The 301st Night of Memory

The Narratives about Martyr Mohsen Vezvaei

Maryam Rajabi
Translated by Ruhollah Golmoradi

2019-06-18


According to Iranian Oral History Website, the 301st nigh of memory of Holy Defense was held in Sooreh Hall of Hozeh Honari on Thursday, April 25, 2019. This night of memory focused on Martyr Mohsen Vezvaei, and Davood Norouzi, Abdolreza Vezvaei and Ebrahim Shafiei as the session's narrators narrated memories of the martyr's adolescence and youth.

 

Forever brave

Davood Norouzi was the first narrator of the 301st night of memory. He said, "I do not know at all whether I deserve to say something about dear Mohsen. We grew up together, played and went on a journey until his route was completely diverged at a point. I do not intend to praise him since Mohsen has died a martyr, but he was really special. He played very well soccer and goal-kick game (Shoot-e ye Zarb). He grew up in a faithful and religious family. Of course, in our neighborhood, all were religious and believer. His father was in electric organization. When we were very young and we did not even think we should fast, Mohsen fast. We went pool swimming and told him jump to water, he answered my head must be out of water and if I go into water, my fast would be broken. He came with us everywhere, but he observed the religious law. We did mind games and he was a prodigy. We were about ten to fifteen children who played in alley and were in the same age.

 

 

I married sooner than all. It was about twenty years old that I disassociated from the guy, and Mohsen was also accepted at those years in university. I also say that he and I were born in the same year, but he was one educational year ahead of me because I was born in autumn. He and I were in the same a school, but he was in a higher grade than me. He was also among top students in the school. We are at the streets of Shahid Madani [Tehran], known as Nezamabad. At that time, Mohsen's mother was told Khanom Jalasei (a lady who holds her meeting everywhere) and went to everywhere to teach Quran without any expectations. This family really had a particular commitment to their beliefs. I can say that he was a top student everywhere. He was also a top student at the Technology University of Sharif, which was then called Aryamehr University of Technology. He was very active in University Jahad. When he was accepted in university, I met him one day. He had changed his look and clothes. I asked him where you are and what do you do? He said I was sent to Khoramabad on the part of University Jahad. I had just engaged and gone to Abadan, which at the same time the war was started. Mohsen told me when you go to Abadan, come to see me in Khorramabad in your way. I asked: what are you doing there? He said: "I am in purification headquarters of the region. It was about September 1980, when I was going to Abadan, I also went to Khoramabad. He was not there. They said they were asked to go to Tehran immediately. I went to Abadan. I was there for about ten days. My mother and other kids were also with me and I had to go back. Let's forget it how hard we could come back. There wasn't Benzin, and was crowded, etc.

I went to Khorramabad and looked for Mohsen. We were taken to a place which was absolute darkness. Under name of Mohsen we were welcomed much there. One of his friends asked me what is your relationship with him? I said we are close friends. That person said: "Here they had put a price on Mohsen's head!" I asked: why? He said here khans are in a way that if they choose every woman and girl she should be for them, and on the other hand, said: "here the counter-revolution, feudal, etc. are making people's blood boil, and Mohsen said that I have come to fight with them." The same khans had put a price on his head. He had such a struggle within his framework beliefs. I am in general a humorous person; I told him: Mohsen, why are you so fat-headed? I asked: What do you have to do with them? He replied that one should stand against them and I am one of them. The day I was going, the war had not been started. Mohsen had been called for war predictions, and it was interesting that he was a great figure in the same distant society at that very young age. In university Jahad had told him the war would probably be started and called him immediately. I did not meet Mohsen easily, but whenever he came for a vacation, he dropped in me too. One day he came by a Jeep Wagoneer. It was an American Jeep that it was surrounded of holes. I asked: why is your car honeycomb? He said: "Monafeqin (hypocrites) attacked me in the street and fortunately we were able to escape; again I told him the same ugly sentence." (How fat-headed are you!) I took him upstairs and one or two hours ago he was with me and we talked about everything; a long time has passed and I did not remember our chats. He came and we went out together. After that event, they had given him a gun and he wore on his waist. I sometimes took his gun. He said: Do not joke Davood, I am responsible for this. You are supposed to use it and it is possible to shoot in the air or ground. So he unload it bullets and gave it to me (Smilingly).

During the revolution we were young. Once Sepah Square, then known as Eshratabad Square, was attacked and we had seen many weapons, but well there was curiosity. He was also involved in Eshratabad Garrison. I think that my aunt died on February 9 and I went to my city, though I came back soon because of the revolution, but I was not there exactly on the day of February 11 (22 Bahman). Since Eshratabad Garrison was near our house, Mohsen had his own special activity there, and his braveness was special in there too. Whenever he was on vacation for the war issues and like these, he dropped in us too. We were ten to fifteen peers who had a happy time at a young age, but he was very busy at that time. One day they informed us that Mohsen died a martyr. We inquired and found out that Alhamdolelah he had escaped and was in hospital. I think he was in Sajjad Hospital at Fatemi Square. I asked him, what did happen? At first, he could not talk, and time passed, because his jaw had been also hurt. When he encountered Iraqis tank, he found a stone and could only hide himself. He said I lay down and took my hand on my head. They had shot him with a shell not with a cannonball. There are guns on the tanks that their bullets destroy a car. He said: "I lay down and when the shell arrived, it dismembered and took my hand and a bone below my jaw. I fell and everyone thought that I died a martyr. The guys came, took my leg and pulled me. There was a big pit that he had its photo and showed it to me. He said: everyone said that I died a martyr and took me a photo. He had those photos and gave them to me and I do not know what I did with them. He said that time passed and took me to the hospital. I think they had used his thigh flesh, skin, and bone for his jaw, and that's why he could not speak at all. At that time, they had moved from Nezamabad St. to Takht-e Tavoos St., now known as Shahid Mottahari. He was brought from hospital to home and I dropped in him daily. I went to work both in the morning and in the afternoon. When I worked at night, I met Mohsen during day.

One day I greeted his mother and I asked: is Mohsen at home? She said he is asleep, but she put her hand in her pocket and gave me key house and told, "Go upstairs." Their house had two floors. I went quietly and opened the door. Mother was going to go shopping. I went at the top of his head and stroked his hair gently. He was jerked awake. They had written his motto on the wall those days that he had said: "I'm getting closer to God, the more I smart." He had been injected morphine. He smarted too much. Assume that a bone is destroyed and a bone from another member to be amputated and graft it there ... he experienced pains that you cannot understand until you encounter. He was so proud that when I arrived, there was a fruit tray in dining room in front of him, and I wanted to put grapes in his mouth but he did not allowed. He did not speak, but he meant he should eat it himself. He talked very quiet and slowly, I put my ears in front of his mouth to find out what he said to me. He said doctors had told him to inject morphine whenever you have pain. He walked in their hall from morning to night, but didn't inject morphine, and this was also an example of his pridenesses. We asked why do you do this? He said, "If I inject so many morphine I would be addicted; my pain won't be mitigated, and I would have the same situation again ... He told me with the same throatily voice how they operated him; that where the bone had been amputated and grafted, and also about his arm whose skin and flesh and muscles had been completely destroyed and broken and they had cast it in plaster.

It took some time to get cured. I had a Peykan Taxi. Once we went out with the same broken hand. Seven to eight people were sitting in that car. Mohsen said I had to drive and this was also one of those pridenesses he had. We went to Mellat Park. We sought a restaurant. We got together and had a food. After a while, when he was better he told me I want to go to war area. I said: With this pain and situation? He replied: "principally it is our religious duty to go. By walking and overcoming his pain, he could return to the war zone. I talked very much with him and said: let your bone graft to be restored and then go; he replied I can help at least intellectually, I must be present in the area. He went and we heard a day that he died a martyr and his corpse was brought. When his corpse reached Behesht-e Zahra, I opened his coffin. The coffin was nailed up, and I was so sad I scratched to open it by my hand. I wanted to sit next to him in the ambulance, but they took me and did not let. His brother said to them, "He is his teenage friend, go easy with him. I sat at the ambulance. Many other dears got on. The car was big. When I saw the corpse, I looked at the corpse to see which part had been shot? Why has he died a martyr? One of the loved ones said that explosion wave in Bazi Deraz Mountains caused him to die a martyr. He again because of his braveness and while knew that Iraq was bombarding in front of him, was among those who had stood on the hill. He always went forward to detect. We lost him because of these boldnesses and sacrifices. There were sometimes for us in adolescence we did not prayer, fast, but if Adhan was heard in the middle of football, he would vanish and go to pray."

 

 

Memories of his brother

Abdolreza Vezvaaei, brother of Mohsen Vezvaaei, was born in 1971. He is ten years younger than Mohsen. This difference in age didn't lead them to be strange and far from each other. They were very intimate and Abdolreza has a lot of memories from Mohsen. Abdolreza, like his other eight siblings has grinded and studied chemistry like Mohsen. He is now on the verge of his fiftieth and has a Ph.D. degree in lawyer, beside Ph.D. in Chemistry. Abdolreza Vezvaie said: "Mohsen had a sweet and charming conduct, that is, he had an existence fragrance that was very attractive. My parents had six children had born with two years difference, the last of whom was Mohsen; after that they would not have any children for about eight years, and then they would had three other children; one of my older sisters, two years older than me, then I was born and after me, Mahmoud, who is two years younger than me. We three children were told the second generation. Mohsen was ten years older than me, but this age difference was attractive for us, both Mohsen and I loved each other. When he played football, I would force player to allow me play. It was the same when he went swimming. The revolution occurred. Mohsen advanced much from around September 1978. Before that, Mahboubeh and Hamid, my sister and brother, had gone to America to continue their studies, and Mohsen was also supposed to go after them. Mohsen had been accepted in Technology University of Sharif, and the revolutionary process peaked from September. Mohsen still had not canceled his departure plan quitely and had involved in the revolution. After a few months, he canceled his departure quite. I mean, from September 1978, a milestone arose that Mohsen grew up high regarding his age. At that time, he was 18, and I was a third-grade student at elementary school. We began to chant in school. We collected the guy to chant of against Shah. Mohsen also tried to hold various programs both on September 8th and on various occasions in the university and outside the university. When the bloody clashes took place during the revolution, Mohsen would not take me because he was at risk and I was also too small.

It was on 8th day of Bahman 1357 (January 28, 1979). I insisted much and Mohsen took me with himself. We went to Tehran University. There were various groups and intense demonstrations. Imam Khomeini was supposed to come to Iran. Meanwhile, we were told that, from current Engelab Street, military vehicles are going toward Mehrabad Airport to close it and not allow the Imam plane to land. Mohsen took my hand and we went to Engelab Street. In the two sides the crowd had stood. The Army IFA trucks went to the airport while armored soldiers had seated at their two sides. People chanted, a number of the army forces shook hands and some also did not any reaction. Suddenly one of the trucks came and someone lifted his head up and said those who are behind us are Imperial Guard forces and they want to shoot. He said this and I saw Mohsen paled suddenly. After twenty to thirty seconds we heard sound of shooting. I saw one of the same Guard forces shot me with a J3. At the very moment, Mohsen threw me on the ground and throw himself on me. All these happened in a few seconds, as if I completely felt heat of passing that bullet around my ear. The crowd disarranged. For a few moments Mohsen had fallen on me. There were a number of pits in a garden next to the street to plant tree. The pit may be were about one meter deep and about 70cm width. Mohsen quickly threw me into one of these pits in the blink of an eye, and he fell on the pit and sat on his knees. There was shooting and full of moaning and groaning. Some died a martyr and some were injured. At the same time, a company or office was opened so that people go into and take shelter. Mohsen lifted me up quickly and brought to the building. He told me not to move until I come back. I was on staircase. I was an eight years child and this shooting and bloodshed was fresh for me. There was a great love between Mohsen and I. His warm arm at the very moment that he threw me on the ground made me not feel the events around myself at all. There was no fear and concern in me. I stayed at the staircase and Mohsen went and came back about forty minutes later. The shooting had been stopped. His hands were bloody. He said the wounded were taken to ambulance and a hospital. It was around three o'clock. It was supposed to not tell our mother anything in order not to be upset so I did not say anything."

Abdolreza Vezvaie continued: "The days near Bahman 22, 1357 (February11, 1979) Mohsen jumped for joy. Since February 8 he wasn't for three days. We were worried. He was involved in capturing Jamshidiyeh Garrison. Vahid Ghaderi was with Mohsen in occupying the garrison and he is supposed to come and talk about it someday. In the evening of Bahman 22 Mohsen came back home with a lot of guns. He had taken guns from the garrison. This event passed until we approached seizing the (U.S. Embassy siege). Since the spy nest was seized we did not know anything, and he had not told us anything because of security and guarding its information. After two days he called home and said the story. Those days were much rejoicing. Each day, different groups of people went in front of the spy nest and held marches to support Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line. In five or six days of week, my work was that I came from school, had lunch, did tomorrow's homework, and walked from our house on Takht-e- Tavoos St. [now: Mottahari St.] to the spy nest. There, I sometimes saw Mohsen and shook my hand. Mohsen said let him to enter; briefly, we greeted him much. One thing that my mother did was that several times a week she cooked meals, especially cutlet, and I took them with a saucepan and received yesterday food dish. Mohsen was very kind to our parents and respected them so much, as he never walked ahead of our parents. Our mother was very kind and witty and warm, but at the same time she was very introvert. After Mohsen martyrdom, he narrated some issues in her memories. In some of the letters she had sent to my sister, Mahboubeh, she had said some of these unspoken; for example, when Mohsen went out with my mother, he respected her so much and didn't walk ahead of her, and even he opened the car door for my mother to sit. It is customary men take the corpse in funeral and ladies walk behind men, but in funeral of Mohsen, we saw that my mother was walking in front of the corpse. Some relatives came and said: "Why you don't stand behind men Hajieh?" My mother said, "I want walk just here." After they insisted, my mother said Mohsen in his life liked to walk behind me, I know that he now also likes to walk behind me. My mother was introvert. Once on the first day of the second operation Bazi Deraz on April 22, 1981, two bullets were struck at Mohsen's throat. A bullet crossed his artery, and the other had gone into his chin, as when we touched it, we felt sharpness of the bullet and didn't get it out until his martyrdom. In a bleeding state, he closed his neck to take part in the operation, and on the other hand, as he was commander of the axis and if he came back, likelihood of victory would be very less. Whatever they had insisted him to go rear, he had not accepted. He had fought for nearly four to five days in the same situation at Bazi Deraz Mountains, and finally he went a coma that later revived gradually. September 5, 1981, he was again had been hit by a shell during the next operation of Bazi Deraz. It was very severe as they thought he would die a martyr, even they had took him photo as moments before martyrdom. He survived. He had a critical condition, but recovered slightly."

The second narrator of the 301st session of night of memory continued: "One of our relative, who is deceased, was against the revolution but loved Mohsen very much. He was himself one of very famous scientific and medical elites. In one of the European countries, he was head of a notable medical center. Since the revolution, when he came to Iran, he constantly told Mohsen what a pity, you should go abroad, if you stay here, your intelligence and genius would be lost, and Mohsen would respond with the same humorous and smilingly state; He had maintained his relationship well. The relationship went on so that once informed us that Mohsen has wounded seriously and is in a critical condition either. The person who was a relative quickly returned to Iran. Mohsen was in Sajjad Hospital, and after a while he got better slightly. He could not eat and just was fed through intravenous therapy. After that he became a little better, he could write his request with his left hand. Meanwhile, the person came to see Mohsen and he did not expect to see Mohsen in this situation at all. Mohsen had become very thin, was bald, and had a critical condition. The person regarding his interest in Mohsen and his opposition to the revolution became very disturbed and said: "What did you do Mohsen?" What is this situation? Who wants to come now and make you good? How much did I say you do not follow the revolution? Mohsen also looked at him and just shook his eyes. He pointed to me and understood that he wanted to write something. I brought a paper and he wrote difficulty, "What we kill and to be killed, we will succeed, because we have done our own duty in both cases." He then pointed to me to put the writing above his head and pointed to that relative to read it. When he read that writing, he was revolutionized around and told Mohsen: "What a high spirit have you acquired?" I am in wonder for greatness of your soul; shortly, there was a special atmosphere. After the second injury, all doctors had said you had to be in convalescence for several months and go physiotherapy two to three times a week. After a while, Mohsen became better somewhat. In the same situation, he went to Operation Matla-al-Fajr in December 1981. On March 1982 he also wanted to go for Operation Fath-ol Mobin. My mother would never stop Mohsen going to the front, but that day she insisted him much not to go. She said: "You fulfilled your duty and there is no right upon you. Serving is not just in the front, come serve here. You're injured and nobody expects you." Mohsen said: "my dear mother don't request me this." I have a covenant with God that, as long as the war continues, I would be in the front. If the war ends and I wouldn't die a martyr, I Inshallah would serve in another trench." My mother said: "You cannot even lift up a gun, you don’t have any power. Your hand needs physiotherapy. How do you want to go?" Mohsen said: "I can get a colt in my left hand." My mother narrated: At that time he was supposed to go as brigade commander and take a lot of troops with himself. She said: "You love Karbala so much if you go you would die a martyr and you cannot see Karbala too." Mohsen said: "my dear Mother! We do not want Karbala for ourselves; we want it for future generations."

We knew all mentioned above ourselves, but recently a letter was discovered that had been left with my sister, Mahboubeh. She had kept it for more than thirty years in his treasure. My mother has stated some words in that letter that we, despite our knowledge from her, cannot believe she could has said those word in the terms. It seems that on the very day after her words was ineffective and could not satisfy Mohsen to stay, he wrote in a letter that I took your daddy on one side and told him: "You must not allow Mohsen to go anyway. I feel Mohsen is going to die a martyr. I do not tolerate losing Mohsen. My dear dad told my mother: "This is the way he has chosen and we should be patient. Then my mother, who was very patient and encouraged Mohsen and would not prevent him from going at all, told my dad: "If you let Mohsen to go, if a hair of my boy head to be harmed, I will tweeze all your body hairs one by one!" The statement didn't match my mother's literature and terms at all. In that letter, my mother wrote some statements about Mohsen such as after innocent Imams, nobody has been like him; Mahboubeh, you don't know how was Mohsen mood. She had become interested in him so much that my mother, despite her patience, said such sentences. She had written in the same letter, "one hour later I met my god in solitude and said I should part with him. I came back and told Mohsen: "Go, may God preserve you." Mohsen went and died a martyr, and there are those actions that my mother did what with Mohsen's corpse, and what she said, and suddenly she calmed down and her behaviors during the funeral. We were informed of his martyrdom on Friday, April 30, 1982. It was at noon and we were at home. Two people came and went upstairs to visit our father. They first had said that he was injured. Later we found out that at the time too they had said he died a martyr, but they were not sure and the news was not certain, and it was a ninety percent true. My dad had come and told our siblings, but they all said what to do with our mother? How do we tell him? On Friday, regarding that there was five to ten percent probability not to die a martyr, all relatives, about sixty to seventy people, gathered at our home. Given that my mother thought that Mohsen was injured, they said let's all pray Tavasol. A Tavasol prayer with mourning and crying was held in our house. At the same time, as Operation Beit-ol Moqaddas had been begun, they suddenly showed Mohsen in the headquarters. We were all happy that as if the news of martyrdom was wrong, but it seemed the film was for before his martyrdom. At night, until eleven to twelve o'clock, Tavasol Prayer was held. The next noon, on May 1 they informed the certain news of his martyrdom and said Mohsen's corpse is now coming to Me'eraj-e Shohada (cemetery of the martyrs). My dad, my brother Reza and, if I'm not wrong, my brother Ali wanted to go. They did not allow the ladies to go. I wanted to go that they told children should not come, but I insisted so much that they took me. In Me'eraj-e Shohada we looked for his coffin. Name of each martyr had been written on his coffin. I was a kid and naturally I should afraid of corpse, but when I saw my brother I did not frightened at all. His face was beautiful and had a special calmness. A few minutes I went to him, confided in him and got a special calmness."

Abdolreza Vezvaie said at the end: "let me tell you a memory of March 1982 and Operation Fath ol-Mobin. In the eight years of the sacred defense, the only operation that was carried out on Nowruz and was very successful with many captives from the enemy was Operation Fath ol-Mobin. I remember people were very happy. From the first day of Nowruz when we went to visit relatives, all talked about the same operation. It was April 2, and we all gathered in uncle Ali's house where Mohsen entered suddenly. It seemed they had brought 600 captives by a train. He had gone home and saw nobody was there. He had contacted my aunt and she had said all are in uncle Ali's house. He liked relatives much and came with the same war cloth. Everyone became happy and said a Salavat and rejoiced. He did not say anything about the epics he had created during Operation Fath ol-Mobin, and we realized all of them after his martyrdom. Next day he went and did not come home for several days. Later we found out that he was among terror list of Monafeqin. He was very upset and told my mother and some other people that I did not like at all to die a martyr in Tehran by Monafeqin, but I would love to die a martyr in the front. He would not come home because they traced him and looked for him. One night, his friends had insisted to go and be with your family. It was late at night and we slept at the reception room. Mohsen came and we embraced him. We slept a short time, suddenly he woke up fearfully. He had a colt, picked it up and went to the yard. I followed him. He was on his guard and then opened the door. We then realized he was worried about Monafeqin come to home and do something. Until we arrived at April 10; I insisted Mohsen several times before that to take me along with yourself to the front but he would not take me. I considered myself as an adult. Once before Operation Fath ol-Mobin he promised to take me and this time was April 10. He was very practicing and whenever he wanted to go to the front, all his clothes, even his underwear, were new. He took a shower, used hair dryer and when he went to the war zone he was very good-looking. I came home from school that day at noon, and my mother said: "you arrived late, Mohsen came home quickly, said goodbye and went to the front. I became very sad and I said: why did not he tell me? He had promised me! Ten minutes passed and I saw Mohsen nocked the door and came with a few others. It seemed he had left something. I became happy and hugged him and told: you promised to take me, didn't you? He said: "Next time I will take you surely." I wouldn't come short for my goal. I constantly insisted. After my insistence, he said: "Abdi! (abbreviation of Abdollah) surely, if I came back, I'll get you with myself for the next time." I asked: "do you promise percent?" He answered: "Yes. I promise a hundred percent." We said goodbye and he died a martyr about twenty days later."

 

 

Personalities

Ebrahim Shafiei was the third narrator of the program. He said: "Mohsen and I had some common characteristics, but he had marked and prominent features that was ahead of me in terms of life path or time because of the same characteristics. We lived for a long time in Nezamabad. We were both accepted in chemical engineering; he in Sharif University and I in Kharazmi University. I did not know what chemical engineering was like? I thought it means a bachelor of chemistry. Although I passed all my credits very good, I was not very satisfied with myself in chemistry credit. That's why I did not continue my education. Later, when I met Mohsen in the front, I realized that chemistry engineering was completely different from chemistry and that they were almost two unrelated issues. That's why I went back to chemical engineering at Ph.D. I tried to arrive for seizing the spy nest from Kharazmi University, which unfortunately I did not succeed and I got injured and were taken to hospital. We then undertook guarding outside the nest. On the other hand, when I read memories and biography of Mohsen on the revolution days, I realized that in almost all the places where Mohsen was present, I was also present, without knowing each other. Early in the revolution a huge flood occurred in Khuzestan. I remember that during Nowruz, with some friends, we went to Khuzestan to help flood victims. Later, when on a trip I coming back with Mohsen from the south, he said: "Let's drop in Lorestan too." I asked: Do you know about Lorestan? Do you have something to do? He said: "Yes. In the early days of the flood, I stayed in the flood zone, and then we helped people in form of Jahad forces (some kind of religious volunteer) on the part of Sharif University. I remember once we came from the front, he said let's go to Tehran for visiting Hazrat Agha (Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei). I asked: "have you coordinated?" he said: "no; let's go and don't ask anything." Supreme Leader of the revolution at that time had been wounded and hospitalized. Mohsen and I had the good blessedness to sit down for an hour beside his bed. He questioned so patiently about the fronts and Mohsen mostly responded them.

Mohsen had features that have been less stated and have been dealt with, and not well described in mostly programs. Maybe I was inarticulate those like me or maybe our efforts have not been enough. He always personally attacked at the heart of the enemy in defensive and offensive lines. This is not common in international military principles and convention. Because commander usually supports his force, or if he is a very brave and fearless person, he will be at the heart of his troops. But Mohsen was always at the head of attack arrow, in all operations, at least those of I myself witnessed, and, with this invasion, he breaks the enemy's shield. This was one of his features. Second, he was very smart. That is, he easily analyzed the war scene at the moment, and, with his great thought and idea, expressed the new course of attack. Another personality was his wondrous courage. As it was shown in the film, he attacked with five people in the heart of the enemy, which maybe almost a division, and this is unthinkable and describable in history and literature of the war. His next feature was his worship. I dare say that he was a "People of Certainty (Ahl-al Yaqin)". He was a very humble and generous man. Despite all good qualities nobody never saw him to brag himself. He held great respect for his parents, and I observed this respect directly. He hugged his younger brothers and held them on his knees. I was in wonder that we had come back together from the front and we were still tired of travel, he put little children on his knees and treating them very kindly. If we are to say who can be a good model for our today youth, I would say that Mohsen is the best and greatest example for these loved ones. He is a very good pattern in terms of his education, piety, intelligence, combat power, and in terms of being in all the revolution moments."

Shafiei continued and talked about his acquaintance with Mohsen Vezvaei: "In many situations we accidentally had seen each other, but did not know each other directly. We carried out an operation at the beginning of Aban 1359 (October 1980), which led to failure; we carried out the second operation in November, when we were able to conquer just one height and we still did not succeed. We were on the first days of the war when we entered the country's west. In our joint meetings with Artesh (Iranian Army) commanders, it was always their catchword that if Saddam had said I want to seize Tehran, course of conquering Tehran is the West, and Sarpol-e Zahab or Qasr-e Shirin; therefore, the enemy should not dare to cross this path, and for this reason we must necessarily seize Bazi Deraz Mountains which are very impracticable, rocky, tall, rugged and overlook the entire area. They said if we conquer these heights based on strategic studies that we had, Saddam Hussein would forget about seizing Tehran. That is why we put the greatest pressure on liberating those highlands. But we did one to two harassment operations, which were not very successful. Once, Saddam's forces attacked us with all their power to recapture all heights from us, and Alhamdulillah there were defeated very heavily. Before Nowruz of 1981, the commanders had a meeting. Martyr Gholamali Pichak was a highly deserved person, and an atomic energy student. He was a very great man who we have not thanked him justly; maybe we have not narrated his memories enough. He took me on one side at that meeting and said: "We should release Bazi Deraz heights this time." I said "it requires a well-trained, practiced and capable force, and if you can provide such a force, this is definitely possible. He said: "I look for providing troops and you also go for detection and planning for a large, massive operation." One day at 2p.m., he contacted me through portable transceiver and told: "Alhamdulillah we provided the forces and facilities that you needed." I asked: "how?" He said: "IRGC has trained a new battalion that is ready to fight. I have visited them; they are very practiced and faithful forces. I send this battalion to you and try to finish the operation with them."

It was about 4 to 4:30 p.m. when I saw brother Mohsen came by a Jeep Wagoneer with two companies from Battalion 9 entered the area of ​​the left side of Sarpol-e-Zahab and below Bazi Deraz heights. We had a preparatory meeting with him and he was very humble, as I said. I arrived and asked: "Are you brother Mohsen? He said: "yes." He also asked: "Mr. Shafiei? I said: "yes." He said jokingly: "How are you Hajj Shafiei?" I told: "I'm not Hajji." He replied: "In my view, you are a Hajji." He called me Hajji for a time after that. I would say, do not tell me Hajji, because I'm not Hajji. He said: "you will be a Hajji." This was beginning of our acquaintance, and then we started planning shoulder to shoulder; until August 24, when we could carry out Operation Bazi Deraz with its greatness. Operation Bazi Deraz had very specific features at its time. Until then, it was our greatest successful operation. We attacked the enemy heart with a few force. In addition to capturing more than 740 people, 1,000 people were killed from Iraqi forces whose bodies were on the rocks. One of the most powerful Iraqi armies that had been prepared for full capture of Khorramshahr, on the way back, was collapsed by our forces. It was the first operation that Artesh (AJA, Iranian Army) entrusted IRGC commanding the operation. Until then, operations were commanded by Artesh and we tried more to serve it. Artesh said: "We give you our troops; air support, helicopter service support, artillery support." This operation was very extensive and unthinkable, both for our forces and the Iraqi one. We were supposed to act on seven axes. The hardest path was that brothers Mohsen, Alireza Movahed Danesh and Hossein Khaleghi and I were supposed to cross it. We were right at the head of peaks. At 2:30 a.m. martyr Pichak informed us by portable transceiver that, "there are problems for those seven other axes that were supposed to act that cannot reach their goal; what do you want to do? Or you should retreat so quickly in order not to be massacred or check it if you can act with your own responsibility and then inform me." At 3 a.m., we had a meeting with brothers Mohsen and Movahed in heart of darkness and below a rock which was ten to fifteen meters far from Iraqis. It was supposed they cover us from two sides. It was supposed to forces come from the sides and the force to be carried by heliborne. All the heliborne forces were captured. It was supposed some troops commanded by Jafar Jangravi to hunt tanks but they could not. A battalion commanded by martyr brother Sahebolzamani was supposed to go from a side of Bazi Deraz to back of that area, which they did not reach too. The two battalions, led by martyr Mohsen Hajbaba, were supposed to come from back of Bazi Deraz but they could not too. I asked the rest idea in this situation. Mohsen raised his head toward sky and then looked at me. The decision was very difficult. At the front you face with lives of people. The smallest mistake means loss of many lives. Mohsen prayed in mumble and said that we are ready, what is your opinion? I said: I'm ready too.

We started the operation with code name of Ya Hussein (AS). Mohsen and Movahed attacked the enemy's heart with together and in the first few seconds they could to pull 64 sleepy Iraqis out of the trenches. If I tell you the entire story, it will be very long. One hour after the operation, one of the guys said: Mohsen has been injured. I quickly visited Mohsen and saw that two bullets had hit under his throat. I touched and felt the bullets. I asked him, "Do not want to go hospital? Maybe it makes a problem for you?" He said: "I will stand to the end, and I do not leave the field due to two shots and a few quivers. You also do not insist, please. I have to stay to release peaks one after the other. Brother Hajj Ali Movahed Danesh and he continued course of the operation and proceeded to summit of 1100, which was a very high peak, and we stayed at foothill. We did attack 9 times on this peak, and each time it failed. In the ninth time Mohsen said that we are attacking for the last time. They attacked and this time they successfully capture the peak. After the operation brother Mohsen spoke about the attack and said that in the ninth attack, Imam Zaman (aj) helped us and this scene also led to dismissal of Mr. Bani-Sadr (then president). Guys of IRGC did not allow Bani-Sadr to enter the west fronts, which is why he very angry with forces of IRGC and at the same time he issued a communique so that Artesh do not give any facilities to IRGC. Bani-Sadr said: If you're right, tell the reality. He meant the reality the forces that carried by heliborne behind Iraq and they had been captured. This issue was stated to Imam Khomeini by brother Mohsen. In one of his statements, Imam said those who disbelieve in presence of Imam Zaman (aj) on the front are godless!"

The third narrator of the 301st program of memory night stated his last day: "It was night of Operation Bazi Deraz on September 2, 1981. Mohsen and I gave a speech for the guys at night. The guys did ghusl and wrote wills. We knew that it would be a hard and difficult battle, and many guys would probably die a martyr. Mohsen told me: "The guys are flashing their headlights. Would you like to name some of them who will die a martyr? They have become much lightened. I smiled and jokingly told him maybe you have acquired occult too? He said: It is not necessary to have occult and it is completely clear from faces. I said: Tell me. He said the first one is the same Jafar Javaheri. He was Mohsen's deputy in operation and my cousin. His mother had ordered me much to take care of him. Then he the second one is Ali Taheri who sitting here. The next person is Mahmoud Ghaffari, etc. in the morning of the operation I came to Jaffar and said: be very careful. You are with Mohsen right at arrowhead of the operation and are all sides under the enemy's machine gun. Jafar smiled and said: "You think about staying and we think about departure. You pray for us to die a martyr and do not think for our surviving. I was very impressed and I felt sorry for myself. Just a quarter after our conversation Mohsen said Jafar died a martyr. The second was Ali Taheri. I asked Mohsen would you like to tell him that he will die a martyr in the operation? He said: "He is a bold guy and does not give in. Tell him. I said to Ali Taheri and he laughed and asked me? Blessedness of martyrdom and me? It's unlike me. If you say all these kids will die a martyr, I believe, but it is too early to acquire blessedness of martyrdom. Ali said on the first day of the battle that to tell Mohsen I am alive. The second, third and fourth days passed, and on the fifth day, Mohsen was wounded and almost his entire face was damaged, and his hand had been almost taken off. After this event, Ali came to me and said, "It seems that Mohsen is departing instead of me!" He smiled and went.

I met Mohsen in the hospital and told him Ali words. He wrote with his left hand: "Ali will die a martyr." On the seventh day, Ali Taheri was also very wounded and transferred to the hospital. They dressed Ali. Martyr Pichak said that Ali's mother is very worried. He gave him a car and said: "Go to see your mother." When he crossed Islamabad-e Gharb he called and said: "Tell Mohsen Vezvaie Ali is alive, I had not blessedness of martyrdom. I'm going to Tehran and I'm on the way to Tehran now." I said: thank God. We had coordinated to capture one or two peaks on the ninth night of the operation. Suddenly I realized that artillery had fired. I became very angry and contacted artillery and asked: Who has done this? They said signalman. I asked who is signalman? They said: Ali Taheri. I said: he is in Tehran! They said no! He is on the peak. I asked: What is he doing on the peak? They said: we do not know. I found him and asked him: What are you doing here? You had gone to Tehran, hadn't you? He said, "I remembered close to Kermanshah that I left my camera." On the way I was coming back, I saw a few Iraqi battalions coming from behind to circle you and I had to change the artillery fire that you had set up for the operation. I made those battalions scatter by the artillery fire. I said: ok, you are injured right now, leave here. He was close to tears and said: Mohsen said I will die a martyr, didn't say? I said, please; it is not expedient to stay here with the injury. He looked and said: Now that you insist, I'll go. He shouldered gun his AK and camera. His hand was in plaster and his chest was injured. He made a look and went. Ten minutes after the conversation, we were told that Ali died a martyr! I asked: where? He had gone! They said, when he was on the way, an Iraqi company wanted to circle us, he fought them lonely and died a martyr there.

The last one was Mahmoud Ghaffari. He was a virtuous, glorious cleric, and was previously in charge of ideological-political unit of 81st Armored Division of Kermanshah. The day we get acquainted him, he said: "I want to leave cloak and turban, and it's all my love and desire to come and fight shoulder to shoulder you as a Basij force." I said your mission is different, but he did not accept. He would proceed with us shoulder to shoulder, and as Mohsen had said probability of his martyrdom was too high, I was very careful to him. He was signalman of Artesh's artilleries and helped us too. In the afternoon, we had a debate whether to have a new attack at night or not? This is a long story and I leave it. I told him to take care of yourself. In any case you are a clergyman. He said: "Is my blood more colorful than you?" I had almost believed Mohsen prediction, but since he wanted to be with me shoulder to shoulder, I said I please you to stay in the trench. There was a very deep trench. He said: So I fulfill night prayer. I said: it is eleven Rakatsr, do not pray at the beginning of night to midnight! He said: "You yourself don't let me sit next to you!" We sent him into the trench insistently and took care of him. Bullets and quiver rained from all sides. I was talking with the forces of units that were there outside the trench, when suddenly a bullet came from Iraq's artillery and struck right next to me. I was thrown into a corner. Maybe eleven to twelve quivers hit me. I asked what was happening to Hajj Mahmoud. They said: "he is fulfilling night prayer." He had a very long cry in prostration, as much so that I was really annoyed. I said: "I don't hear his voice!" I went to the trench and saw that when he had risen from prostration, a quiver had hit his head and died a martyr in the same state of prostration."



 
Number of Visits: 4807


http://oral-history.ir/?page=post&id=8608