At the beginning of the year sixty-seven [1988], we started by losing Faw. I, along with several of my fellow warriors, was on leave when I heard the news of the rapid defeat and transfer of Faw. This was Saddam’s greatest victory in the past seven years. About two years prior to this, we had sacrificed lives inch by inch to capture and hold Faw, and we had incurred enormous costs.
We reported to the Sepah base in Kashan, ready to head back to the front. Because of this unexpected defeat, bewilderment and astonishment were evident in the eyes of all our comrades.
With the loss of Faw, the series of our consecutive defeats in the final months of the war had begun. There are many untold stories about the end of the war and the acceptance of the resolution, some of which we know, and others that only the top officials of the country are aware of, and they sometimes reveal a part of it in drips.
In any case, accepting the resolution was the only way to rescue the country from the whirlpool we were caught in, which was carried out on the initiative of the war’s commander, Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani.
◀️ One of our fellow comrades in the demolition battalion, after the war, studied medicine and has relocated from Kashan to Arak, serving as a specialist in gastroenterology at one of Arak’s hospitals. He has put the war memories into writing and shares a part of these memories every few days in the Creation group. The Creation group on WhatsApp comprises veterans, disabled veterans, and freed soldiers of the eighth Najaf Ashraf division’s demolition battalion.
A moment ago, while I was reviewing the group posts, the latest post was another piece of war memories that he had shared to remind and refresh the memories of comrades, which I have copied below for you: 👇
🔵 On Friday, 24th of Tir, ’67 [July 15, 1988], we, along with several others, went to the bathhouse. We saw many demolition unit guys there who had come for the Friday bath or martyrdom bath. Today coincided with the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Javad. Ali Neghadi was busy singing his imitation songs.
Bathing had little effect on outward cleanliness. Dust and winds carrying sand filled everyone’s hair, faces, and even inside mouths and noses with dust. At noon, when the kids were sleeping inside the bunker after lunch in this 50-degree heat, pouring sweat, dust had covered their faces, eyes, and mouths as if they had fallen into a long sleep.
A layer of dust covered their teeth, making their faces appear rough and terrifying in sleep. Someone who inadvertently entered the bunker and saw the kids in that state would be startled. Washing dishes was pointless as they would soon be covered in another layer of dust and mud. The water in the coolers smelled like dust too. After praying the Samat prayer, recited by Mohammad Reza Cheragbiggi, Vafaei read a symbolic letter he had written to the city’s people for the kids. It was about complaints and leaving the frontlines. Vafi also started speaking and said:
The enemy intends to take Khorramshahr again. We must stay and fight with the last bullet we have, and if no ammunition is left for us, we must defend the city of Khorramshahr with stones. Do not hope to return from here. Anyone with worldly ties can return from right here. When we go to Khorramshahr, we should no longer have hopes of returning.
The kids laughed and teased each other. The soldiers were talking about the remaining time of their service and boasted in front of each other about having shorter service terms. I saw sadness and worry in Vafi’s face and words. Or perhaps, I was projecting my concern onto him. Some of the kids, including Payandeh and Sabzi, went to the front line.
On the morning of the 25th of Tir, I woke up to the sound of Mohammad Mahdavifar’s prayers. He was performing night prayers, and it was clear he was crying.
In the morning, we recited Surah Ar-Rahman and then had breakfast. It seemed that these last recitations of Ar-Rahman had a unique atmosphere too.
After the Quran, the kids talked about everything, from the national football team, the war, to the Imam’s decree that had made it obligatory for everyone to be at the fronts…