Going to Military Service - Karaj Garrison

 

My father was under my tutelage and I was exempted from military service for seven years. This time was going to finish. I referred to the Military Service Administration and asked to prolong my exemption from military service. They examined my case and referred it to the court. There, they wrote "soldier" with red pen on my file and said: "Go and serve your country!" I argued: "My father is seven years older, and my exemption of military service should be forever or at least prolonged at the right moment." But they did not accept and said: "We cannot do anything!" Now, what for? I do not know! But I guess they had some orders because of my background of imprisonment verdict and SAVAK involvement in the matter.

Ali Reza Sepassi Ashtiani and Abbass Agha Zamani entered the university and I began my military service on October 6^th 1968. On the distribution day, they sent me to the Reconstruction and Development Corps in a garrison in Karaj. From the very early days I promised to myself to continue my political activities cautiously in the garrison. I tried to reserve my reputation and know political people and good believers.

The days would pass with military trainings until in winter day an accident happened.

A general was reviewing the soldiers in a parade and suddenly we heard that somebody squeezed a trigger. Everyone moved and we slightly laughed. We saw that one of our palls lost his color and became so nervous. It turned out his gun was not on safety stop and his finger had touched the trigger unintentionally. The general took a look at everyone and went away. Then an officer came and slapped across the face of that poor soldier severely. I got so upset to see this scene and the shame of that poor soldier. I said: “Why do you hit him?” I could not something more to react. When the review was over, I went my unit’s officer and said: “Where you are present, there is no need that another officer to come and slap across the face of a soldier of your unit. You are a Major and he is a captain and this is insulting. If there was anyone to punish your soldier, it should be you.”

This way, I trigged the Major against the Captain. I think there was a conflict between those two. After this event and when the soldier knew that I had said such thing, they became upbeat about me. They got closer to me and confide. In this atmosphere I would present ideological and political matters. Despite it was short period and I could not reach my aims, however, I saw many of those soldiers in the path of fight against the regime later.

Our commander had chosen a head for our platoon. He was a very bad-tempered impolite man and would tease our palls. The palls would not protest since they were frightened of his attempt to punish and prison. Finally, I lost my temper. A soldier and I made an artificial fight. Our company’s commander called all of us to gather in the corridor of the building and then said: “I am you company’s commander. I am just like your fathers. Why do you make conflicts and riots?” and then asked: “What or who are you objecting? ...”

I saw that everyone was silent. I stood up and said: “I have objections. You say that you are our commander and instead of our fathers. What kind of father are you that do not see what a bothering person is our head? He insults and threats that he may punish and put us in prison…” following me the others also began telling their objections and confirmed what I said. The company commander called me and said: “You; you would be the head of platoon from now on.” I said: “No, Sir; I did not protest to become the head of platoon. I am not a suitable person for this post. However, I may introduce someone.” Then I introduced a good and clever boy to him to be appointed as the head of platoon. That soldier accepted in case that I would be his deputy. Then a good relation was created between that soldier and me. I was free in conducting the affairs and he would not involve at all.

Some mornings they would call us to stand in columns and then the sick ones had the chance to go Farah Abad Garrison[1] in Tehran by a lorry. One day, the company’s commander came and said: “Ahmad Ahmad!” I put one step forward and said: “Yes, Sir!” Then he came near to me and whispered in my ears: “They have called you to G-2 intelligence[2]; do not say anything to anyone.” Then he called a sergeant and told him to take me to G-2. Then asked me: “Tell the truth. What have you done?” I said: “Nothing Sir.” And he said: “You should have done something.” I said: “I was exempted from military service for few years. Then they told me that I had to go. I objected and told them you want to bribe and I do not have money for such affairs.”

The Major’s face showed that he was surprised of what I said, but he moved his head to show he had believed me in a suspected manner. In the G-2 building I entered a corridor that one side it was wall and the other side it had a row of rooms. Through a narrow opening you could see inside. They took me to one of those rooms and told to wait. There was a strange silent in the corridor. Just sometime one or people would come inside the room and go out again after some minutes. I waited there about two hours. It was a maddening situation. I was tired of that silence. At last, I stood up and entered the room beside. I saluted. Somebody asked: “What’s up?” I said: “Nothing; I’ve been waiting outside for more than two hours. I got tired.” He asked: “What have you done?” I said: “I do not know. You have called me here.” He said: “Who has given you this shoulder-strap?” I answered. Then he shouted and said that they should not have given you that. I said: “Ok, remove it.”

He got angry. I got angry too. However, I found out it was just an artificial theater. Another person there called me and said: “Soldier Ahmad! Come here.” I went to him. He stood up, saluted and then said: “Sit down, please!” Tired of waiting for a long time, I accepted and sat. He started greetings. I found out that he was talking in a quite different way; friendly and sincerely. I found out that it was a hoax. He thought that he had penetrated in my mind and became friend with me. The first questions that he made were about my military service. I answered them all. Suddenly he asked: “Ahmad! Have you been in prison?” Then he asked about INP, my verdict, freedom date and … I replied with specific answers. He asked: “Is anyone aware of you past?” I said: “No. There is no need. It is something that belongs to the past. I have been punished for it and it is over now. I have nothing to do with it.” He said: “Ahmad! Remember that we are shadowing you. You saw how we called you here. We can do it again. Be aware that you are monitored all the time.”

I said: “I do not do anything and have not done to be scared of being here. If I had done something, you have had called me several times.” Then he said: “We wanted to say it clearly. Right now, you are going to be sent to another city. So, be careful. We shadow you.” I said: “I knew that before you say it!”

Then I complained why they forced me to wait for a long time. He said that it was something routine in military offices.

In the last two months of training, we had a crush course. We had classes about hygiene, agriculture, irrigation, chicken hatchery and generalities about road and bridge construction. All of these were used rural reconstruction and development. It was interesting that nobody was careful about these trainings. Every day we had about four classes. Sometimes we would hear the sound of ducks in the farms around. And our palls would ape their sounds in the class. This matter was not something to be punished for. Sometimes the sound was so high that would make the teacher get out of the class. I think it was because of lack of reasoning among the soldiers. These actions were a tool to show their objections against the military training system.

One day, a new disciplined teacher came in the class with a special awe. After presenting a proudly introduction about himself, he warned us: “I am an army officer and wearing uniform. In my class military rules should be obeyed. If anyone disobeys, he would be punished hardly. Here is a garrison not the auntie’s home…” Our palls knew that he was one of the guys who boast a lot. After his speech, the class was quite silent and nobody would make any noise. When he was finished with his warning speech, he turned back to the blackboard to write on. Suddenly one of the palls jeered. The class exploded by laugh. It took some minutes to get calm again. They had broken the teacher’s prestige and he had lost the control of the class. He was red of anger and did not know what to do. Anyway, the class became silent again. He called us one by one to check who had jeered. The guy who had jeered would shout: “No Sir! He was not, I am sure.” When he could not find the jeering soldier, he sent out all of us and punished us in the yard by jumping and running.

One rainy day, some minutes passed from the time of class and he did not come. Along with other palls we went to the garrison’s restaurant to drink tea.[3] At the meantime, Major Sharghi, the garrison’s deputy commander, went to our class and finds there empty. So, he looked for us to find where we were. Then he was surprised to see us drinking tea. Then he got angry and began shouting and insulting us. Suddenly one of our palls answered him back and said some other bad words to him and then before being seen by Major ran away us of the restaurant. The Major ran away to chase him while shouting and cursing. At this time, we found a chance to get back to the class under the rain through the asphalt road and wait. After some minutes that soldier entered the class with muddy boots and breathing and sat in his seat. After some minutes Major Sharghi came in breathing. His boots were muddy too. He saw that all of us were sitting in our seats. He was so angry of being insulted. He asked: “Who insulted me?”

Nobody said anything. He knew who had insulted him or at least could find him easily by looking at his muddy boots. However, he said: “The one, who insulted me, should come and introduce himself to me. I swear that I would not punish him. If not, I will find him and punish hardly…” Instantly that soldier stood and said: “It’s me!” Major said: “Come out!” The class was full of silent. We were waiting to see what would happen to him. Major asked: “What kind of deed was it that you did? Why did you run away?” The soldier who was somehow frightened answered: “We had no teacher, so we went out to drink a cup of tea. Then you came and insulted us there.” Major stopped his talking and angrily said: “Ok. It’s over. Stop it and sit down!” Then he went out.

It was so interesting for us that he was faithful to his words. He showed us that even in that army, there were still some honest and broadminded men. From that time, I separated the body of army from their commanders in my mind. I remembered all these happenings to use them in my future path.

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