Exclusive Interview with the Chemically Injured Veteran, Azizollah Nekouei: I Couldn't Leave War and Those Involved in It Behind

When you talk to Azizollah Nekouei, you can honesty in his words and it is really good. Still remembering the difficult days of war and the time that he was with his comrades, makes him to cry in tears. What you read bellow is an exclusive interview with Azizollah Nekouei, one of the chemically injured veterans from Iran-Iraq war era:

Azizollah Nekouei in an interview with the reporter of Chemical Weapons Victims Information Base mentioned: "I was born in 1963 in Chashmeh Khaled Abad village located in Asfrain city of north Khorasan province. In 1983, after being a member of Basij for 11 months, I was dispatched to Shoosh located in Khozistan province by the Khorasan Army 5 of Nasr from Mashhad city.”

He considered his presence in the battlefields of Iran-Iraq war as a duty towards revolution and country and he added: "When I arrived to Shoosh city, since I had not accomplished my complementary military training, I started my job in the services section.”

This chemically injured veteran added: "During the military operation Badr which took place in Hoor Al-Hoveizeh, I would deliver foods and munitions to the frontiers. At that time I was serving the Army 21 of Imam Reza Battalion.”

Nekuyee notified: "I served as a Basiji for more than 11 months, during this time my thought had been absolutely changed. I had become a lover of war and great friend for my comrades. I could not abandon my comrades and the battlefields anymore. This time I entered the battlefields by the Islamic Revolutionary Corps. After staying in the battlefields for 36 months I was employed by the Islamic Revolutionary Corps.”

He said: "After being employed in the Islamic Revolutionary Corps, I served as a connector between Asfarain city and Mashhad city. I did the propaganda work in Qom city for three years. When Imam Khomeini passed away, I was transferred to Tehran city. So I continued my service in Vali Amr Islamic Revolutionary Corps. At the moment I’m working for Iran Khodro Company (company of vehicles).”

This chemically injured veteran regarding how he was exposed to chemical weapons said: "In October 1983, during the military operation Meimak, I was taking foods to the headquarters located in the hills of Saleh Abad war zone, suddenly a 60 mm mortar rocket hit inside the car and all the foods were destroyed. My foot and shoulder was injured and the explosion waves intensified my injury as well. When we were taken to the desert hospital, due to the intensity of my injury, they sent me to Ilam city to receive treatment.”

Azizollah Nekouei at the continuation of this interview talked about how he was exposed to chemical weapons during Badr military operation as follows: "During the military operation Badr which took place in Hoor Al-Hoveizeh , I would deliver foods and munitions to the frontiers. At that time I was serving the Army 21 of Imam Reza Battalion. The location had been named martyr Broonsi. The Iraqi aircrafts bombarded the war zones and gas station. So I was exposed to chemical weapons for the second time.”

He also remembered some of the memories regarding the Sacred Defense Era and he said: "We had a battalion commander whose name was martyr Shajiyee. He was so strong and brave. I can remember that there were not much time left to the military operation ‘Badr’, suddenly he was informed that his sister had passed away. He expressed the Koran sentence which says: "We are all for God and we will return to God too”. Most of the comrades urged that he leaves the battlefields and to attend the funeral of his sister, but he said: "We are going to launch an important military operation, so as long as the situation of the operation not to be clear, I can not leave the battlefields”. Even the senior officials informed him that he can go on leave and to attend the funeral of his sister, but he did not accept this issue and he only prayed for his sister who had died; he said: I’m afraid to leave the battlefields and when I return, the operation has become finished.”

My comrade ‘Shajiyee’ was martyred during the military operation ‘Karbala 4’.

This chemically injured veteran regarding his physical health condition said: "At the moment I’m a 25 % chemically injured veteran and my lungs, eyes and skin have been exposed to mustard gas. I have hearing problems due to the explosion waves as well.”

This victim of chemical weapons remembered his family and he said: "I got married in 1985. My wife is Mrs. Sadighe Jafari. She is a teacher of Arabic language, philosophy and logics. Since she had a great belief in God, she satisfied to get married with me, because at that time I was mostly in the battlefields. During the past years she has been a good companion for me and she has supported me all the times. She has administered my children and the family as well. Once she was opted as the superior teacher as well. According to God blessing, right now we have two children.”

My daughter is a university student doing accounting and my son is a university student in the field of architecture, he said.

This chemically injured veteran at the end of this interview said: "The youths should be so active and study more; because our country needs those persons who are so educated. They should be more active and don’t think about the difficulties and shortages, they should honestly continue their education and think about the development of country only. Our youths should have good moral and behave so well socially and they should have passion and kindness in their work as well.”

The End

Interviewer: Homa Zohali