The 345th Session of Memory Night-3

A Narrative of Beginning of the War by Second Brigadier General Salehi

Adjusted by Leyla Rostami
Translated by Ruhollah Golmoradi

2023-12-12

The 345th session of memory night was held in Revagh-e Shahadat (portico of martyrdom) (campus of the Artistic Sect of Islamic Republic of Iran) on Thursday, April 27, 2023. In this session, Brigadier Dr. Nasrollah Ezzati, Nezam Ali Salehi, and Second Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Fuladi shared their memories. The narrators told the memories of the first group of Imam Ali Officer’s Academy students sent to the operational areas of Holy Defense in 1980 commanded by Martyr Major General Namjoo. Davood Salehi was presenter of the session. The body of an Assyrian newly-discovered martyr named “Johnny Bet Oshana”, one of the martyrs of Iranian religious minorities, was special guest of this memory night.

The second narrator of the session was second brigadier general Nezam Ali Salehi. He was a fighter at the time of occupying Khorramshahr, and it was there that he became a disabled veteran. For a while, he was commander of division in NEZAJA, worked in Joint Staff and General Staff, and also worked abroad as a military attaché for three years.

At the beginning of his speech, the narrator said, “46 years ago, I was a student at the officer academy. After victory of the revolution, I registered to go to Lebanon in 1979. All the students of the officer academy volunteered to go to war against Israel; But the war imposed by Iraq against Iran started. The Imam said the Quds road passes through Karbala. The enemy and arrogance knew what to do. They created the cabals, enforced all kinds of pressures but they found out it wouldn’t be possible, and they came to the conclusion that Saddam is the best option. They negotiated with Saddam, talked and said that the 1975 Algiers Agreement was imposed; ignore it and attack Iran, we also support you. Suppress these Shiites who want to rise up against you and make a revolution in Iraq. Saddam also saw his position in danger and as a mercenary of global arrogance bombed Iran's airports on September 22.

At that time, we were going to the dining room. It was 12:10. Suddenly, the bombing of the airports started. Martyr Namjoo gave us a day off and said, “Tonight, go and say goodbye to your fiancée, your wife, and your parents, and come here in the morning. We came to the officer academy at 6 in the morning. We passed under the Quran. At that time, there was the Islamic Association, then it changed to Political-Ideological (Siasi Ideologic), and then Ideological-Political (Aghidati Siasi). A clergyman spoke for us there. He said behave well with the prisoners. Be careful if you loot their weapons. Try not to kill them and be kind.

We left for Mehrabad Airport. We had lunch there, which was Ghormeh Sabzi and watermelon, and boarded the plane. We reached Ahvaz around evening. Iraqi MiGs were in the sky. As the C-130's were moving, we got off with a military backpack. We had four grenades, some TNT paste that Martyr Namjoo had told us to detonate under the Iraqi tanks, an RPG and a G3. We entered the 92^nd division and spent the night there under the trees. The Supreme Leader came there that night. Of course, I did not visit him. Tomorrow, a person who was in charge of the Islamic Association of the officer academy came and said to write your wills, and where should we bury you. Everyone who has a ring, an engagement ring, put it in a pack and give it to us. Write your burial place too. We wrote them quickly within 20 minutes and delivered.

We who were in the third year, divided into three groups and we were encoded with Danesh 1, 2 and 3. We were Danesh 1. They drew lots; We were selected for Khorramshahr. We boarded buses and went near Abadan. People threw blankets in our car, gave us tea flaxes, and respected us; But they said where are your cannons and tanks! well, you can't fight with empty hands!

We went to Abadan. The Abadan refinery was on fire. We went from there to Khorramshahr. When we entered Khorramshahr, no one was there. All the people had ridden trucks and were going out of the city. They had no other choice. We went inside the committee. At that time, before the IRGC was formed, the Islamic Revolution Committee was active. We went to see them; There were 16 people. They told us to quickly go to Dr. Shariati Vocational School. A lot of mortar were fired there. It had just been hit a few mortar balls.

From there we went to Dr. Shariati Vocational School. We took shelter under the training tables. That night, several cannonballs hit the school. We were there for eight days. Every noon, we brought food to the students from Khorramshahr Grand Mosque. Volunteer sisters came there and prepared food. One day I needed an undershirt; I wanted to go and buy, but there was no seller to sell. I saw the shops were open, I took an undershirt. I said if the seller comes, I will come and pay him the money, if not, nothing. I told Captain Javanshir that I did such act; He said there is no problem.

To be continued...