Medal and Leave - 4
11 notes from an Iraqi captive
Compiled by Hedayatollah Behboudi
Translated by: M.B. Khoshnevisan
2025-8-24
Medal and Leave - 4
11 notes from an Iraqi captive
Compiled by Hedayatollah Behboudi
Translated by: M.B. Khoshnevisan
***
Episode four: Eagles and rabbits
They entered in columns from all directions. Their faces were sallow and dust-covered, their lips parched, and their eyes dim; they saw nothing but an obscure goal. They seemed apprehensive of an uncertain future, and if you looked at their faces, you would think they were miners, with the roof caved in on them, who had emerged alive from under the rubble and escaped the clutches of death.
They got off the buses and moved towards a vast field surrounded by towering trees and the dark forests of the slopes of the "Sakran," "Ra's al-Abd," and "Godo" mountains in the Haji Omaran region. On the evening of May 19, 1986, all those individuals were mobilized as part of the 70th Basij Commando Brigade and deployed around that field.
As several squadrons of helicopters appeared in the expanse of the sky, the silence and tranquility dominating the area were disrupted. It wasn't long before these helicopters, numbering 25, landed at a specific spot in the middle of the field. Personnel equipped with weapons and ammunition boarded the helicopters, intending to head to the scene of death—the heights of Gerdehmand—and took off. At that moment, a squadron consisting of four fighter jets from the Iranian army took off, aiming for a destination other than here, perhaps to pursue a lucrative target. Two of them headed into the distance, while the other two turned back and did what only eagles do with their prey. One of them circled over the field and released two air-to-ground missiles onto several helicopters carrying soldiers and ammunition, turning the ground into a blazing hell. My eyes could not bear to see a shattered helicopter burning in the fire. Instinctively, I slammed my hands on my head, and tears streamed down my cheeks. I remembered my brother, who was in another area, and felt that a similar fate had befallen him.
A hell similar to what had occurred on earth had taken place in the sky. The following helicopters were caught in the trap of the second aircraft. The truth is, we did not witness that incident with our own eyes, and apart from the moaning of small plains and those bold eagles, we heard no other sound. However, a few hours later, we reached the site of the incident on the mountainside. They were not very far from us. We saw the wreckage of two helicopters along with the shattered bodies. Upon seeing the crash site of these two helicopters, we deduced that they had fallen from a very high altitude.
These events occurred within a few minutes, and six helicopters were completely destroyed so that that imbecile, General Staff Mahmoud Hamadi Amer, could sip his cup of coffee and satisfy his sick instincts. May God curse the oppressors who draw their swords in the name of religion and stand against Muslims.
To be continued …
Number of Visits: 1173
The latest
- Ta An Setareh (Up to that Star) (Part One)
- Memoirs of Mohammad Kazem Taqavi
- Theory Two: The Borderline Legitimacy Crisis of Oral History in the Academic System
- 100 Questions/ 31
- Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi Prisoner of War Doctor – 31
- 100 Questions/ 30
- The Story of a Street Classroom
- Validation: Challenges and Necessities
Most visited
- Memories of Mr. Jalal Setareh
- Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi Prisoner of War Doctor – 30
- Validation: Challenges and Necessities
- The Story of a Street Classroom
- 100 Questions/ 30
- Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi Prisoner of War Doctor – 31
- 100 Questions/ 31
- Theory Two: The Borderline Legitimacy Crisis of Oral History in the Academic System
Authenticating Oral History: From Possibility to Necessity
The use of oral history as one of the historical sources has long been one of the principal challenges facing oral historians and those who employ it in contemporary historiography. The development of international standards for oral history, as well as IRIB standards, was intended to address the criticisms raised in this regard. The relationship between Diplomatics in written records and oral history is reciprocal.100 Questions/27
What is the place of research ethics in compiling oral history?We asked several researchers and activists in the field of oral history to express their views on oral history questions. The names of each participant are listed at the beginning of their answers, and the text of all answers will be published on this portal by the end of the week.
Photo Album from The Doctor of fly
The Doctor of fly, authored by Fatemeh Dehghan Niri, presents the memoirs of Dr. Mohammad-Taqi Khorsandi Ashtiani, Professor Emeritus and a subspecialist in Otolaryngology at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Compiled within the framework of oral history, the work recounts different stages of his life—from childhood and years of ...The Beating Pulse of a Nation at the Moment of Nowruz
Every year, in the days and nights leading up to Nowruz, Shohada Square had a special charm. A few days before the New Year, the shops would fill with customers, and street vendors would take over the sidewalks. You could find everything in their stalls (from items for the Haft Sin table, candles, goldfish, and spring flowers to clothes, bags, and shoes).
