Reward

One of our penetration operations in the western region finished. We sent the forces back. After the end of the operation we searched each trench. No one was left behind. We were the last people who were going back. It was one a.m. in the morning. The five of us walked for a while. I told Ibrahim, “Mr. Ibram, we are very tired. If there isn’t any problem, let’s rest here.” Ibrahim accepted and we rested in a suitable place. I hadn’t yet fallen asleep when I felt someone is getting close to us from the enemy’s side!I jumped up suddenly. I looked to that side. I was right. It could be seen clearly under the moonlight. An Iraqi was coming towards us carrying someone on his shoulders! I called Ibrahim very softly. I looked around carefully. There was no one but that Iraqi! When he got very close to us, we jumped out of the trench and stood in front of him. The Iraqi soldier was very frightened. He sat down right there on the ground. Unexpectedly, I realized that it was one of our volunteer Basiji forces that was on his shoulders. He had been injured and left behind!I was very surprised. I put the gun on my shoulder. Then with the help of the others, we took the injured man from the Iraqi’s shoulders. Reza asked him, “Who are you? What are you doing here?!” The Iraqi soldier said, “After you left, I was patrolling among your trenches and where you had been. Suddenly I saw this young man. Your soldier was in a lot of pain. He was calling to the “Leader of the Faithful,” Imam Ali (a), and to Imam Mahdi (a.j.). I told myself, ‘Because of Imam Ali (a), while it is dark and the Ba’athists haven’t yet come back, I will take this young man close to the Iranian trenches and return.’” Then he continued, “Don’t think the Ba’athist officers are the same as us Shi’a soldiers who are forced to come to the front.” I was very surprised. Ibrahim told the Iraqi soldier, “If you want, you can stay and not go back. You are our Shi’a brother.” The Iraqi soldier brought out a picture from his pocket and said, “These are my family. If I join your forces, Saddam will kill them.” Then he stared at Ibrahim’s face in surprise! After a few seconds of silence, he asked with his Arabic accent, “Anta Ibrahim Hadi?! (Are you Ibrahim Hadi?!)” All of us were silent. We looked at each other in surprise. This sentence didn’t need a translation. Ibrahim asked with rounded eyes and a surprised smile, “Where have you learned my name?!” I said jokingly, “Brother Ibram, you hadn’t told us that you have friends among the Iraqis too!” The Iraqi soldier said, “One month ago they sent your picture along with a few other Commanders from your forces to all military units and said, ‘Whoever brings one of the heads of these Iranian Commanders, will receive a big reward from Saddam!” During this same period, news arrived that the Western Army Command had chosen a Commander for the Andarzgu Group. He was on his way to Gilan Gharb with his mandate. We were all waiting, but there was no news of the new Commander. Then, the news arrived that Jamal Tajik, who had been working in the group as one of the volunteer Basiji forces, was that Commander! We went to Jamal with Ibrahim and a few others. We asked him, “Why didn’t you introduce yourself?! Why didn’t you say that you are the group Commander?” Jamal looked at us and said, “The responsibility is to get the jobs done. Thank God, the jobs are done here in the best way. I truly enjoy being among you. I thank God that He introduced you to me. Don’t tell anyone so that the others won’t look at me in a different way.” After some time, Jamal was martyred in the Matla al-Fajr Operation when he was the Commander of one of the line-breaking Battalions.