When the training was over, I served in the same artillery unit. After a while, experienced personnel were deployed to different parts of Iran, but my commander kept me back to train new recruits; this responsibility was assigned to me towards the end of my military service, in the first half of 1946. I was in charge of a quarter of all responsibilities there; every four days, I was responsible for the guard duty and the training of new soldiers. At that time, the country was insecure, and many soldiers would desert; one of my concerns was ensuring that those under my command did not flee.
One day around evening, I noticed one of the soldiers was missing; he was bulky, and his absence was quite evident. I searched different parts, the horse stable, the barracks, the kitchen, and other places; there was no sign of him, and I assumed he had deserted. I was very upset about this because I was responsible, and I would be held accountable. I had lost hope and thought he was gone for good. Around 8 PM, I saw him walking back sluggishly; I called out to him, “Where have you been?” He said, “I went to Bagh-e Shah to visit some people from my hometown.” I scolded him, “You should have asked for permission; you’ve caused us a lot of trouble; we’ve been searching everywhere for you.” He replied, “What’s the big deal?” His response angered me, I slapped him and reprimanded him. I stayed awake all night; I had to attend to various duties. In the morning, I called one of the orderlies to go with a draft horse to fetch the commander; at that time, there were no cars, we had to send a horse for the commander. He went, and I arranged other tasks so that when the commander arrived and inspected, there would be no issues. About an hour and a half later, the commander arrived; in military parlance, I saluted, and all stood at attention; he started inspecting different parts, and I followed him, my hand raised in military salute; the other soldiers also stood at attention. During the inspection, the commander suddenly stopped, turned around, and slapped me; I was shocked; he didn’t say or ask anything, nor did he respond to anything; he just went about his business. I continued with my duties, but I was very upset as to why he did that; I was not at fault. Somehow, I endured until noon; my shift ended at twelve; I handed over everything that was under my charge, the armory, the storeroom, and other places; after twenty months of service, I deserted from the barracks.
I deserted because the commander had acted unjustly. I went to Dorvan; I told my mother I had taken a month’s leave; I didn’t mention the desertion. I was very worried and upset; I had served for twenty months, it could all be for nothing; on the other hand, he had hit me unjustly, and I had no intention of returning. It was early summer; the family would sleep in the garden at night, and I would go up to the roof. One of those nights, as I was restless and thinking about the incident, it suddenly dawned on me that he had slapped me exactly where I had slapped the soldier; this was a form of retribution that nature exacts; I had wronged an innocent soldier, and the commander had wronged me. Once I understood the reason, I got up and told my mother I had to leave; she said, “But didn’t you say you had a month’s leave?” I corrected, “No, I had a week’s leave,” and about a week had passed since that incident. I packed my belongings, took some fruit and snacks, rented a donkey, and headed towards Karaj; from there, I took a vehicle to Tehran, Bagh-e Shah. I arrived around four or five in the afternoon; the soldiers were praying in the field. I waited until the ceremony was over; the commander was there; when he saw me, he approached and asked, “Where have you been?” Before I could explain, he laughed and said, “Go about your business!” He hadn’t reported me; he said, “I really liked you, and later realized I shouldn’t have done that; it’s in the past now; go back to your duties.” I was relieved, both because the commander hadn’t reported me and because I had paid for my actions. Whatever one does in this world, one must pay the consequences; thus, one should not infringe upon others’ rights, commit injustices, or needlessly hurt others; this incident became a lesson for me, that when one has power, one should not violate the rights of others; I have kept this in mind all my life and tried to adhere to it.