Photos:
Another Mission
It was one of the autumn mornings. I had just returned to the battalion when the flight schedule was announced. For F-4 planes of a flight group had been put on the schedule led by Mr.
Mohagheghi. I was the navigator and the pilot of the rear cockpit of the second plane (Mr. Yasini's plane).
We went to the briefing room at 8 O'clock. We decided about the itinerary and the altitude of the flight. The target was the motorized equipment of the enemy, which had been brought through Kuwait border and they had been camouflaged in an area by the name of Saffan near a coffee shop under the palm trees, which were not easily identifiable.
We had to reduce altitude near the target so that the target could be easily reconnoitered. We left the room after being briefed and moved towards our airplanes. I was talking with Reza on the way. He said, "Mass'oud! Aren't you annoyed that you are flying with me?" "To tell you the truth, I have always asked God to give me the chance to fly with you."
"You know. If the airplane develops a problem, I will not cancel the flight." "That is why I like to fly with you."
Martyr Yasini was one of those people who didn't cancel the flight if the plane had a problem other than that of engine or a hydraulic one. We were just reaching the beginning of the runway when two airplanes out of the four ones developed a problem and returned to the hangar. Only the first airplane (Mr. Mohagheghi's plane) took off.
We turned around and continued moving over the Persian Gulf. Then we started to move near the Kuwait border (Boobian Island) and we neared the target from the west of Faw.
We could see dispersed patches of clouds in the sky. The sun was in a beautiful state behind these patches and we were absorbed by this beautiful nature. Since we had been told that there wasn't any anti-aircraft fire, we were not so watchful suddenly anti-aircraft fires began to shoot at us. The group leader Mr. Mohagheghi was very sensitive. When he noticed this situation, he got angry and said, plane number 2 I'm going to make a turn. I want to fight against the anti-aircraft fire. Reza answered "I will make a turn so the two will go forward side by side."
Mr. Mohagheghi came back and started to shoot a volley of bullets at the anti-aircraft equipment in a way that the crew and some pieces of the anti-aircraft fire were thrown into the air.
We lowered the altitude to search the space among the palm trees. Number one said after two seconds. "Number 2 the target is under these palm trees." We also looked carefully.
We saw almost 40 Lorries, carrying fuel, set in order near the coffee shop. We chose the suitable altitude after plane number one then we dived towards the target and dropped the bombs. We made a hell out of that place immediately. After the bombardment, a huge volume of smoke and fire had covered the area and we were forced to turn quickly and move away from that place very fast so that the smoke of the burning tankers didn't put us in trouble.
After doing another successful mission, we returned to the base, When we left the plane, I said, "Dear Reza! I knew that I wouldn't come back empty-handed, if I accompany you." While he was laughing, he said, "Mass'oud, don't flatter, everything is under God's control. We are nothing."
The mass media announced that Iraq, with the help of Kuwait, still hasn't been able to put out the fire.
Mohagheghi. I was the navigator and the pilot of the rear cockpit of the second plane (Mr. Yasini's plane).
We went to the briefing room at 8 O'clock. We decided about the itinerary and the altitude of the flight. The target was the motorized equipment of the enemy, which had been brought through Kuwait border and they had been camouflaged in an area by the name of Saffan near a coffee shop under the palm trees, which were not easily identifiable.
We had to reduce altitude near the target so that the target could be easily reconnoitered. We left the room after being briefed and moved towards our airplanes. I was talking with Reza on the way. He said, "Mass'oud! Aren't you annoyed that you are flying with me?" "To tell you the truth, I have always asked God to give me the chance to fly with you."
"You know. If the airplane develops a problem, I will not cancel the flight." "That is why I like to fly with you."
Martyr Yasini was one of those people who didn't cancel the flight if the plane had a problem other than that of engine or a hydraulic one. We were just reaching the beginning of the runway when two airplanes out of the four ones developed a problem and returned to the hangar. Only the first airplane (Mr. Mohagheghi's plane) took off.
We turned around and continued moving over the Persian Gulf. Then we started to move near the Kuwait border (Boobian Island) and we neared the target from the west of Faw.
We could see dispersed patches of clouds in the sky. The sun was in a beautiful state behind these patches and we were absorbed by this beautiful nature. Since we had been told that there wasn't any anti-aircraft fire, we were not so watchful suddenly anti-aircraft fires began to shoot at us. The group leader Mr. Mohagheghi was very sensitive. When he noticed this situation, he got angry and said, plane number 2 I'm going to make a turn. I want to fight against the anti-aircraft fire. Reza answered "I will make a turn so the two will go forward side by side."
Mr. Mohagheghi came back and started to shoot a volley of bullets at the anti-aircraft equipment in a way that the crew and some pieces of the anti-aircraft fire were thrown into the air.
We lowered the altitude to search the space among the palm trees. Number one said after two seconds. "Number 2 the target is under these palm trees." We also looked carefully.
We saw almost 40 Lorries, carrying fuel, set in order near the coffee shop. We chose the suitable altitude after plane number one then we dived towards the target and dropped the bombs. We made a hell out of that place immediately. After the bombardment, a huge volume of smoke and fire had covered the area and we were forced to turn quickly and move away from that place very fast so that the smoke of the burning tankers didn't put us in trouble.
After doing another successful mission, we returned to the base, When we left the plane, I said, "Dear Reza! I knew that I wouldn't come back empty-handed, if I accompany you." While he was laughing, he said, "Mass'oud, don't flatter, everything is under God's control. We are nothing."
The mass media announced that Iraq, with the help of Kuwait, still hasn't been able to put out the fire.
