A Journey to Winter 1984

Semi-war correspondent’s memoirs of Kheibar operation

Mohammad Ali Fatemi
Translated by Soheila Heidari

2017-1-2

“Semi-war correspondent” is the book title of Masoud Babazadeh memoirs.  Deputy of literature and memoirs experts of the center for Preservation and Propagation of the Relics of the Sacred Defense located in Zanjan Province made an effort to prepare the book and Sarrir publication published it and launched it into the Book Market in the current year (2016) in Octavo Size (22*15 cm) in 160 pages.

The book cover is illustrating a combatant holding a microphone to interview. The book title is attractive in one way and arouses curiosity in other way. The word “correspondent” attracts attention. Public impression is that correspondents are courageous people stepping in perilous areas. Semi-war phrase turns on the curiosity. If a correspondent  goes to war zones, He or she will be called war correspondent, There is a nicety in "semi-war" that could be found within the context.

The book name carries a complementary phrase: story-like memoirs of Masoud Babazade, it needs to be looked out of curiosity. If the body is "memory", then what is meant by being a story?

The narrator answers this question in the preface: I have written this book based on past memoirs in a story style. The first sentences of chapter one indicates that the narrator has had a sense of story-telling in reviewing his memoirs: “the water vapor covered the windows. Wiping the window corner up, I tried to look at the yard…” The experience of studying the published memoirs of sacred defense leads to this conclusion that although such beginnings convey a story-like tone, the tone of sayings and writings of what has been seen, conquer the story-like tone.

In chapter one, the narrator  has portrayed the moments of  heavy atmosphere in the house caused by  revealing the aim of travel, while finally the jokes and hilarious  stories told by others brought smile on his lips at the moment of  seeing off. He has mentioned and translated the Azari sentences that he has heard at that time, meaning that he took a step toward indigenous journalism in his work. This style has been used up in the other episodes throughout the end of the book.

In chapter two, narrator is in Ali-ibn Abitaleb Division Staff in Ahvaz-Abadan road. Narrating these moments, he has added footnotes including the full name of people he listed and their birth date and he reminded that whether they were volunteers (Basidjis) or Islamic revolutionary guards (Pasdars).

Beside describing this atmosphere and briefly introducing those people, the narrator talks about himself in a way that the reader could gain knowledge of what he is like to do: “it was Nowrouz of 1360 (late March 1981) when my wife and I decided to return to Zanjan from Zahedan. When I joined to the Sepah of Zanjan, commander asked me to start the War Broadcast Program in Turkish Language.”

At the end of chapter two we are facing Masoud Babazadeh in charge of propaganda in Vali-Asr battalion. The narrator is not satisfied with this selection, as he says: “If I were a simple (ordinary) member, it would be better.” So, he writes about his surroundings in site. He reads his wife’s letter and shares them with his readers.  By mentioning these things he finds himself inside his house and reminds some other memoirs out of there. In the following chapters, we understand an operation is going to happen and the narrator is getting ready for it. So he writes about his surroundings and describes the atmosphere of beginning moments of operation and advertising activities. He provides his readers with famous songs, elegies, songsters and elegists.

Therefore, readers face some details indicating the spiritual preparedness of combatants for the operation. This book also contains the interviews with combatants, the interviews which their value will be revealed after operation and will be converted into memorable remembrance. Surprisingly such feeling is aroused in narrator: “I wish I could be able to prepare visual reports of combatants’ mood.”

The last day of narrator presence in Kheibar operation (March 1984) is the day Chemical bombardment happened by Saddam against combatants of Islamic Republic of Iran, the day that he wounded chemically and wore hospital gown for the first time.

The last chapter (chapter nine) is devoted to the memorandum of those martyrs and survivors who accompanied   the correspondent in operation. The book ends with some photos related to the text and English translation of the preface.