From west to south with memoirs of FiroozAhmadi

Battalion left and did not come back anymore until…

Sara Rashadizadeh
Translated by M. B. Khoshnevisan

2016-7-3

Note: Firooz Ahmadi was a Basiji (volunteer force) and a baker who appeared as a watchman and the person in charge of implementation of artillery fire during the eight-year sacred defense and has registered in his record the presence in more than 11 war operations. Ahmadi has lots of memoirs from the country’s western and southern fronts and talks about them in an interview with the Oral History website.

*At first, tell us about yourself.

*I am FiroozAhmadi born on 9^th of May 1963. I was a baker before the war began. When the Iraqi imposed war against Iran started, in addition to abandoning my job, I dropped the course and left for Kurdistan to end the war in three months as the saying goes. But during the war, I not only had babies, but they grew up, and after I was injured severely for five times, eventually the war came to an end. 

*How old were you when you were dispatched to the war fronts for the first time?

*I went to the front in March 1981. I was twenty or less when I left for Kurdistan front. There was not regular brigade or division early in the war. We passed a short one-month training course and an intensive course of working with gun in Imam Hossain Garrison, and then were dispatched to the city of Sanandaj. The city had just been liberated on those days and in general a war atmosphere prevailed in Kurdistan in a way that Kurdistan roads were blocked at nights due to higher activities of the Komoleh and Democrat outfits. Baneh as one of the most important cities of Kurdistan Province was in the hands of Komoleh terrorists at that time which was fully liberated during our presence there.

*Tell us more about your participation in the operations and the western front especially your participation in the city.

*when we got to the city of Baneh, we wanted to liberate Baneh-Sardasht road which was in the hands of Komoleh outfit. The operation for liberating the city had become concurrent with the 19^th night of the holy month of Ramadhan. In that operation, Major HossainShahram Far joined us and said that he wanted forces thathelped them liberate Baneh-Sardasht Road. Our battalion all of whom had been dispatched from Shemiran and Qolhak districts of Tehran took part in that operation for the first time. Although the operation was successful and we liberated the area, due to presence of Komoleh forces in different areas and out of our range, Major Shahram Far was martyred. Several others were also martyred or taken as captives in that operation. We were present in that road for a month and then we were transferred to Sar Pol-e Zahab.

We went to Abouzar Garrison in Sar Pol-e Zahab and our presence became concurrent with the second phase of BaziDeraz Operation. Our relation with others was very low in this area. We also had little food sometimes made ourselves full with dry bread because there was no road and the food was reached to us in the garrison by mules. I went down the altitude on 31^st of May in order to receive the garrison’s food ration. The food was brought in an Iraqi oval-shaped pot which had the capacity of 40. That day, I along with Mohammad Reza Hakim got the food and went toward the garrison with a mule. A mortar hit and Mahammad Reza was injured. However we continued our way. We faced with signs saying “Popualr President” and “The martyred popular president” and shocked a little. That day we found out that President Rajaee and Prime Minister Bahonar had been martyred by the terrorists, and we had not been informed in order not to lose our morale. The second of phase of BaziDeraz Operation was carried out in the name of martyrs Rajaee and Bahonar because this incident.

*Who were your comrades in this operation and what happened?

I met with Sheikh Mahmoud Ghaffari during the operation. He was a 30, 40 years old clergy who was very stout and strong with a turban and a binocular in his hand. He was the army’s artillery watchman and due to his special character, he had such an effect on me that changed my life, in a way that I worked in the artillery unit and the position of watching until the end of the war.

*What happened after this operation? Where were you transferred?

*The end of this operation in 1981 was concurrent with the beginning of the school year and since I was in the third grad of high school, I came back to Tehran to continue my education. I went to school and enrolled. But since I had become a watchman and my job was professional, I became a member of Islamic Revolution Guards Corpse (IRGC) in order to carry out longer missions. Thus, I spent there a professional course of watching. Then, I was transferred to the 9^th Battalion of IRGC. This battalion took part in Bazi Deraz Operation, but since the dusty of the battalion was to protect the presidential organization, we immediately parted them. After the transfer of this battalion, I got permission from my commander to go to the western front in order to continue my mission as a watchman.

*Were you present in other operations?

*Yes, after a while, Fat’holmobin Operation started. In the process we had for preparing to take part in Fat’holmobin Operation, Reza Sadeqi, the commander of Artillery 63 said, “Here is like Ohod strait. It is very sensitive and should not be fallen into the hands of the enemy.” It was really a sensitive place because if the enemy started its movement from the other side while we were carrying out the operation, it could seize the city of Kermanshah very easily. We were very eager to participation in the operation but stayed in western fronts until Fat’holmobin Operation came to an end. I returned to Tehran by the end of my mission and Fat’holmobin Operation in order to join the 9^th Battalion of IRGC which was concurrent with the beginning of Beit-al Moqaddas Operation.

*And thus, you went to southern front?

Yes we had prepared to go to southern front. At that time, Ayatollah Khamenei, the then president did not allow our battalion to take part in the war front, because the presidential organization was of great importance. At any rate, we were dispatched to southern fronts with his permission. We were going to meet Mohsen Vazvaee who was the battalion of our commander in the second phase of Bazi Deraz Operation, but he was martyred and we escorted his body in the garrison.

Our battalion had been composed of expert and skilled individuals and persons like Abbas Sha’f, Mohsen Vazvaee, Haj Ali Movahed Danesh, Ehasan Qassemieh, Farahani and Amin Soleimani were among us. For instance, Amin Suleimani had married three days sooner and he was not supposed to take part with us in Beit-al Moqaddas Operation, but surprisingly we saw that he had come to take part in the operation and in fact, he was martyred in this operation.

*Did you go to Khorramshahr immediately after dispatch to southern front?

*We went to a garrison in the city of Ahwaz from Tehran’s Vali-e Asr Garrison and I was appointed as a watchman. Beit-al Moqaddas Operation was carried out in an area of approximately 5400 square kilometers. We expected that the operation for liberation of Khorramshahr concluded until 8^th of June but we could conquer the city on 23^rd of May.

*How long were you present in Beit-al Moqaddas Operation?

*The operation started from 30^th of April 1982, but I was wounded in stomach on 9^th of May and was transferred to Sorkheh Hesar Hospital. I heard the news of Khorramshahr liberation through radio. There was a certain excitement in the hospital and the people were happy with all of their hearts.

*Did you take part in the front again after recovery?

*After seven months of recovery, I went again to the war front and took part in Preliminary Valfajr Operation and then in Valfajr 1 and 2 operations. I had espoused in the interval between Valfajr 1 and 2 operations and took part in Valfajr 2 Operation and my fingers were cut in this operation. Then I took part in Valfajr 4 and consequently Kheibar operations during which I was injured again. This time I was injured from the back by the enemy’s jetfighter which has a long story. I was also present in Karbala 5 Operation. My father was also in this operation who was injured. Then I took part in operations of Karbala 4 and 5 which are considered my last operations in the war fronts. Again I was injured from shoulder as a result of car’s capsizing.

*As the last question, were you responsible for watching in all the operations you took part?

*I was in charge of watching and implementation of artillery fire of Seyed-al Shohada Division 10, in charge of watching of Khatam Brigade 110 as well as IRGC artillery fire.