Memories of the War and Captive of Azizollah Farrokhi- Part I

Radiotelephones were saying: Go to the moon!

Mehdi Khanbanpoor
Translated by Ruhollah Golmoradi

2016-8-21

Note: Azizollah Farrokhi, one of the combatants and freedmen of years of the war and during the Iraqi imposed war against Iran. He was born in Tehran in 1342, was interviewed with Iranian Oral History website about his memories of the war and also her captivity in army camps of Saddam. In the first part of this interview, we read Farrokhi memories of the first dispatch to the front until liberation of Khorramshahr.

Mr. Farrokhi, which year did you dispatch to the front?

It was the first time in 1360. I was senior in high school and through to being with my uncle, at the time was of the soldiers expired in 1356 and had called, had the fortune to participate in the front. But it was not my presence as a fighter. We went almost all fronts of south and for the first time I smelt gunpowder and saw cannon fire and the situation of there. Later I still had not finished school I applied for employment in Sepah (the Iranian Revolutionary Guards); with the intention that this is better way to go to the front. The second time as a fighter and it was in the same year that I went to the front.

How was your old?

I was 18.

Did you face problem of testimonial?

No, my family was too justified and had no disagreement.

What was your image of the war? The passion and what you've seen at the front attracted you or others perceptions attracted you toward the battle?

I should say my opinion or social situation? Because of that I have another approach with respect to your question.

No, please say your own opinion.

Friends bigger than us, I think it was more strange their presence because they somehow had tasted the world's pleasures better than us. Maybe it was difficult for them to uproot themselves from life. There was enthusiasm in young people to defend the revolution and its thinking and movement of Imam Khomeini. This is a deeper motivation. It happened to young people and Imam also said that our youth and our people have changed, so now Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God) we are also in progress.

Please say in the second time that you went which operation it was?

The fall of 1981 I went for training in Sepah. I wanted to go to military academy after finishing school. I said no, I go Sepah.  If I go to Sepah I would go to the front sooner. My father said: "You wanted to go to military academy, then what happened?" I told, "We are now in war and no longer go to military academy." In Sepah, I had general and expert training for two months which included observation course. I then entered operational units of Tehran that had 9 battalions. I was in the battalion 9. In those days, our unit was in service of Hazrat Agha (sir) [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei] and in fact was guard of president, in the same area that now has been made Hossainia[1] Imam Khomeini; there was also Islamic Council (Parliament). These were all protected by Sepah battalions. Sepah has always battalions in war and also two or three battalions for protection of Jamaran, the airport and Tehran's sensitive areas. It was a few days we had dispatched and as the guys were said had divided who they came to take several people for a special mission to West regions of the country. It was March 1982. We ran forward and told we are. All guys poured forward. Our company commander because I was one of the first people who ran, said: "It is farokhi." 5 people were selected from the entire battalion. We (5 people) went to observation in Kermanshah and Islamabad'e Gharb and garrison of Abuzar (which at that time was in the region of Sarpol-e Zahab). We were sent to one of battalions of the army artillery and became observer of the army.

Did you finally come toward the army?

Farrokhi: Yes, in the battalion in which commander was Major Hedayati. Of course some were said which his Colonel rank has brought but he was not so much depended on ranks and positions and was so Hezbollahi (party of God) and a good man. A close friend of martyr Sayyad Shirazi and had the same age. He was very accomplished. Commanding task and his presence at those areas of the front was very useful for all lines of the middle front. Perhaps throughout the country just one watch-tower was recorded that it was watch-tower of 47 and we were observing in it. There was no another watch-tower in all of the country having this scope, magnitude and hardworking. Of those who had been stepped there was hisself Hazrat'e Agha, and he looked the fronts at the watch-tower and saw conditions. Watch-tower 47 was for artillery 373 of the army. Martyrs Sayyad Shirazi and Shiroodi and many others used the watch-tower. Martyr Sayyad Shirazi had a lot of going back and forth there. Many good commanders and martyrs, like Haj Ghaffari, genteel clergyman, observed there. Martyr Ali Taheri was also of the prime observer of Sepah who observed there; or Major Madah and himself Major Hedayati. We observed for the army two months and while I was observing, day-to-day learning things from officers who were there.

An Unattainable Experience

A noncommissioned officer was working with us, God bless him, died two years ago; the late Mahmoud Allahverdi, his brother Qassim Allahverdi was of good guys of Sepah. After we became friends with him there, he entered the Sepah and later I heard that he undertook intelligence of corps 27 of the Rasool (Prophet (PBUH)) operation and was martyred on the same position; he was observer of down mortars. The two or three months were almost an unattainable experience for me. Never and nowhere else who might not be achieved such a place and such an experience. In the two or three months I got a multi-year leap. It made me familiar with Front, artillery, military vehicles and detection, and we went several times into to the enemy heart. We were here which Operation Fath ol-Mobin was started. As soon as it started, commanded us to harassment. With a very heavy fire, about four or five hours, we were fired heavily Iraqi positions that somehow they pay attention here; to believe that the fire is provided in the operation. Because the news was leaked out some times and couldn't to do something. Unfortunately MKO were very active and effective for Iraq. They Came in the fronts to do their own tasks, penetrated, and took information. The firing, in fact, helped the Warriors. Because the enemy had a sense that over there is operation, now if he thought it is in Dasht-e Abbas to down, the suspicion was created that here is also an operation.  Preparing the four or five hours firing was very effective. We had the three independent battery and moreover an extra battery 130 and three extra Katyusha. One could say that with nearly two artillery battalions, we were firing here on Iraqis. It was very heavy. God bless Mr. Hedayati who recommended all of companies and especially company 3, where we were stationed, Sepah guys who came here give them how many bullets they want. In those days, there rationed the bullet out. I mean, we were so restricted that in a day could react with five bullets to the Iraqis. But the Iraqis if they could and wanted, they poured a million bullets upon us without any restrictions. That is their limitation was tiring, not bearing, riving pipes of their cannon otherwise if they decided and wanted to pour even a million bullets upon us, they would pour. However, in 24 hours we could shoot up just five bullets, especially bullets155 that still its construction by ourselves had not begun. We ourselves made bullets of cannon 105 and shot almost in a very less restrictions, but we couldn't shoot up more than 5 bullets in 155. It was a very unequal battle that he can shoot up as much as he wanted and you answer just with five bullets. In this situation you must shoot up these very well, on time and accurate, in a time that you are so under high pressure and have dozen of adventures to shoot up five bullets in 24 hours. They had instructed to give them the guys whatever they want. That was a strict order. Out of the rule, we also wanted more than 10-15 bullets 155, they gave us. When we were radio-telephoning, they were preparing cannons. They said, "You coordinate, we shoot up." This was situation of the first time I went to the front.

That Three Days

After Operation Fat’h-ol-Mobin bitched that we should go into operation. There were murmurs that next operation starts quickly, we complained. They also made a call from Tehran that the guys should come. Our excuses were completed and came. We were 11-10 days in Tehran and went to Operation Beit ol-Moqaddas. In Operation Beit ol-Moqaddas also our battalion carried out any operation was almost successful. All fighters of battalion went there. Presidential headquarter had been given to guys who came recently. I remember we were stood around Agha [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei] and said, "We should go to the front." Agha told us you should stay, here is like the front, it is not different. One day, martyr Ehsan Ghassemieh, the battalion commander, with some of the guys that we were also among them had stood around Agha and talked about going. Agha said: "I have nothing to say for myself, I do not want to prevent you to go, but here is like the front, do not think your work is different." Ehsan told Agha: "Agha I'm under pressing of the guys, I cannot at all control them, they are all saying, 'let's go, let's go. "Agha, said good luck and told: "Ok, Go!" He allowed. We went and it was good. Almost at every point guys were operating they were successful. The third stage of the operation was to begin, but it resulted in failure and due to the last stage of the operation was called the second stage. Nearly all the guys of the battalion were martyred. I think a few people who came back in a standing posture were 8, they were also wounded. They gave us some of the guys of Qom's Basij[2] and some of Sepah battalions 2 & 5. Our battalion has about 450-500 men. As much as two battalion fighters were in it that almost all were martyred. We operated from Shalamcheh, in front of Pole No, and we needed to go. Justification and discussion was that we should go through enemy lines and among tanks and seize Pole No. our mission was to enter Khorramshahr through Pole No. God bless martyr Mahmoud Shahbazi, the deputy Haj Ahmed Motevaselian in Brigade Muhammad Rasul Allah (prophet of God) (PBUH) whom after him Haj Ahmed was replaced by martyr Hemmat. He came two or three nights before the mission and spoke sharply with battalion commander that you must act. He almost did not want, because he said, "We do not know the situation at all; at least, the detection guys go to see the region, see the conditions...." because two nights ago we had had operations. Radiotelephones said, "Go to the moon!" The moon was in the sky and we needed to run toward the moon to arrive in enemy lines and shoot up. It was heard also by enemy, whenever we went to the moon, fire and bullets were shot at us, and poured better and more regular around us. But the operation was successful. God bless him, martyr Shahbazi said: "You have two successful operations, this is also successful, you need to go." But the guys were tired, had not slept for almost three days. In the three days we just had run. That is we smashed a line, defense force came and delivered it and again the next line. Speed of enemy's retreats and flights had been increased, escaped by car and we were looking them for on foot. I remember we were almost the first battalion that arrived at border of Hossainia, was located southwest of Khorramshahr. We were running and circulating Khorramshahr. After approaching each line we had a conflict and the line was broken. In Shalamcheh, our right was border pad and our left was road of Ahvaz - Khorramshahr. There was an embankment which was distant maybe 7 or 8 KMs that we had seized it. We were 30-40 people. Iraqis also had fled, but they shot up by tanks T-72 which RPG cannot stop it to; they shot up with mortars, with cannon; helicopters were shot up bullet time; we (30-40 people) just were stood there. This means that if they gave their tanks so much gas, they would pass on us and went; again the operation had been returned to the point in which it had been started. Now that I sit and think, I understand that Imam Khomeini saw something that said God had freed Khorramshahr, we really did not any work. We were 40-30 people at a point that maybe there was not more important and sensitive than it in the entire operation, with Kalashnikov guns and RPGs that did not work at that tanks at all. Iraqis had distanced us about 1 to 2 KMs, had arranged and were shooting up. They came a bit forward again went back. Deputy of Battalion came and said: "Farrokhi, you are responsible here, if the tanks will pass they would across on your bodies." He said this and went. Till sunset as many as we fired they shot up more. But finally there was preserved. Not by us 40-30 people, with the help of the God who overcame the operation and preserved there. These are outside of normal and human procedures and it cannot be treated as operational art. Here God had wanted to be freed Khorramshahr, but God had done the event by a few awkward fighters who their faith and belief was not awkward. We lacked many things; weapons, ammunition, personnel, equipment, even bread and water. Believe that it is still not solved the riddle for me that we were running three nights and did not have even water to drink, we were hungry and thirsty, it was not even possible to bring food into the line. When they brought water or a tanker of lemonade, displacements were so fast that support forces had not any time to convey food and water for all the lines. Operation Beit ol-Moqaddas began April 30 and we went into the area May 03, 1982. The condition was somehow that we were constantly under fire and they were unable to deliver supplies to the fighters; in this situation, it was three days we had ate no food, had drunk no water and hadn't slept. Elsewhere we were walking alongside Karun River; it was in the displacement of the second or third day. We all indiscriminate were slept on the way, our eyes were open, but we were asleep, the brain didn't work. I myself saw guys who slept and fell.

Embankment and crawling

Elsewhere, in one of the battle lines we were under heavy fire. We had gone about 6or 7 pm and had begun the battle. We were shooting up till 11 pm; we stroke Iraqis they stroke us. We shot up to the last ordnance and had just a few grenades. God bless him, martyr Amrei, he was from Yaftabad, had an exemplary courage, it was something that is not able to be said. We had stuck in the heart of embankment and Iraqis like us. They with tanks and ammunition, and we were 25 or 30 people who had just Kalashnikov and RPG, more Kalashnikov. We had just 5 or 6 RPGs. However, in the same operation you consider we resisted five hours against them and it lasted 11 pm. Radiotelephone call had been also cut; that is we don't have radiotelephone, ammunition and bullet and we're sleepy. We were so sleepy that slept three seconds, the three seconds charged us a bit. I suddenly felt a grenade fell near my feet. I woke up by its explosion sound. The sound was so close. At the moment, fire was also exchanging and more by the enemy. I looked away I saw a hole in the soil is 25cm far from me, the grenade was exploded in 25cm far from me and I was not shot up even one spot. Not even a stone at me, it just had woken me up, as it happened here to waking me up and continue my work. At this time, martyr Amrei was crawling in the darkness, in the distance between the two embankments that was an auto way and a road. He was crawling road and went down and mixed up Iraqis. He was come up and saying to me, '' launch a grenade." We (30-25 people) were spread on the embankment to appear we are a lot. He went 10-15 meters away from me who was another fighter, and again 7-8 meters far from him before another person, again went down toward Iraqis, again came up and said: "launch a grenade." We had only a few grenades. Radiotelephones somehow starts working and said, "Retreat, came back, so now you stood and what you should do had been done." An operation was starting to clearance the entire area to the border. We accidentally and mistakenly had passed the border and had gone inside Iraq and inside Iraq's motor park. They were on us track by their tanks and car and. Some were shouting: "Do not go here, come back", in the darkness, firing and noise. The same operation again continued, in which we got the critical point and guys were scattered. The group pursued their work and we (50-40 individuals) did stayed there and kept that part to sunset of the next day. By God's grace, in fact, the operation was successful.

Did you also go into Khorramshahr?

No, almost all dears were martyred and I was injured too. Of all battalion 9, of 450-500 persons, 40-50 remained injured and all were martyred.

Did you also injure?

Yes. We were there until night and I was wounded 5 a.m. The battalion was almost paralyzed and everything had been finished. Iraqis also sat on the embankment and were playing with guys. That is they beat them one by one. For example, I was shot up the three or four bullets when I had fallen. We had fallen about 50-60 meters from Iraqis. It was a strange situation that is hard to describe. Martyr Ghassemieh had been reached his hand on the embankment which he martyred. We had a friend, named Barzegar, God bless him; he was young and had two daughters too. We were the same age, but he married soon. A short distance from me, 3 or 4 Calibers shot up in his stomach and almost cut in half. I just heard him a couple of interrupted Allahu Akbar (God is Great) 'and was martyred; in the embankment which was almost the last embankment that was then Pole No and we would have to enter Khorramshahr, but did not succeed. Later, we heard that there were to integrate two very elite brigade of the enemy and if it had occurred, Khorramshahr was knotted in a too large node. At least that it became much more difficult. Martyrdom of the guys and operation in the point caused the enemy not to able integrate and fasten there in that stage in the night to keeping Khorramshahr.  However, the guys worked their blood. Very painful scene, but it was magnificent. If one make its film surely every one say the movie is not real, because even a person is not paralyzed, just run, even one does not make a shelter for himself to not be shot up or do not die, as all the 400-500 individuals have a single brain or heart that it says just go. As these are one person, one who decided to run, one who decided to free the embankment, the operation must be done. The single brain and heart take 450-500 then the last one fell, which means a standing die completely and really. We were there till night and all my wounds were bleeding. End of the night, in crawling and bowling I was coming back two or three hours. We were 10-12 people close together. Behind a small hill that was half a meter high, I saw one of the guys who has one of guys on his back and is crawling to me. His name was Asghar Salehi. "Farrokhi, are you injured too?" I said, "Yeah." He said: "May I go all over you, look at behind yourself. ... Let's go back behind that hill." It was 20 meters behind us and half meters high and its width was two meters. "I told I really cannot move and my feet are out of work." My leg and waist had been shot. He said: "your hands works, come on ... these are shooting up the guys one by one from the top of the embankment… I'm telling you come, if you can come with your hands..... ." he went and I paused a few seconds. I turned to go, Iraq shooter began to shoot up. Now I was pulling myself with my arms in the 20 meters. In the 20 meters he shot up me a dozen bullets that were passed near my body and hair and made there dusty that soil went into my eyes. I find out we were shot our quota, no longer the bullets were not shot us. I was going fast and the shooter couldn't plug me even one. We went behind the hill we saw 10-12-people had slept there, all torn and tattered. In short, we stayed there up the night. At night we heard sound of bulldozers. It was sound of our own bulldozer. We later discovered that martyr Cheraghi had approached by bulldozer and did what we didn't. He arrived by bulldozer into the embankment that there we were shooting and the Iraqis were forced to leave and go. 11-11: 30p.m. the guys find us and we were gone back.

To be continued…