Air Raid to Al-Waleed (32)‎

The Story of Demolishing Fighters and the Equipment in Al-Waleed Triple Military Bases ‎Known as H-3

2016-8-13

Air Raid to Al-Waleed (H-3‎)‎

The Story of Demolishing Fighters and the Equipment in Al-Waleed Triple Military Bases ‎Known as H-3‎

By: Brigadier General Ahmad Mehrnia

Tehran, Sooreh Mehr Publications Company

‎2010 (Persian Version)‎

Translated by: Zahra Hosseinian

Second Brigadier General Abdul Hamid Najafi says:

"We heard that the pilots we were concerned about them from morning, have returned safety, while we had just landed after air cover of region. For this reason, we quickly headed to the hangar in front of which a group of our colleagues had gathered, and we kissed the face of these heroes when we found out what a great event has occurred. At the same time, hearing the story of Khazraei, we thought that it is concocted and he and his co-pilot have martyred very likely. Because such things wasn’t unusual! "

Colonel Ruhollah Javid, pilot of rear cockpit of F-4 in the mission says:

Colonel Ruhollah Javid (2008)

"Two or three other colleagues and I were not involved with flight plan and came to the command post late at night and were busied preparing operational instructions and route maps for the group according to the command. We stayed until morning and finished all works and didn’t go home, when our colleagues came and did their brief. Until noon, we waited about the aircrafts returned. Radar of command post had received some news about not returning of one of aircrafts at the first moments of their arrival at the insider border. I don’t know what happened, but all spoke about Major Khazraei, despite the lack of knowledge of the event. Interestingly enough we realized that this rumor is true, after aircrafts landed. We didn’t know what has occurred, so each of us went toward the pilot with whom we had more friendly relationships, and asked about the things. Finally, we thankfully heard that Khazraei and Bagheri are safe and sound and have landed in Syria.

That evening I dropped into TV room of officer’s residence which was named BOQ by us, and our friends often gathered there. To my surprise, I saw Khazraei was busied watching television. I doubted to myself and my eyes, believe me; he must be in Syria, how on the earth he is here? I greeted him warmly and after kissing him I asked: "Sir! Weren’t you in…?" he said: "yeah, it was written in stars to return Tehran by a refueling aircraft and then was sent to Hamedan by a helicopter."

After being welcomed by colleagues and friends, the flight team goes to maintenance battalion to fill the aircraft forms and write possible defects, then place their flight equipment on their special bars in the relevant branch, and then go to the command post. The information officer immediately gives special forms to all of them to write their observations in the rout and over the target, and also the amount of destruction, etc. Therefore their new hot information is registered and sent to the center.

Retired colonel Ibrahim Pourdan, who has participated in H-3 operations as the pilot of rear cockpit in Major Kazemi’s aircraft, says:

"Immediately after returning from mission, a group of reporter from Hamedan’s broadcasting came to the base and interviewed with pilots in addition to shooting, but it wasn’t broadcasted ever. When I asked about it from my friends who were working in Hamedan’s broadcasting, one of them said: "My good friend, because some of you have forgotten to say "Bismillah" at the beginning of your speech, it wasn’t possible to broadcast it." In short, I should say that this unique operation didn’t get its deserts."

Although none of members of the team was encouraged for this amazing operation by state authorities and officials of organization, except Maj. Mahmoud Khazraei who had been promised by Maj. Baratpour, operation deputy and flight leader, that if they came back safety, he would have promoted him; but close and face to face meeting with Supreme Leader of the Revolution, Imam Khomeini was the greatest gift for the team, most of which could participate in it[1]. Each moment of the meeting has stuck in the minds and people like Varzandi, who failed to attend for a reason, still regretted[2]. Recording photos of that visit in this book, some of which exposed publicly for the first time, it is an invaluable relic which can revive the memory of that day.