In Order to Compile Two Books

60 hours interviews with two narrators

Elham Saleh
Translated by Ruhollah Golmoradi

2017-2-14

"Zhazhileh: Memories of Davood Tayefehkhani" and "Citizen of Sky: Memories of Amir Pilot Mahmoud Ansari" are titles of two books of Publication of Sacred Defense Museum and Foundation for Preserving Relics and Publishing values of Sacred Defense of Tehran. The books have been developed in framework of oral history and in form of Q & A.

Q & A

A teenager who leaves education and work and goes to the front while his family needed him for subsistence. Thinking and view of the teenager in "Zhazhileh" [1] is expressed. This book contains about 40 hours interview with Colonel Davood Tayefekhani and contents of the book includes from his first dispatch to the front to Operation Mersad.

In this book, battalions are been narrated that in which there are from 15-year-teenagers to 30-year- youths, from pupil to student, staff and even farmer and fighters who are student, but cannot return to school for exams and instead are been tried in trenches.

"Zhazhileh" is an oral history book that was developed in seventeen chapters and its titles are as follows: Chapter I: Childhood; Chapter II: First Dispatch; Chapter III: A Group With 25 Members –Hills of Allahu Akbar; Chapter IV: Slapping Noorali; Chapter V: Second Dispatch; Chapter VI: Capturing Village of Lown; Chapter VII: Third Dispatch- Telecommunication of The Brigade; Chapter VIII: Eyn-e Khvosh Region-Operation Muharram; Chapter IX: In Battalion Adavat (equipment) - Post-station Zeid; Chapter X: Dawn-4;  Chapter XI: Operation Khyber; Chapter XII: Operation Badr; Chapter XIII: Defensive Line of Majnoon Island; Chapter XIV: Operation Karbala-5; Chapter XV: Zhazhileh- Beit ol-Moqaddas 2; Chapter XVI: Beit ol-Moqaddas 3 and Chapter XVII: Operation Mersad.

The book also includes a manuscript of memory teller, a preface, an introduction, an opening speech, appendices, index, documents and photos as well.

The book is developed in format of Q & A. In this form, questions have a crucial role in advancing the issue and developing oral history. Although asking general questions overflow with much information for the audience, But at the same time, causes interviewee to talk generally (not in details) that in some cases it is not useful and damages structure of interview. In this format, questions show that how much interviewer is familiar with interviewee and issue. It is necessary to avoid questions like biography, family and educational status so that audience finds that he face a well-informed interviewer.

"Zhazhileh" starts with questions such as, "Please introduce yourself" and "Where were you born? Tell about your family". It is possible to omit the questions and such information to be presented for audience in form of an introduction or a lead so that interview to be more professional. Although questions in this book are general, but they doesn't damage structure; questions and answers are attractive and cause audience to continue reading.

From Dispatch to Mersad

Except the first chapter which includes more personal memories, other chapters present information about mood of the front for audience. Warrior facility in winter 1981 is one kind of this information "we had no facilities. I myself provided khaki and a bootie in Tehran. Bootie was secondhand that I had bought in Razi square and surrounding streets, maybe I had bought in Khorasan Square …. We didn't have any heater and just wore our personal clothes... "(p: 70)

Weather condition in different war regions constitutes one of questions of the interviewer that is specifically dedicates weather conditions of Majnoon Island: "Now if we would be one day in hot heat do not tolerate, but then we tolerated extreme heat and cold and that was of blessings of the war. Fighters were prepared to bear all situations of the war. They tolerated extreme heat and cold, and fire of the war. Due to the same intense heat most people of our company were sick and poisoned."(P: 249)

Among contents of the book, assassinations of early years of the revolution are seen too: "They wanted to assassinate Friday Prayer Imam of Garmsar, but were not successful. As it was appeared they clashed two of his guards in the street and shot them; one of them died a martyr and another named Mr. Taheri was injured. It was highest point of assassinations. That's why the characters had bodyguard; Friday prayer leaders and MPs ... "(p: 101)

High level of military information of Sepah commanders despite being young and while opportunity for formal trains was limited is also one topic of the book: "they examined all issues in details. They didn't wait to bring just news. Everywhere Sepah commanders were present. Their plans were meticulous. They knew the enemy situation well ..."(p: 110)

What includes most of the book is narrative of different operations that eight chapters of the book are about them. The narrator who begins the book with memories of his childhood, in the last chapter talks about Operation Mersad and ends his memories of the years of sacred defense as the war case is closed.

An essential part of any book is its footnotes. Given audience information about the topic isn't enough, footnotes give him more information. "Zhazhileh" uses this feature well. The book also in chapters devoted to operations, provides full explanations about the operations in footnotes.

Index which is adjusted based on people, places, organizations and agencies, operations, books and journals, is a feature of the book. There are photos and manuscripts of Davood Tayefekhani In part of documents and pictures. Other features is that each photo has a description includes date and information about people in it.

In each book that has been written on the subject eight years of Sacred Defense, titles of operations that took place during this period to be seen. "Zhazhileh" is also the same. In this book, Chapter VIII is about Operation Muharram, Chapter X about Operation Dawn-4, Chapter XI about Operation Khyber, Chapter XII about Operation Badr, Chapter XIV about Operation Karbala-5, Chapter XV about Operation Beit ol-Moqaddas-2, Chapter XVI about Operation Beit ol-Moqaddas-3, Chapter XVII about Operation Mersad. In the meantime, it can be seen sporadically titles of operations in different pages of the book: martyr Rajai (p: 91), Beit ol-Moqaddas (p: 99), Muharram (pp: 117, 158), Dawn-3 (p: 169), Karbala-5 ( p: 169), Dawn-4 (pp: 183, 184, 188, 189, 190, 197, 198), Operation Khyber (p: 201), Operation Badr (p: 225), Operation Beit ol-Moqaddas-2 (pp: 283, 291), Operation Beit ol-Moqaddas-3(pp: 299, 315).

Memories of Flight

Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force played an important role during eight years of Sacred Defense and even before that in victory of the revolution. This role is so much that make it necessary addressing efforts and activities of the Air Force. "Citizen of Sky" [2] addresses part of the Air Force's efforts alongside looking at process of life of Amir Pilot Mahmoud Ansari.

"Citizens of Sky" which is result of 20 hours interviews, states life of the air force pilot from birth to retirement. Amir Mahmoud Ansari who was hired in Air Force in 1973, went to America for a pilot period in 1975 and returned to Iran in 1977. He has undertaken commanding of Tehran's pilot college of garrison Ghale Morghi, deputy of commander of Air Force Academy of Isfahan, Commanding of protection and intelligence of Air Force of Mehrabad base, five years commanding of Hamedan Airbase and six years commanding of the Islamic Republic's airshed in Mehrabad base.

Amir pilot Mahmoud Ansari loved flying, and this can be well understood in "Citizen of Sky". Loving flight obviates risks and moments of doubt: "I had accepted all risks. At the time there were many aircraft accidents. Homeboys jokingly said: a pilot passes three stages: Lieutenant, Captain, the deceased. After that I became a pilot they said: be careful not to be Lieutenant, Captain, and the deceased."(p: 46)

He spent training pilot in San Antonio in America and part of his memories is about insecurity of the city: "San Antonio was a multinational city that was very insecure. Jalal Zoroofi Hooshmand was one of my close friends. He was from Hamedan and very genius. When we were going USA, they told Jalal was shot. As it was appeared another Iranian man had been familiar with an American girl and the girl was already friend of a Mexican American. He had been shot by mistake."(p: 67)

The narrator of "Citizen of Sky" remembers different periods in his oral memoirs. September 08, 1978 and Black Friday is one of these memories: 'We heart that the killing was so large; they declared martial law and had sprayed men and women ballets; … there were many injured in hospitals. Imperial guard had surrounded the hospital and had brought the corpses with trucks and vans out of the city."(p: 176)

He also talks about his heard words that entrance of Imam Khomeini to Iran is one of these memories, "air force Military Police Department undertook protection of Imam; it was interesting that they were armed and all guns were full of bullets. Boeing 747came and Imam landed. Air Force guys surrounded Imam; even his car was for Air Force provision."(p: 194)

Moments of the revolution would not be omitted among memories of this pilot. Kurdistan tumult in August 1979 is one of the sensitive points "Kurdistan issues became very serious. Counter-revolutionary forces had captured the garrison and many of armed forces of Sepah and Army forces stationed there were surrounded. [Counter-revolutionary forces] were going to separate Kurdistan from the country body. Some garrisons of Kurdistan were occupied by counter-revolution. It was bombing and heavy rockets of Air Force that helped Army units. Martyr Nojeh died a martyr in the unrest." (p: 228)

In Form of Interview

September 22, 1980 was beginning of Iraq's imposed war against Iran and Amir Pilot Mahmoud Ansari undertook intelligence protection of Mehrabad base. The memory teller of "Citizen of Sky" have words to talk about equipment of Air Force during the eight years of Sacred Defense: "our planes number was enough, our warehouses were equipped and full. But Iraq Army with an equipped Division both armored and infantry almost had infiltrated in our seven hundred kilometers territorial border into country... " (p: 302)

The book talks about air forces situations after the war too: "After the war was over, the guys focused on air training and exercises, and exercises that were needed for the war and defense including shooting missiles, rockets, shelling and aerial conflicts." (p: 457)

The narrator of "Citizen of Sky" not address just Air Force situation during the eight years of Sacred Defense but presents information about Iraq's invasion of Kuwait too: "there was a particular crisis in the region. We were ready during this time... stationed troops were undecided. Being ready is not at all an interesting situation. Vacations would be canceled. Activities are different. Educational flights and organizational tasks would be affected. When it is war, situation is clear, but we did not have a direct war."(p: 468)

It is no secret that in formulating oral history, questions are the most first important. It is in the meantime the same questions that useful or useless information would be obtained. Some of the books that have been developed in field of oral history are in form of an account and some books are in form of an interview. "Citizen of Sky" is set in an interview form. One point about the book is that like many oral history books questions are general that have led to general answers. However, Q and A are enough charming to persuade the audience to reading.

The advantage of "Citizen of Sky" is also that with proper dividing chapters, the book subjects are well separated. Having index, references, and photos and documents is another feature of the book.

Bearing loneliness and risk is not easy for families. The issue was also true for the narrator's family of "citizens of heaven": "he tried not to say something that affects my mood. He didn't say anything. Sometimes plane was flown at midnight, I was reserve pilot and had to go. He did not know where I'm going. About 2 or 3 a.m. a minibus and another pilot were looking for me. Sometimes I saw he was worry. I told "hey it is not yet anything ... he said: go, it is nothing, suddenly ... but later he said: "I was permanently waiting to get news that you were shot, died a martyr, captured or they stroke the plane and you jumped out of it and were looking for you in deserts ... "I tried not to say news of events for my family, for example, if a pilot was captured or died a martyr. But he understood immediately and became upset why I did not told; I found it is better to tell it myself, he gets ready too ... "(p: 403)

In "Citizen of Sky," index makes it easy for those who address particularly the war issues. The group can easily study what they want by finding their desired keywords in index. War operations are one of the topics that have been referred in different pages: Beit ol-Moqaddas (325, 326, 329 and 347), Fath ol-Mobin (325, 326 and 331), Karbala-8 (411), Mersad (448, 453 and 482), Dawn-3 (352), Dawn-8 (399, 403, 405 and 411).

The book is written in eleven chapters which titles are as follows: Chapter I: The dream of Flight; Chapter II: In America; Chapter III: Iran Sky; Chapter IV: Prey Base of Bandar Abbas; Chapter V: Revolution and Air Force; Chapter VI: Air force and Internal Crises; Chapter VII: Start of The Imposed War; Chapter VIII: War of The Cities; Chapter IX: Resolution 598; Chapter X: End of The War; and Chapter XI: Iraq's Invasion of Kuwait.

[1] Zhazhileh: Memories of Davood Tayefehkhani, interviewer: Hussein Khodadadi, Editor: Nazanin Kazemi, Tehran: Publication of Tehran's Sacred Defense Museum and the Foundation for Preserving Relics and Publishing values of Sacred Defense of Tehran, 2015, 387 pages.

[2] Citizen of Sky: Memories of Amir Pilot Mahmoud Ansari, interviewer and Editor: Fatemeh Dehghan Nayeri, Tehran: Publication of Tehran's Sacred Defense Museum and the Foundation for Preserving Relics and Publishing values of Sacred Defense of Tehran, 2015, 538 pages.