been a way, we might have become friends because the forbidden zone was free of mines. In those conditions, hand grenades were no match for stones; even stones could break in half, and any pieces would be thrown to the side. In that case, the best gift was cans of food supplies thrown by the Iranian forces instead of stones and grenades. If a can landed on the head, death was certain; if it landed on soft ground, that day was no less than Eid for us.

Nights passed in succession, and the situation continued in this manner. However, one day, a member of the intelligence organization infiltrated the soldiers on patrol. Since Ahmad loved the Etka foods so much, he did not return to our unit after his leave ended. It wasn't until February 1986 that a letter arrived from the General Directorate of Army Intelligence, Branch 5. The letter stated that Ahmad was considered a criminal who had betrayed the army and the country. He had allegedly become an informant for the enemies of the Ba’ath Party and the revolution. We had only known him as a naive soldier who enjoyed the Etka foods.

Days went by until another letter arrived from the same branch. This letter announced that Ahmad had been promoted to the rank of martyr by the interrogation council. Shockingly, the letter revealed that his execution had been "rushed."

To be continued …