Two memories from two martyrs

Badr Fortress and Bulwark of Karbala One

Sara Rashadizadeh
Translated by: M.B. Khoshnevisan

2016-7-10

Note: Whenever we talk about the eight-year Iraqi imposed war against Iran, we see the images of the armed men amidst the battle field who were fighting until their last breath for defending their soil; but in all the operations, one of the combatants by accepting the responsibility of carrying a radio set (portable transceiver) went along with the commander during the operations and passed the information to friendly forces from that side of the lines. Hamid Reza Asgarian is one of those combatants who carried a radio set during the war in order to transmit the victory code of every operation. His wounds from that time can still be seen and he remembers clearly his memoirs of the war.

*Please introduce yourself and tell us about your first presence in the war fronts. How old were you at that time?

*I am Hamid Reza Asgarian born on 13^th of February 1967 in Tehran. I went to the war fronts in June 1983 as a Basiji (voluntary force) when I was just 17 and was frequently present in the fronts until the end of the war. First I went as a Basiji pupil then as a student and finally as an ordinary force, but I took part in some operations as a radio soldier.

*In which operation did you take part for the first time?

*I took part in Badr Operation for the first time as a radio soldier.

*Did you take part in the operations as a radio soldier from the very beginning?

*No. I first went to the war fronts for carrying out propaganda activities. I also sat behind the air defense system for a while and after I was transferred to Abouzar Battalion, was appointed as a radio soldier and took part in Badr Operation in this position.

*Did you carry a gun as a radio soldier?

*A radio soldier has no gun because our portable transceivers weighed 11 kilograms and they were so heavy that we could not carry guns, but two armed men were present next to every radio soldier as assistants. If the radio soldier was injured or became tired, they helped him, or if he was martyred, they would carry it. Of course, the radio soldier might distance from his assistances, but this did not happen for me.

*Certainly, you have lots of memoirs from the operations and war fronts as a radio soldier. What is the best of them?

*I like two memories more than others from that period one of which is related to Badr Operation and the other is Karbala One Operation and the liberation of Mehran.

*Tell us your memory of Badr Operation.

*The Badr Operation was carried in March 1985 and in Hour-al Howeizeh area. The Iraqi counterattack started at some two PM. At that time we had seized the area we were supposed to seize according to the plan and all the forces had been deployed in the appointed places. One of our companies had been deployed next to Tigris River and two other ones in an agricultural canal perpendicular to the river. After a little clash and resistance of friendly forces, the Iraqis took back out left hand which was in the hand of Abouhamzah Battalion and the commandership ordered to retreat.

We face a fresh challenge when we were retreating. The operational area was a marsh land and on that morning of advancement, we had passed the mrash with tow boats and in a separate time intervals. A number of guys, who were not aware of the level of the enemy’s advancement, went back to the same destination and were taken as captives by the Iraqis, but we moved back toward a fortress behind us which was in the hand of Najaf Ashraf Division. The Iraqi tanks started chasing us in this way and their number was so high that in some ways, the guys had to crawl in the meadow in order not to be seen. At any rate, we reached near the fortress which in fact was a high double glazed bulwark on which the vehicles passed.

When we reached the fortress, we had to bypass from the left and went behind it because the enemy’s fire was so much that we couldn’t climb the fortress. Our company commander was Reza Akbari who was martyred in Karbala 5 Operation. Under that heavy fire, he climbed the fortress and had stood above it for some half an hour and although he was seen well due to the color of his clothes, he could save the lives of the guys and led them to back of the fortress.

In that position, he got an RPG Seven from a guy and fired toward the enemy’s tanks in order to defend himself and the forces. In those moments, I saw with my own eyes that thousands of bullets went through his hands and feet but martyr Akbari had still stood above the fortress with full composure. He was above the fortress until the weather got dark and the Iraqi tanks stopped advancing. Believing in this memory for someone who had not seen this with his or her eyes may be difficult, as it is like a dream for me despite such a long presence in the front.

*Tell us your second memory in Karbala One Operation.

*Our battalion had taken part three times in Karbala One Operation. In the phase three of the operation, we were supposed to move in daylight. The main point was that we always carry out an operation at night but this time we were asked to go to the operation in daylight. There were many foothills in the area of Qalavizan and the number of the foothills was so much that I as the radio soldier along with my two assistants lost other guys and after a little advance which we almost were taken as captives, could come back and found the battalion.

Our guys had almost no advancement since the weather was clear and the Iraqis had enough military equipment, and they had become crippled behind a crescent-shaped bulwark due to Iraqi heavy artillery fire. It was near noon when we joined the battalion and a few minutes later the sound of Azan (call for prayer) was heard. We could not do anything, deciding to say prayer while sitting. On the other hand the Iraqi artillery fire was so heavy that we even could not lift our heads.

An individual named Javad Sarraf who was the deputy commander of Malek Ashtar Battalion was present in the operation. He had come to help our battalion called Ansar Battalion. At those moments, I saw that he had stood and was praying in the center of the bulwark. His praying had taken so long that all had scared, asking him to shorten it but he still continued praying. Due to the high stress and excitement I had at those moments, I did not understand what was happening but after the end of praying I heard voice saying that the line was broken, and we could advance without any problem. However I should say that Javad Sarraf was martyred in Karbala Five Operation.

Later we found out that the reason for carrying out the operation in daylight was that the Seyed-al Shohada Division had done an operation the previous night but failed to seize all the altitudes, and if we did not carry out an operation on that day, faced with Iraqi counterattacks and lost the area. Years later, I recounted this memory for the commanders of the battalion and it was very interesting for them. 

*AS the last question, in what other operations did you take part and when was your last presence in the war fronts?

*I had taken part in many fronts in defense unit but I took part in the operations of Badr, Valfajr 8, Karbala One, Karbala 4, Karbala 5 and Nasr 4 and finally in Beit-al Moqaddas 2 during which my leg was amputated. Of course after that I went again to the front but did not go to the frontline. Of course, I was injured in other operations for example my arm was injured in Badr Operation, and in Karbala 5 Operation, my arm, leg, lung and back were seriously wounded.