Welcoming the 12th National Conference on Iranian Oral History

Conference on Oral History of Sacred Defense Industry, Engineering and Logistics

Morteza Nouraei (PhD)
Translated by M. B. Khoshnevisan

2019-12-17

With a brief glance at the history of the series of the oral history conferences, it can be clearly found out that each of its themes and topics reflects their necessity and importance in the field of Iranian oral history researches. The 12^th conference demonstrates the necessity of measuring the lost worlds during the Scared Defense days. In fact, the announced topics show in what layers of documentations the supported system of the frontlines lie. Undoubtedly, the presence of every person in the war fronts addresses the necessity and availability of ninety-nine supporters according to the public opinion. This means that logistics, engineering, administrative affairs, dispatch mechanisms, advertising, innovations and inventions, etc. all have helped to support the frontline in a sympathetic process. Such abundant gathering and large scope requires more and deeper attention for reconstructing and looking at the past of the conditions and roles. For instance, the stagnant archives of the offices and the large number of retirees contain intact and latent files that this time the microphone has been enabled to restore the sound of this part of the past. The responsibility of the oral historians in proper reflection of these sounds is with a different tone. They are informed of important events during the scared Defense years. Today, the logistics and all of its elements play and important role in the success of military actions: yesterday, it was the same, and tomorrow, it will be. Thus, the Iranian Oral History Association with the assistance of Isfahan University, the Jihad of Agriculture and Isfahan's Steel Company and other supporters have done their utmost efforts in managing this scientific scene during the past one and a half years. The point is that these conferences is proof of inimitable simplicity. In several stages, with numerous pre-meetings and with many delays, all of what were formally collected and technically presented is the same as that is found in submitted abstracts and accepted articles. In other word, they were not proper and large productions as it was expected. Our brothers in the Jihad have been oral men. What all of us know is that the extent of their status, mobility and effort in various scenes of the fronts was so large that it was not necessary to mention it, but rather to produce the text. This has been said all the time, but it has found less opportunity for recording and compiling.

This conference, the next year's conference and the one in the year 1400 (2021) focuses on conquering and keeping a door open in this field. From today, we should seek to find oral documentations and evidence for radiating to the aforementioned silent worlds. It is announced that the deadline for sending articles is until the next two years, with this opportunity, it is expected that numerous historical texts in the field of various sacred defense logistics infrastructures are sent. We hope that like previous conferences, the 12^th conference will be worthy of attention and could in its turn be a valuable step in enriching the productions of the sacred defense oral history.