Valuetainment - Episode 281： Iran & US Special Forces Talks About the Iranian Revolution

00:00:00.000 30 seconds. One time for the underdog. Ignition sequence start.

00:00:07.000 Let me see you put them up. Reach the sky, touch the stars up above.

00:00:11.120 Cause it's one time for the underdog. One time for the underdog.

00:00:17.260 I'm Patrick Medevi, host of ITIM, and in today's sit-down I have a conversation with Changiz Lahiji,

00:00:22.060 who's got an interesting story. He was a special forces soldier, both for Iran, under the Shah,

00:00:27.800 and then he came to U.S. and became special forces, joined the A-team for over 20 years.

00:00:33.360 He is full of stories. If you have any interest in Iran and the revolution and special forces,

00:00:38.180 in Ranger School, you are going to love this podcast.

00:00:40.680 We have a hero here today with us, Arroyo Changiz Lahiji.

00:00:43.940 Thank you very much.

00:00:44.680 Thank you so much for being a guest on Valuetainment.

00:00:46.540 Thank you. My pleasure. Thank you so much. You brought me here. It's an honor to be here. Thank you.

00:00:51.100 I think the feeling's all here, because for me, you know, when I'm in the Army and I'm an E-4,

00:00:56.400 and I remember I was at 326 Engineers, which it was a unit at Fort Campbell, Kentucky,

00:01:02.380 and I was a Hummer mechanic, and I used to go and work out at this gym in Fort Campbell called East Step.

00:01:07.700 It was the main gym at Fort Campbell.

00:01:09.360 Right.

00:01:09.800 And I would get to talk to the special forces guy, and then all of a sudden one guy said,

00:01:13.460 hey, you speak other languages. Have you ever thought about it?

00:01:15.500 Then my unit, we started talking. I said, hey, come in, come in.

00:01:17.620 Sit down at the fifth group, maybe become an 18 Delta.

00:01:20.740 Then we had that conversation, and I was going to go that direction.

00:01:24.120 The reason why I share this story with you is every time I would see the special forces badge

00:01:28.180 or the rangers badge, it was like you're sitting down with a hero in the Army.

00:01:32.300 So the fact that you're sitting next to me and you're from Iran, I'm so looking forward to this interview.

00:01:37.020 I couldn't put this book down. We were on a flight. I'm reading it to Mario.

00:01:40.580 Mario's like, oh my gosh, no way. Yes, so many great things in this book.

00:01:44.520 We're going to leave the link below for you to be able to get the book as well.

00:01:47.200 But prior to getting to all these stories, why don't we go all the way back to Iran?

00:01:49.960 You were raised in Iran, right outside of Tehran. I think it was like 50 miles, 50 kilometers outside of Tehran.

00:01:56.640 But I kind of want to go and talk about your experiences there and your upbringing, your father, your family,

00:02:02.380 and how you got into the military in Iran. So let's start off there first.

00:02:05.180 Sure. I was born in Tehran, like you said, south of Tehran.

00:02:08.280 So my dad, he was pretty smart guy. When he was 16 years old, he was mayor of north of Tehran, Shembran.

00:02:15.640 16 years old, he was the mayor. Yes, he was amazing. He was an amazing guy. I couldn't believe it.

00:02:20.660 And his writing, speaking so well, even he did not finish the college or went to 12 years school.

00:02:29.360 He was pretty small, right? Oh, unbelievable.

00:02:31.860 So I was born in Tehran and my dad got a job in Abadan.

00:02:36.280 So when I was five years old, we moved to Abadan and my dad got a job in a police department.

00:02:43.500 And Abadan is the number one oil refinery in the world at the time.

00:02:46.900 Rich people lived there. It was a very beautiful place.

00:02:49.160 Correct. Very beautiful place.

00:02:50.120 Like islands type of...

00:02:51.380 That's correct. That's correct.

00:02:52.920 So as we were there, since I was seven, eight years old, I always wanted to come to America.

00:02:58.820 As you know, in Iran, before 18 years old, you cannot get out unless you serve the military.

00:03:07.660 It's a draft. It's not just like a U.S. volunteer.

00:03:11.400 So I went to finish my military three and a half years from Abadan.

00:03:18.380 We moved to Tehran, went to training with the Bokshah, for all the special force right there.

00:03:23.760 A lot of fifth group team, they were there to train in us.

00:03:27.500 They trained special forces Iranian, okay, those fifth group.

00:03:33.260 Only fifth group, not seventh group.

00:03:35.220 And it's interesting because Bakhtiar, back in the 50s, he brought the CIA to train the Savak in Iran, if you remember that.

00:03:43.020 That's correct.

00:03:43.740 So that was when Iran had a good relationship with the U.S., they would train each other.

00:03:47.320 When the Shah was.

00:03:48.140 Yes, when the Shah was there, yes.

00:03:49.440 Correct. From there, they sent us to Shiraz for a celebration of 2,500 Iranian history.

00:03:59.080 So I was there.

00:03:59.920 That's a Cyrus the Great, the Iranian Empire celebration.

00:04:03.120 Correct.

00:04:03.800 All these celebrities were flown in.

00:04:05.500 God, you don't believe how much money they spent.

00:04:07.560 It's great.

00:04:08.260 It was great.

00:04:09.340 But who worked hard with it?

00:04:11.220 So anyway, I finished that, and from there, they sent me to Kurdistan.

00:04:19.200 So I was training Kurdish, Iranian Kurdish.

00:04:23.140 I met Masood Barzani when I was, I think so, 18 years old.

00:04:28.700 Eight and a half, I believe that.

00:04:30.340 I met him.

00:04:31.680 Nice, nice guy.

00:04:32.620 When I spent all together three and a half years, then I came back to Abaddon, and my

00:04:38.560 dad, my uncle, took me to embassy, actually consulate, to try to get a visa for me, come

00:04:45.960 America.

00:04:47.000 And consulate said, where do you want to go?

00:04:49.380 I said, I'm going to go be as a pilot.

00:04:51.980 Then he said, you will be a pilot?

00:04:53.800 I said, yes.

00:04:54.980 And I'm going to spend in the military.

00:04:56.740 He said, sir, yes, sir.

00:04:57.700 Yes, sir.

00:04:58.320 Then I'm going to go to Vietnam.

00:05:00.720 He said, Vietnam, we can't go to Vietnam.

00:05:02.660 I said, why?

00:05:03.300 He said, you're not a U.S. citizen.

00:05:04.840 I said, sir, to kill the communists, you don't need to be a citizen.

00:05:09.240 Just send me.

00:05:10.440 I'll prove it to you.

00:05:11.500 You were that determined.

00:05:12.540 You were that true of a believer.

00:05:14.340 Oh, God.

00:05:15.400 Yes.

00:05:16.000 Wow.

00:05:16.880 Yes, Mr. Paddy.

00:05:17.860 Yes, Paddy.

00:05:18.420 Yes.

00:05:18.940 I came to America in 1974.

00:05:21.480 My brother, my uncle, they were in California, San Francisco, San Jose, you know, those days,

00:05:27.260 gas stations.

00:05:28.160 It was belonged to Iranians, most of them.

00:05:30.180 Now, a lot of Indians have a gas station.

00:05:31.840 Yes.

00:05:32.260 It's okay.

00:05:32.740 No big deal.

00:05:33.380 So I thought, I'm a good looking man, nice black hair, dark, dark eyes.

00:05:38.400 I want to have a good with a blonde hair.

00:05:41.640 That was wrong.

00:05:42.860 That was totally wrong.

00:05:44.720 So I lined up, work in the gas station daytime and go to college.

00:05:49.060 After that, I worked with my brother three years.

00:05:52.300 I said, no, no, no.

00:05:53.240 This is not for me because this is going to be my adopted country.

00:05:57.120 I love people here.

00:05:58.860 I want to do something so nobody can tell me, get out.

00:06:02.160 And those days, 40 years ago, believe me that the people are so different, so nicer than they are right now.

00:06:08.760 Really?

00:06:09.100 Yes.

00:06:09.820 Even though you were from Iran.

00:06:11.220 Yes.

00:06:11.800 Oh, they treat me so good.

00:06:13.360 They asked me, Changes, what you need, stuff like that.

00:06:16.240 It will help me for many ways.

00:06:18.380 Language or bangs and stuff like that.

00:06:20.860 Because it was no such a terrorist, stuff like that.

00:06:24.540 Everything changed.

00:06:26.180 Everything changed since I've been here.

00:06:28.420 So I signed up.

00:06:30.320 I signed in 1977.

00:06:32.620 I came to Army Delay Entry.

00:06:34.520 I signed up for being Ranger Special Forces.

00:06:37.380 I remember I had a recruiter, E-7 Thompson, black guy, good looking guy, a lot of medals.

00:06:44.080 So you're going to be Ranger Special Forces?

00:06:46.500 You're too small.

00:06:47.300 I said, don't judge me by size.

00:06:50.900 So, okay, he patted my back, he wrote and stuff like that.

00:06:54.560 So I took him to my house to introduce my mom and my brothers.

00:06:58.880 My family supported me a lot.

00:07:00.480 Yes, go son.

00:07:01.260 Whatever you have to do, do it.

00:07:03.240 Yes, this is your country.

00:07:04.260 You got to do it.

00:07:05.020 You got to support it.

00:07:06.320 So nobody fought you joining the U.S. Army.

00:07:08.320 Oh, yeah.

00:07:08.700 They were supporting.

00:07:10.480 Everybody, Patrick.

00:07:11.440 Did you call your dad back in Iran or no?

00:07:13.220 No, I couldn't.

00:07:14.880 But the story is, anyway, I finished all the training.

00:07:18.980 When I was E-5, if you remember those days, we have a khaki uniform.

00:07:24.280 Beautiful.

00:07:25.100 I took the hop, came to Travis Air Force Base.

00:07:28.720 From there, took the Greyhound, came to Santa Clara.

00:07:31.960 My dad came a week before me arrived.

00:07:36.480 They were so happy.

00:07:38.120 The Grammy gave me kids, stuff like that.

00:07:39.920 It was 1985, I believe.

00:07:43.740 Yes.

00:07:44.120 So he came visit me and stuff like that.

00:07:46.280 And I came back to Fort Bragg and my dad went back to Iran.

00:07:50.880 And my dad was a citizen also.

00:07:52.340 You became a citizen?

00:07:53.500 Became a citizen, 1984.

00:07:56.260 Yes.

00:07:56.520 When did you become a citizen?

00:07:57.820 I'm 1980.

00:07:59.340 Got it.

00:07:59.700 So you joined the Army with your green card?

00:08:01.760 Correct.

00:08:02.200 Me too.

00:08:02.620 I was in the Army with your green card.

00:08:03.600 About to say, how are you without a citizen?

00:08:05.420 So you don't have to be.

00:08:06.160 You need a green card.

00:08:06.960 Exactly.

00:08:07.400 You don't have to be.

00:08:07.920 Correct.

00:08:08.580 A green card, yes.

00:08:09.740 So 1985, your dad comes, he visits.

00:08:12.380 And then you're going back to Fort Bragg.

00:08:13.960 My dad went back home.

00:08:15.480 Okay.

00:08:16.080 My back home.

00:08:17.140 Most of the stuff is in the book.

00:08:19.140 I don't want to go into long detail on it.

00:08:21.740 But anyway, after six months, 85, I heard my brother, my brother's, my uncle called me,

00:08:30.060 the staff to the fifth group.

00:08:31.560 You got to come home.

00:08:32.460 I was coming for what?

00:08:33.340 What happened?

00:08:34.860 So they killed my dad.

00:08:36.620 Revolution killed my dad.

00:08:38.600 And my uncle was a chief of DEA in Iran, Yousef Lahiji.

00:08:44.280 So he took care of my dad, everything.

00:08:47.540 I tried to go back to Iran.

00:08:49.380 The unit said, no, you cannot go.

00:08:51.140 Even the State Department said, you cannot go.

00:08:53.440 We don't let you go.

00:08:54.760 Because we're afraid we're going to capture you over there and put you in the jail over

00:08:59.400 and we kill you also.

00:09:00.500 So, but my mom, my uncle, my sister went for my dad in Iran at a ceremony.

00:09:08.740 You know how it goes.

00:09:09.920 Would you mind elaborating on how your dad was killed?

00:09:13.020 I don't mind.

00:09:14.700 When I, the way my uncle told us to find my dad naked body, they drop him off from fifth

00:09:21.960 floor.

00:09:22.900 We used to live in the north of Tehran, Seid Khan Dan.

00:09:27.420 So they drop my dad behind our house.

00:09:31.160 It was open, open land.

00:09:35.280 It was no buildup yet.

00:09:36.940 So they find my dad naked and bloody.

00:09:41.960 The way my uncle told us, I said, God, I'm going to have revenge.

00:09:46.980 I have to go.

00:09:47.660 I have to go do something to find out.

00:09:49.460 They said, take it easy now.

00:09:51.320 Just do what you have to do.

00:09:53.960 And I couldn't go.

00:09:56.480 I couldn't go.

00:09:57.180 How much anger and rage do you have at that time?

00:09:59.160 Because, you know, when I read about you and your dad, you guys had a lot in common.

00:10:02.800 You know, you said he saw you and he saw himself.

00:10:04.660 He feared things that.

00:10:05.800 Yes.

00:10:06.200 I don't have any fear for anybody, even God, because God is not.

00:10:13.760 You have to fear for him.

00:10:15.900 You're going to love him.

00:10:17.060 He loves everybody.

00:10:18.220 That's why I read Bible, Quran, and Torah.

00:10:22.220 Bible, everything they say, even I'm not Christian, I'm a Muslim, is all about love.

00:10:27.680 So I hold my anger.

00:10:30.720 So forgiveness, I cannot forget about it, but forgiveness has calmed me down.

00:10:38.020 During that moment?

00:10:39.100 That moment also, yes.

00:10:41.160 Because I've always, every time I pray to God, regardless of where I go, what I do,

00:10:46.560 it doesn't matter what, a good time or a bad time, ask him, help me, protect me.

00:10:51.060 He does.

00:10:51.800 So far, he does.

00:10:52.720 I know, I'm sure God does for everybody, not only for me.

00:10:55.880 The anger I have, I hold it because the government from Iran, they put everybody down,

00:11:03.840 they make life miserable for poor people in Iran since they cannot survive.

00:11:09.780 Sure, let me ask you.

00:11:10.680 The event on when they killed your father, it was the government that came in,

00:11:15.620 and the neighbors said they saw some people going into the house.

00:11:18.540 Exactly.

00:11:19.220 My uncle asked the neighbors.

00:11:22.180 That's what my uncle told us.

00:11:23.500 That's what neighbors saw a lot, a couple people going up and down, up and down.

00:11:27.820 That's why your dad threw it out from the window inside, outside the house.

00:11:33.180 Why would they go after your father, though?

00:11:34.600 My dad was a very powerful man.

00:11:36.200 And he was a full-birth colonel in the police department, yes.

00:11:42.060 Oh, okay.

00:11:43.380 This is during Shah or this is Khomeini era?

00:11:45.760 During the Shah, during the Khomeini era, he was retired.

00:11:49.000 That's why they didn't like him because he had a lot of connection.

00:11:52.780 To be honest with you, I don't know why they killed him.

00:11:54.840 Even today?

00:11:55.760 Even today, why?

00:11:58.640 It comes to me, why?

00:11:59.880 It's interesting to me because my sister's husband, my brother-in-law, is Siyomak Sabatimani.

00:12:08.240 Okay.

00:12:08.680 Siyomak Sabatimani is his father.

00:12:12.300 Yes, okay.

00:12:13.000 So when they were living there, Agai Sabatimani was a very, the Shah loved the way Agai Sabatimani

00:12:21.940 would give the news.

00:12:22.920 Right.

00:12:23.160 And he was an anchor.

00:12:23.860 We're very well-known anchor with his voice, you know.

00:12:25.900 Sure, sure, yes.

00:12:27.540 So when they were going through that era and the revolution happened, 78, 79.

00:12:32.260 Correct.

00:12:32.740 Khomeini was getting rid of anybody that was linked to the Shah.

00:12:35.600 Generals, I mean, you know, the stories about the arms being cut and all these other things.

00:12:38.900 Yes.

00:12:39.160 So, you know, that part of the motivation of anybody linked to the Shah, they were doing

00:12:43.780 that.

00:12:43.940 I'm just surprised that they still did it in 85.

00:12:46.320 I'm just surprised that that happened in 85 and it kept continuing.

00:12:49.120 If I say they're animal or they have no education, they're selfish, they want everything for themselves,

00:12:57.380 to me, that's wrong.

00:12:58.500 Do you mind if we go back and spend a little bit of time in Iran with you?

00:13:02.720 Sure.

00:13:02.880 Because I know we went all the way up to the fifth group in Fort Bragg.

00:13:06.500 But let's go back to it because from there, I know we're going to go into Black Hawk Down.

00:13:09.600 We're going to go into some of the experiences.

00:13:11.460 Right.

00:13:11.560 You know, you jumped out of a plane as a parachute and your partner jumped on top and you guys

00:13:16.820 were flying down to get killed.

00:13:18.600 Right.

00:13:18.800 You pulled the reserves.

00:13:19.760 You guys made it.

00:13:20.540 His legs were shattered.

00:13:21.820 And, you know, a lot of great stories, incredible stories you have there.

00:13:24.540 But I want to go back to Iran.

00:13:25.980 I want to go back to when you were living there, 60s, 70s.

00:13:31.140 Today, you turn on the TV and when you think about Iran, you don't think about a place to

00:13:35.500 go for vacation.

00:13:36.440 You don't think about a place to go, hey, honey, let's go this summer to Iran and take

00:13:40.460 our family.

00:13:41.000 There were back in the days, you know how it was, Frank Sinatra, everybody would go to

00:13:45.700 concerts there, parties there.

00:13:47.220 Elizabeth Taylor was dating, Al-Azhar Hadid, the ambassador.

00:13:50.120 There's a lot of things that was going on back there, right?

00:13:52.800 In the 70s, I think it was recognized as one of the top three destinations for vacation

00:13:58.140 around the world, Iran, out of all the places.

00:14:01.040 So paint a picture of what Iran looked like, you know, in the 60s and the 70s, from what

00:14:07.500 you remember.

00:14:08.180 It was so open.

00:14:10.100 It was so open.

00:14:11.540 Nobody come tell you why you're here, why you're drinking beer, for instance, why you're

00:14:17.260 dancing, why you're listening to music.

00:14:19.200 I read the Quran.

00:14:20.180 I didn't see anything in the Quran, they said.

00:14:22.780 It's Iranian, they said, you cannot drink, you cannot dance.

00:14:27.980 I didn't see it.

00:14:29.140 I found out three weeks ago, you don't believe it if I tell you right now.

00:14:33.220 My cousin lives in the East Coast, Boston, Massachusetts.

00:14:36.720 He read my book.

00:14:38.640 He sent a couple books and his brother in Italy.

00:14:41.480 They said, change is, watch yourself.

00:14:43.640 I said, watch myself, for what?

00:14:45.840 He said, the article in the book, everybody likes it, but your name is in the blacklist.

00:14:52.560 My name is Blacklist.

00:14:53.640 Okay, what are you going to do, kill me?

00:14:54.880 Unbelievable, because I read the book.

00:14:57.860 Wow.

00:14:58.460 Wow, but you don't hold back in the book, though.

00:15:00.100 You're not holding back.

00:15:01.280 You're sharing your thoughts, your opinions.

00:15:02.740 I'm sharing what you're going to do to me.

00:15:04.960 Yeah, you're not.

00:15:05.700 No, but if you don't want to kill me, I'm ready.

00:15:08.440 Come on.

00:15:08.940 But Iran was open.

00:15:09.900 Iran was a beautiful place.

00:15:11.020 Iran was open.

00:15:11.740 The stuff I hear about Kabbalah Tehran.

00:15:13.860 Oh, Kabbalah Tehran was awesome.

00:15:15.860 Tell me, I hear the stories from my dad, but tell me about Kabbalah Tehran.

00:15:19.000 The book was Kabbalah, you go, it's so open.

00:15:22.780 You sit, you drink, you dance, you have a good time with your friends, and you can ask

00:15:29.000 anything you want to bring for you.

00:15:31.860 You weren't born that time.

00:15:33.380 I don't think you were, no.

00:15:34.540 Even in Abaddon, Petroleum Company, which have belonged to the government, they have a lot

00:15:40.940 of clubs.

00:15:41.700 In Abaddon.

00:15:42.320 Oh, God, you don't believe it.

00:15:43.960 Beautiful.

00:15:45.240 People go over there like Christmas time.

00:15:47.260 Oh, oh, beautiful lights.

00:15:50.700 People dancing with the family come.

00:15:52.800 Reservation, like here, big hotel.

00:15:55.160 You pay 10 days before, the table for you, all drink you want, any kind, any kind.

00:16:02.180 There's no question about it.

00:16:04.520 You know, people, okay, people praying, yes.

00:16:07.560 People drinking, yes.

00:16:08.860 I don't see what God said, don't drink.

00:16:11.680 But drink, me, I drink moderate, okay?

00:16:15.240 I don't need to get stupid.

00:16:16.820 So times were good.

00:16:18.200 Times were great.

00:16:18.860 So during that time, because you hear about, you know, the music.

00:16:21.880 Do you ever listen to the music and go back to the time?

00:16:23.780 Like, do you listen to Gugush?

00:16:24.920 Do you listen to Daryush, Mawin, Del Ami Khad Be Esfaham, Berg Yardam, like, do you?

00:16:29.740 Even English music were there.

00:16:32.180 When I worked for my gas station, my brother, the music, ABBA, or Rose Stone.

00:16:37.640 Yes, ABBA, wow.

00:16:38.340 Yes, in Iran, I was listening.

00:16:40.140 Oh, I listened to the music.

00:16:41.740 I worked for my brother.

00:16:42.760 It was making me feel so good.

00:16:44.900 You know, it was good.

00:16:45.680 Be honest with you, 60 years ago, well, I came 40, 40 years ago.

00:16:51.420 That still, that time was great.

00:16:54.340 I thought about when I was 10 years old.

00:16:56.000 Did you ever go to Bandar Pahlavi?

00:16:57.600 Three times.

00:16:58.900 You went to Bandar Pahlavi?

00:16:59.620 Yes.

00:16:59.980 You know, they changed your name.

00:17:01.120 I don't know what it's called right now.

00:17:02.200 I don't know.

00:17:02.680 Yeah, but it was called Bandar Pahlavi back then.

00:17:04.720 Correct.

00:17:05.200 Bandar Pahlavi, Jazir-e-Khark.

00:17:06.980 Yep.

00:17:07.760 It's still there.

00:17:08.980 Abeli, would you go to Abeli?

00:17:10.180 Oh, God.

00:17:11.080 Abeli Theron, Ski, of course.

00:17:12.400 Yeah, Abeli.

00:17:13.420 Yes.

00:17:13.860 There was a place my dad took me in Abeli.

00:17:16.100 In the water.

00:17:16.780 He says, jump in the water.

00:17:17.940 So I jump in the water, but it's gas water.

00:17:19.860 Gas water.

00:17:20.240 I mean, how do you explain?

00:17:20.680 I jumped in.

00:17:21.400 I couldn't breathe.

00:17:22.200 The gas got out of my nose, my ears.

00:17:23.860 He's laughing outside.

00:17:24.800 No, you're right.

00:17:25.440 You're right, Patrick.

00:17:25.800 But it felt so amazing.

00:17:26.780 We would have Jigar, you know, liver outside with the nice green and the salt and the lochme,

00:17:32.140 you know.

00:17:32.820 Sarapol.

00:17:33.500 Sarapol of Chambron.

00:17:34.400 I don't know if you remember or not.

00:17:35.900 We used to go over there to have a...

00:17:37.720 Sikh.

00:17:38.380 Sikh.

00:17:38.960 Sikh Shabab.

00:17:40.240 Oh, God.

00:17:40.840 The corn they would make with the salt water.

00:17:43.860 Oh, God.

00:17:43.880 The nuts.

00:17:45.000 They put it in the water, cut it.

00:17:46.360 Oh, God.

00:17:46.780 I stayed there until I was 10 years old.

00:17:48.360 I was there until 10, but I'm in October 78, baby.

00:17:51.440 So I was born during the peak of Cinemarex fire when it happened.

00:17:55.240 Oh, yes.

00:17:55.360 So when Cinemarex fire happened, that's when I was born.

00:17:57.940 And Cinemarex was in Abadam.

00:17:59.320 Abadam, correct.

00:18:00.100 And let me ask you a question.

00:18:01.100 Yes.

00:18:01.260 If we can talk a little bit about since you're, I think it was your uncle.

00:18:04.400 That was the chief of police or chief of intelligence in Abadam.

00:18:07.380 What was yours?

00:18:08.160 My uncle was chief.

00:18:09.420 My dad was chief of police in Abadam undercover.

00:18:14.600 Chief of police, Abadam undercover.

00:18:16.220 Yes.

00:18:16.620 So he was there when Cinemarex happened.

00:18:18.860 Yes.

00:18:19.280 So let me ask you a question.

00:18:20.320 The 400 people that were killed.

00:18:21.780 Exactly.

00:18:22.400 So why don't you tell us what happened to Cinemarex?

00:18:24.400 Well, I was there.

00:18:25.360 I was in the house when we heard it.

00:18:28.880 Because Cinemarex, our house, about a couple miles of the bicycle.

00:18:33.860 And police department is next to Cinemarex.

00:18:37.580 Right across it.

00:18:38.280 Right next to it.

00:18:38.860 Yes, right.

00:18:40.420 So somebody that had some problem locked the doors outside so nobody could get out.

00:18:47.200 And as you know, those days, they have a door like that with a piece of metal.

00:18:52.940 You close it.

00:18:53.880 You put a big chain inside.

00:18:55.800 They put a lock in it.

00:18:57.220 So when the movie started, they locked the whole door.

00:19:00.400 It wasn't one guy, two guys.

00:19:01.780 It was a few people did that.

00:19:03.740 They put the gas around the theater and flame it.

00:19:07.840 And exactly 400 people died.

00:19:10.060 Correct.

00:19:10.680 Until now, I don't know, they couldn't find out who was it, why they did it.

00:19:14.760 So they blamed two people.

00:19:16.400 They said a group of Khomeini's people said Savak did it.

00:19:19.460 Savak.

00:19:19.640 And the other side, the police did it.

00:19:22.000 Right?

00:19:22.240 The police department.

00:19:23.120 So they're saying, who did it?

00:19:24.180 Did the police do it?

00:19:25.080 The Savak do it?

00:19:25.900 Was Khomeini's people do it?

00:19:27.420 Who did it?

00:19:27.980 But that was a disastrous moment when that took place.

00:19:31.620 Disastrous.

00:19:31.760 The blame was put on the Shah.

00:19:34.020 Shah couldn't protect it.

00:19:35.280 Innocent people died.

00:19:36.620 Right, right.

00:19:37.480 For me, I come from that.

00:19:40.380 You know, whatever I do.

00:19:41.040 I've been in America for a while.

00:19:42.140 I was in the army.

00:19:42.880 I was proud to be American.

00:19:44.820 But at the same time, you have an affinity to your homeland.

00:19:47.920 You know, there's something that happens where you're born.

00:19:49.520 Correct.

00:19:50.020 I'm born.

00:19:50.500 Correct.

00:19:50.900 I was born in Iran.

00:19:52.000 Like I said many times to friends, my body is Iranian, but my heart is American.

00:19:56.920 Okay, because I want to be, because this country, they gave me opportunity to do what I want to do.

00:20:04.120 Sometimes I could not reach it, but at least they opened the door for me.

00:20:08.860 I went close to it.

00:20:10.120 I want to talk about that when, the reason why people like us come over here for a better opportunity,

00:20:15.140 your family, or you decide to come over here.

00:20:17.220 Right.

00:20:17.540 But going back to Iran, you know, you read stats.

00:20:20.720 They say 9 million people revolted.

00:20:23.040 Okay, that's a stat you read about.

00:20:24.600 9 million people, it's the biggest revolution of all time in the history.

00:20:28.840 Correct.

00:20:29.100 We've never had 9 million people revolted.

00:20:31.020 No.

00:20:31.520 All these people show up, and they're listening to tapes of Khomeini, who was living at that time,

00:20:36.100 I believe in France, because somewhere in Paris, because they kept him there.

00:20:40.040 He was in exile for a few years.

00:20:41.160 He was exiled twice, I believe, right?

00:20:42.560 Twice.

00:20:42.860 Twice.

00:20:43.180 Once in the 60s, once in the 70s, and he was in Paris for like nine years.

00:20:47.560 Correct, yes.

00:20:48.120 So what caused the revolution?

00:20:50.180 From your perspective, your family was involved somehow in politics.

00:20:53.440 They were in power, they had some contacts.

00:20:55.560 Correct.

00:20:55.800 What caused the revolution?

00:20:56.660 How do you go from the regime getting better, they're spending more money on education.

00:21:00.540 He went from spending $45 billion, I think from 63 to 45 billion rials, and 63 to 67 in education.

00:21:08.480 Then he spent 117 billion rials from 68 to 72.

00:21:13.380 Then he spent 540 billion rials from 73 to 77.

00:21:18.640 Things are going good.

00:21:19.620 There's a million foreigners that are working in Iran.

00:21:22.700 Right.

00:21:22.920 One million foreigners that are working in Iran, living a life with their wife, with their kids.

00:21:27.640 And then this revolution takes place.

00:21:30.120 What was the cause for it?

00:21:31.140 In my opinion, maybe I'm wrong, the people who were close to Shah, they lied to him as far

00:21:37.240 as Shah ate generals, and they did not give the Shah truth information.

00:21:47.700 People did suspect Shah because they thought Shah didn't help him, but they were wrong.

00:21:54.240 They thought Khomeini comes, they're going to help him better.

00:21:58.320 Well, who brought, in my opinion, who brought Khomeini to Iran?

00:22:01.740 Khomeini didn't come by himself to Iran.

00:22:04.380 CIA brought the Khomeini to Iran.

00:22:06.520 To what?

00:22:07.080 To make it better, but no.

00:22:10.480 So CIA planted Khomeini.

00:22:12.640 So are you saying during, because who was before Carter?

00:22:16.160 Ford was before Carter, right?

00:22:17.740 And then it was Nixon.

00:22:19.100 When I came here, it was Nixon president.

00:22:21.240 When you came here, it was Nixon.

00:22:22.440 Nixon, right.

00:22:23.160 Got it.

00:22:23.400 1973.

00:22:24.800 73, 74, yeah.

00:22:26.360 He left 70, yeah.

00:22:27.220 So, but Nixon had a good relationship with the Shah.

00:22:29.320 It's not like they had a bad relationship.

00:22:30.660 They actually got along very good.

00:22:31.860 I don't know why America government and Iran did think America and Iran enemy.

00:22:37.320 I don't see, I don't see why enemy, because they did hostage.

00:22:42.020 Okay, Iranian, yeah, it was wrong, hold the hostage people in Iran, 1979.

00:22:48.720 But Iranian did not kill any Americans, as far as I know, even today.

00:22:55.380 But we, as American soldiers, we killed a lot of Iranians, a lot of Arabs, a lot of Afghanis.

00:23:05.140 To me, I did too.

00:23:07.320 Because who's better than me?

00:23:09.340 Me.

00:23:09.820 I'm in the combat.

00:23:10.860 A lot of things helped me in the combat, everywhere.

00:23:14.900 My smile.

00:23:17.020 My smile saved me a lot in the military and civilian life.

00:23:22.520 They called me.

00:23:23.320 Yes, sir.

00:23:24.000 They put the gun on me.

00:23:25.160 I smiled.

00:23:25.880 I said, you know, they took me places, but I came back clean.

00:23:31.400 But that moment, I killed a lot of people.

00:23:34.460 I hate to say that.

00:23:35.420 Please forgive me if I say that.

00:23:37.380 But no choice.

00:23:38.860 No choice.

00:23:40.240 If I didn't kill the guys, they would kill me.

00:23:44.040 I survived.

00:23:44.720 I survived.

00:23:45.100 I survived.

00:23:45.680 I spent 11 years in the war.

00:23:47.040 Do you remember those moments vividly?

00:23:48.880 Those moments?

00:23:49.720 Yes.

00:23:50.020 I remember when I was active duty in Lebanon, active duty in Somalia.

00:23:57.800 And when I got retired, 2000, late 2000, I was Afghanistan for 11 years.

00:24:03.680 I was with 10 Special Forces Group.

00:24:06.700 I was with DODs and our State Department.

00:24:09.920 And you had some runnings with the Delta Force guys, right?

00:24:11.960 Yes, I did that.

00:24:12.760 You were doing stuff with Delta all the time.

00:24:13.400 Yes, I did that.

00:24:14.260 Yeah, we had a lot of training in the Far East together.

00:24:18.900 Didn't you do like over 100 missions in Afghanistan?

00:24:20.880 I did more.

00:24:21.520 Honestly, I did more than 100 missions.

00:24:23.340 If I said I'm not exaggerating it, I did more than 300 combat missions.

00:24:30.560 Total.

00:24:31.180 Total, I swear to God.

00:24:32.460 Total.

00:24:32.780 So give me one of the ones that, you know, stays with you till today.

00:24:36.380 I know, let's talk about Black Hawk Down, when you experienced that yourself.

00:24:39.240 The one, this one.

00:24:40.360 This one, our mission was, after I came back from, worked for FBI, so mission was, I was

00:24:47.840 ODF 596, 5th Group.

00:24:50.140 Our mission was humanitarian help for the poor people in Somalia.

00:24:56.620 When the Black Hawk, when the people killed four Marines, if you remember that,

00:25:01.980 so drag them on the ground, so our mission changed.

00:25:05.040 So our mission changed.

00:25:06.660 We did a lot of patrol with the team in the Magadishus.

00:25:10.320 It was nasty.

00:25:11.320 It was nasty.

00:25:12.320 Oh, God.

00:25:13.320 I said, God, we're going to die every day.

00:25:15.780 We're going to die every day.

00:25:16.660 So when Black Hawk went down, I was almost, it was two Blackhows went down.

00:25:21.900 We were probably, I was 50, 60 feet away from the, for second one, the west side, I believe,

00:25:29.540 west side of a place we were patrolling.

00:25:32.500 Because I went to the houses, gave me candy, food, helping.

00:25:36.120 They liked me.

00:25:36.960 I spoke not great Arabic, but I could get by, okay, goodbye.

00:25:42.220 But now I forgot most of them.

00:25:43.700 Never, I never can forget it.

00:25:46.040 And a, and a friend of mine, Tim Martin, he came, he was a Delta guy, but SF guy, but

00:25:54.300 went to Delta, came back to Okinawa, Japan, I met him, then he went back to Delta, and

00:26:00.980 he was in the Humvee coming toward the town to support Delta guy, support Ranger guy, and

00:26:08.040 got RPG hit him, RPG went to his leg, yes, he's dead right away, right there.

00:26:14.480 And great guy, great guy known, pretty much, good people.

00:26:19.120 Right in front of you when this happened?

00:26:20.540 What happened, not exactly in front of me, it was about 50, 15, 20 feet away.

00:26:25.940 15 feet, 20 feet is not...

00:26:27.380 Well, you know, I'm not going to lie to you, exaggerate, yeah, well, I see...

00:26:32.940 When the RPG hit, did you experience the whole sound, you can't hear anything, your ears are...

00:26:37.160 I can't hear that much, my left ears.

00:26:39.540 My left ears is, I got a hearing problem, I'm getting worried, but I don't like this coming

00:26:46.680 out all the time, pretty bad, still, every day, 24-7, I got ringing in my ears, 24-7.

00:26:52.960 So Black Hawk down, going back to it, so that happens, RPG hits, his legs, he's gone right

00:26:57.100 in front of you?

00:26:58.320 Gone, and a lot of Rangers die over there, I was so lucky, so lucky, all my team was lucky.

00:27:05.380 Then I came back, I spent 90 days, I stayed there.

00:27:10.520 We came back, then I got an assignment, DLI, put it to DLI.

00:27:14.100 DLI, like DLI?

00:27:15.120 DLI in Monterey.

00:27:15.920 Monterey?

00:27:16.360 Yes.

00:27:16.780 Okay.

00:27:17.120 Yes, in Monterey.

00:27:18.180 To DLI is a linguistic school, there used to be an army base called Fort Orr back in

00:27:22.700 the days, now you go to DLI to learn a language.

00:27:25.200 Right.

00:27:25.700 And then you get shipped out.

00:27:26.520 It's called Defense Language School, it's a very big, everybody goes over there, even

00:27:31.860 agencies go over there, and it's huge.

00:27:36.200 About 5,000 troops go over there, Marine, Navy, Army, Special Forces, not that much, because

00:27:43.340 Special Forces right now, they have their own school in Fort Bragg, six months.

00:27:48.740 Really?

00:27:49.220 Yes, sir.

00:27:49.980 But with the STEM team advanced, they go one year.

00:27:53.560 Special Forces right now, these days, they cannot go to the A-team unless after graduate

00:28:00.280 from phase one, phase two, phase three, they go to SEER school.

00:28:04.920 Is it true in SEER school that they can break small bones on you because they're teaching

00:28:07.880 you how to be a POW?

00:28:08.960 Yes.

00:28:10.420 Out of SEER school, 84, and SEER instructor course.

00:28:15.920 How hard was SEER school?

00:28:17.040 It's not that long, it's a short school, it's like two weeks, 12 days.

00:28:19.980 It's hard, you have to get it.

00:28:23.160 Is it mentally and emotionally, they drain you?

00:28:25.580 Mentally, physically drain you, yes.

00:28:27.760 Did you do the whole exercise of sitting in the room and the sound, the noise is going

00:28:31.240 loud?

00:28:31.820 The sound, they beat you, and you have to sign, hey, if something happens, you ask for it,

00:28:39.760 okay?

00:28:40.260 That's what we did.

00:28:41.360 That's what I did, you know.

00:28:42.240 I went to a lot of good schools, hard schools, and I'm proud of it because I proved to myself.

00:28:50.960 And now these days, people tell me, what's your proof?

00:28:53.460 I said, I have to prove anything to you.

00:28:55.100 I'm retired.

00:28:56.660 You know, if you don't know something about me, I cannot carry 150-pound rock sack anymore.

00:29:02.020 As you know, you know, I carry an atomic bomb called SADOM in my bag in the ODA-564.

00:29:08.200 How was that?

00:29:08.960 How was that when you were carrying an atomic bomb?

00:29:11.180 It was two teams, two groups, fifth group and seventh group, tasked one group, one battalion

00:29:22.900 were the SADOM.

00:29:24.620 And SADOM is a very real bomb before SR-71, do stuff like that, before computer came out,

00:29:33.820 as you know, computer came 9192.

00:29:36.540 So you have to keep that, that solid bomb is 85-pound, goes to Alice's rucksack.

00:29:42.120 And when you carry it, you cannot walk straight, you gotta walk like this.

00:29:46.700 And every person of team carry your food, socks, water, you can't put the water outside

00:29:53.880 because, uh, canteen, yes.

00:29:56.180 Canteen, you can't put on the side.

00:29:56.820 Nothing you can't put inside the rucksack.

00:29:59.620 How are you feeling when you're carrying a nuclear bomb on your back?

00:30:01.660 It's, uh, it's, uh, it sucks.

00:30:04.520 Sorry about that.

00:30:06.020 It's, it's painful.

00:30:07.520 It's painful.

00:30:09.140 You don't believe it.

00:30:09.800 That's why my bag must stop right now.

00:30:11.440 It's painful.

00:30:12.340 We did a lot of training.

00:30:13.340 I did, uh, uh, four static line jump.

00:30:16.900 I did two halo jump, but the first halo jump, I didn't do it because my team, I told my team

00:30:23.740 sergeant, Bob Fleming, your name is right here too, I can't do it.

00:30:27.740 Show me how to do it.

00:30:28.620 Because when he jumped, he would just tumble 100, almost 120, 130 miles an hour coming

00:30:35.140 down so fast.

00:30:37.060 Then I had no experience.

00:30:38.400 I don't want to talk about it more because if I say, it's right here, right, read the book.

00:30:44.320 But tell me about the part where you, you're, you got tangled with your friend.

00:30:47.540 Oh, that one, that one, unbelievable.

00:30:48.940 This one, I get a team member, his name is, was, died, uh, John Murphy.

00:30:55.460 We go to Thailand, Ponsaluk, uh, teaching Thai Royal Special Forces training, uh, shooting,

00:31:03.680 a tire house, clear stuff like that.

00:31:06.400 And, and because Thai people, they love to jump.

00:31:09.020 They love halo jump.

00:31:10.760 They, you, you just go over there.

00:31:12.740 If, uh, if they don't eat because they have no money to rent the aircraft, but we support

00:31:18.200 them a lot.

00:31:18.880 So we jump, we let the Thai people go first because they, as a Tennessee, open the chute

00:31:24.960 fast.

00:31:25.440 So that one comes, get tangled, you get killed.

00:31:30.880 So they jump first after a minute, we would hire 18, 18, 12, five, because if you go above

00:31:37.360 12, five, you got to wear oxygen.

00:31:40.080 To 12, to 12,500, you don't have to wear oxygen because you jump, it coming down fast, so air

00:31:46.760 is over there.

00:31:47.320 So we jump and open my chute, 4,500.

00:31:52.300 I was doing good.

00:31:53.280 And Sunday, John Murphy, he's, he was, the guy has bad luck all the time.

00:31:58.360 He had, every time he jumped, he'd do something.

00:32:00.560 I was very, very bad luck every time.

00:32:03.140 He did four, five accidents.

00:32:05.020 So I was doing, coming to the drop zone, it was airport.

00:32:09.620 I, somebody hit me there, bang.

00:32:12.700 Oh God, his riser burned my neck and my chute, nine cell, three cell claps.

00:32:21.580 It was, I said, God help me.

00:32:24.620 And he, I said, I, I was very upset, but I hold him in my, both legs, because his chute

00:32:31.280 came down.

00:32:32.600 He could, oh, he couldn't do nothing.

00:32:34.080 Come on.

00:32:34.620 I swear to God that he said, Cengiz, Cengiz, please.

00:32:37.660 I don't know how you know I was, I was there, because I talk, I cuss a lot, okay.

00:32:42.760 That he knew, he recognized my voice.

00:32:45.220 So he said, don't, don't cut away, don't cut away.

00:32:48.460 If I would cut away, we both was dead.

00:32:51.380 Both of you.

00:32:52.060 Both, yes.

00:32:53.500 Both, no question about it.

00:32:54.280 And your initial reaction was to cut?

00:32:56.420 You were initially thinking?

00:32:57.160 I was going to.

00:32:58.240 I was going right here to cut away and open my reserve.

00:33:02.560 God said, no, one second.

00:33:04.340 I swear to God, one second.

00:33:05.920 Wow.

00:33:06.300 I hold the toggle so tight, and we're coming down fast.

00:33:11.420 We were about 3,000 feet above the ground.

00:33:15.380 I tried to land it in the grass.

00:33:18.360 I couldn't make it.

00:33:20.160 I land in the runway.

00:33:22.620 He landed.

00:33:24.360 God forgive me.

00:33:25.600 When he landed, he didn't, my neck, and his face almost killed me.

00:33:31.300 So I landed my back.

00:33:33.080 I broke four ribs.

00:33:34.420 And he broke his leg, leg, left leg, yes.

00:33:38.700 Shattered.

00:33:39.680 No, broke it.

00:33:41.640 No, broke it.

00:33:43.020 Bone is out.

00:33:44.660 Yes.

00:33:45.580 I broke my leg too.

00:33:46.540 I'll tell you about that also.

00:33:47.700 It was almost 7 o'clock evening, daytime.

00:33:50.740 So that's what I'm saying.

00:33:51.940 God bless America.

00:33:52.860 God bless SF.

00:33:53.860 2,300 at night.

00:33:56.300 One C1 Terry, Patrick, took him and us to Philippines.

00:34:00.520 From Thailand.

00:34:01.320 From Thailand.

00:34:02.560 Six hours drive.

00:34:03.560 You know how much that costs?

00:34:04.820 How much?

00:34:05.720 A lot.

00:34:06.220 A lot of money for civilians.

00:34:07.960 To do.

00:34:09.240 To me, it's great.

00:34:10.880 Look at.

00:34:11.420 Look at what I'm serving.

00:34:13.300 That's why I love you guys.

00:34:14.580 That's why I love you guys.

00:34:15.680 So anyway, he was there for months.

00:34:18.980 I was there for three days.

00:34:20.780 Because doctors said, I can't do nothing about rep.

00:34:23.520 That's correct.

00:34:24.140 You can't.

00:34:24.920 You can't have a surgery.

00:34:26.580 I couldn't breathe for four weeks.

00:34:29.300 Let me ask you.

00:34:29.860 The Blackhawk Down.

00:34:30.580 I read one of the stories when the Blackhawk Down.

00:34:33.560 Right.

00:34:34.100 The pilot died when you guys crashed.

00:34:36.580 Pilot died.

00:34:37.060 The pilot died.

00:34:37.840 And one of your buddies died.

00:34:39.680 But you survived it.

00:34:40.900 And there's a picture of you right afterwards.

00:34:42.680 Right here.

00:34:43.300 The picture, Afghanistan.

00:34:45.080 2008.

00:34:45.740 Yes.

00:34:45.980 We were doing missions.

00:34:47.480 We cleared the.

00:34:48.340 You're still doing missions in 08?

00:34:49.760 Yes.

00:34:50.340 I did.

00:34:50.740 I did a lot of missions.

00:34:52.140 From 2002 to 2010, I was Afghanistan.

00:34:56.140 Because you were doing civilian contracting.

00:34:58.000 Civilian.

00:34:58.520 Correct.

00:34:58.840 So what happened in 08 when the other Blackhawk went down?

00:35:02.080 They called us because I was advisor ID in Afghanistan.

00:35:06.340 I see a lot of legs, heads, bones.

00:35:09.600 Every time it happened, we have to go.

00:35:11.600 We have to go survey, collect all this stuff,

00:35:14.520 and give it to, send it to the FBI, analyze it.

00:35:19.980 So what kind of device they're using, okay?

00:35:22.460 After they find out what kind of device they're using,

00:35:25.440 so they study it.

00:35:26.800 So in 2008, I was working with SF guys,

00:35:33.320 but it was no SF with me.

00:35:35.360 Only me as a civilian advisor.

00:35:37.820 We cleared the 3540 caves.

00:35:41.100 The caves we cleared.

00:35:42.920 It wasn't a cave that Ben Laden built.

00:35:46.820 No.

00:35:47.920 Right, because stuff I made,

00:35:49.580 I found out where there was for Drone Mujahideen.

00:35:54.000 So I stayed there in the valley called Wilderness.

00:36:00.100 Nobody could go over there.

00:36:01.280 That deep, mountain, everything.

00:36:03.060 We did, I did three weeks over there.

00:36:05.480 The day I want to come back,

00:36:07.440 go to the main compound,

00:36:09.600 but with helicopter 45 minutes right,

00:36:12.500 two helicopter, three helicopter landed, take us.

00:36:15.200 So usually they come from west, take us from east.

00:36:19.680 I don't know what happened that day.

00:36:21.460 They landed from west and took us from west.

00:36:24.200 We get up, there was 13 people in the helicopter and went up.

00:36:30.820 FBI guy was with us too, Andy.

00:36:34.320 FBI guy.

00:36:35.160 F.E.S.

00:36:35.920 As a, now as an advisor, as an analyze all the IEDs.

00:36:40.160 That was his job was.

00:36:41.740 So he came with us also.

00:36:43.540 So we went up.

00:36:44.420 Those two helicopters took off.

00:36:46.900 We were on the 70 feet high.

00:36:49.580 We got hit.

00:36:50.320 I said, what's going on?

00:36:51.700 Coming down.

00:36:52.280 Pop, pop, pop.

00:36:53.460 I said, sit down, sit down, sit down.

00:36:55.040 I was sitting down by face to the pilot.

00:37:00.420 And everybody, colonel, majors, me, two more E7.

00:37:04.980 We came down so fast.

00:37:06.380 The pilot and copilot were very smart.

00:37:09.600 They shot off the engine.

00:37:10.420 They had to because coming down, smashed on the ground.

00:37:14.940 Roll three, roll over.

00:37:17.460 And the blade was destroyed.

00:37:20.460 I got a picture also.

00:37:21.620 Not here, but I got it at home.

00:37:23.240 We could open the door.

00:37:24.880 I touched my hair.

00:37:26.800 My head was wet.

00:37:30.480 Blood over my face.

00:37:32.360 I kicked the door three or four times.

00:37:34.040 Opened the door.

00:37:35.540 Coming out.

00:37:37.200 The enemy about 100 feet over there.

00:37:40.840 I'll fire.

00:37:41.460 I'll fire almost seven-run magazine.

00:37:44.040 Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta.

00:37:45.720 So there were, I guess, I don't know how many I killed or not.

00:37:48.000 I don't know.

00:37:49.180 I don't know.

00:37:50.180 And camp, small camp was, we crashed right under about 50 feet.

00:37:56.480 But the camp, the Army guy was, the 10th Mountain Division.

00:37:59.900 So as soon as they saw that, they came, support us.

00:38:03.860 And the captain, Garcia, I remember his name, he bandaged my head right there.

00:38:10.740 I'm surviving.

00:38:11.400 I said, why are you laughing?

00:38:12.660 Man, I'm surviving, man.

00:38:14.340 I'm here.

00:38:16.280 Wounded, but I'm alive.

00:38:18.220 They were so happy.

00:38:19.460 After they took us to the small medic over there, the one guy and the captain, he was

00:38:28.040 not a surgeon, a doctor.

00:38:30.380 So I switched my head.

00:38:32.060 About 14 stages in the head.

00:38:35.000 Three, four right here.

00:38:36.100 It's already a step.

00:38:36.860 I have somebody here.

00:38:38.200 So they then send me.

00:38:40.280 The medevac was me.

00:38:41.320 Another guy broke his leg.

00:38:43.100 One guy died, I believe it.

00:38:44.540 Pilot or co-pilot?

00:38:46.040 Because I kicked the door to co-pilot to pull him out.

00:38:49.380 Because he couldn't get out, pull him out.

00:38:51.940 So I went to the base.

00:38:53.120 They put me in the surgery room.

00:38:55.260 Again, they cleaned me up.

00:38:56.560 They fixed me very good.

00:38:57.960 No question about it.

00:38:59.480 I never forget it.

00:39:00.880 And after that, after three weeks, they moved me from there to Camp Phoenix.

00:39:08.940 Worked for the Special Forces again.

00:39:10.840 But I was so afraid.

00:39:11.840 I was, I don't want to get in the helicopter no more.

00:39:14.940 Wow.

00:39:15.400 So that stayed with you.

00:39:16.460 Yes.

00:39:17.200 I was scared.

00:39:18.120 Every time I go to the helicopter, I was just, my fade out.

00:39:21.720 I couldn't, I couldn't.

00:39:23.120 I did though, because I don't want to be checking out.

00:39:26.260 But honest to God, even now, if I'm flying with big commercial, still hesitation.

00:39:34.600 Wow.

00:39:35.280 Yes.

00:39:35.780 Let me ask you, the first time you experienced being shot at, how was that?

00:39:39.280 Scary.

00:39:39.860 Is it extremely fast?

00:39:41.140 Extra, oh, you, yeah.

00:39:44.200 Purely reaction-based.

00:39:45.440 Very.

00:39:45.920 I was, another section, I was going IED to the village, talked to police guy supporting

00:39:54.860 him.

00:39:55.720 Poor guy standing next to me.

00:39:58.040 I was so lucky.

00:39:58.880 A sniper from 100 feet, the house we cleared after that, he was going to kill, shoot me.

00:40:08.220 I was next to the policeman.

00:40:09.280 He killed the policeman instead of me.

00:40:11.280 Not by accident.

00:40:13.040 I don't know what happened.

00:40:14.260 God helped me.

00:40:15.020 So as soon as he hit him, I'll pull him down over the ground, cover.

00:40:19.660 I called the guys, come on.

00:40:21.620 So after less than five minutes, we all went to the house.

00:40:25.760 The guy was gone.

00:40:26.500 That's the first time he got shot at.

00:40:27.680 Yes.

00:40:28.160 Did you ever see any soldiers in the heat at a moment panic and lock up?

00:40:33.080 Oh, yeah.

00:40:34.320 Throws up.

00:40:34.840 How many times did you see, like, what, and then would you ask, would they typically

00:40:38.740 ask him to leave or reposition him?

00:40:41.200 I told him, get down.

00:40:42.500 They're scared.

00:40:43.160 I push him down.

00:40:43.940 What would they do with him afterwards?

00:40:45.780 Would they send him back or they would give him more chances until you got used to it?

00:40:49.120 No, no, no, no.

00:40:49.280 I put him down and everything was cooled down.

00:40:52.720 I could take him.

00:40:53.880 What do you talk to him about?

00:40:54.900 What do you tell him?

00:40:55.700 I told him, I know he had a fear.

00:40:58.420 I had a fear too, but you have to fight the fear.

00:41:01.000 You have to fight the fear.

00:41:02.240 You can't just froze and do nothing.

00:41:04.760 Get down, cover, and shoot back.

00:41:06.880 How is that conversation?

00:41:08.460 Is it an understanding conversation or is it more like a dictatorial dictate?

00:41:12.320 Like, hey, you better do this or else you're going to get killed.

00:41:14.960 The way I combat, I never have people what to do or force him or pull the rank on them.

00:41:22.280 I just tell them about experience, correct them, because if you don't correct the guy right

00:41:28.360 away...

00:41:28.860 He's going to die.

00:41:30.160 No good.

00:41:30.620 You got to correct him right away, get that bad habit out of his body and give him motivation.

00:41:37.400 How many times did you have to do that in your career?

00:41:39.500 I did that more than five, six times.

00:41:42.060 Okay, so not as many times.

00:41:43.440 So for the most part, most people's reaction was, let me react, fight back or defense or

00:41:50.260 do something, right?

00:41:51.180 Right.

00:41:51.360 Immediate reaction.

00:41:52.240 Correct.

00:41:52.460 So what's the first time you shot at somebody and you felt like I killed somebody?

00:41:56.800 Do you remember the first time for you?

00:41:58.240 First time I killed somebody, it was in Iraq, not too close to me.

00:42:04.560 I wouldn't say feel bad because I protect myself and my colleagues.

00:42:10.660 Yeah, it is nice to kill, but the combat situation is totally different than you kill somebody

00:42:15.580 in the street.

00:42:16.140 I know, but the part I'm trying to ask you is, was there any sentiment or it was like

00:42:21.820 you're trying to take my freedom away, I have to stop you before you do it to me?

00:42:25.480 That's right.

00:42:25.860 That's the mindset.

00:42:26.600 That's it.

00:42:27.200 Okay.

00:42:27.580 That's me.

00:42:28.000 Got it.

00:42:28.580 That's me.

00:42:28.900 I was with General McChrystal yesterday.

00:42:30.700 I don't know if you remember General McChrystal.

00:42:32.100 Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:42:32.760 We were together yesterday.

00:42:32.780 It was for a start.

00:42:33.340 Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:42:33.880 And he talked about the first time he killed somebody, and he said it felt great because

00:42:39.700 it was my job, my duty to protect my country, and I had to do it.

00:42:43.360 So the way he talked about it was very much nonchalant.

00:42:46.400 It wasn't like, oh my gosh, it's a big deal.

00:42:48.700 No, no.

00:42:49.120 It was a very normal thing he talked about.

00:42:51.460 That happened in military to him.

00:42:53.240 Correct.

00:42:53.720 But a lot of guys in military, they brag about it.

00:42:57.660 Oh, I killed that.

00:42:58.860 Blah, blah, blah, blah.

00:42:59.560 Yeah.

00:42:59.800 You know, I see it a lot, I listen, but I don't say nothing, I say whatever.

00:43:04.140 You know, I have a friend of mine who was Delta.

00:43:07.080 Right.

00:43:07.760 And he got out.

00:43:08.760 He was Special Forces Delta, and he went all over.

00:43:11.100 And he will never tell the horror stories, and he won't brag about it.

00:43:14.380 I never do.

00:43:14.820 He is so uncomfortable.

00:43:16.460 To him, it's very similar to what you're saying right now.

00:43:18.800 When you went one time, did you start itching it?

00:43:21.940 You're like, I have to go again, and again, and again, and again.

00:43:24.900 And because you're like, Haiti, nothing really happened.

00:43:27.320 It's almost as if you wanted to see more action.

00:43:30.200 Were you driven by that action?

00:43:31.780 No.

00:43:32.100 I didn't ask for it.

00:43:33.140 I'm going to go get my CIB or get my medal for it to kill.

00:43:37.520 No.

00:43:38.040 Never done that.

00:43:38.720 Everybody SF knows who I am.

00:43:41.160 I don't worry patches, stuff like that, unless they force me.

00:43:46.140 When I go come, even now, when I walk someplace, I'm always conscious, 360.

00:43:51.400 Even today?

00:43:52.140 Even today.

00:43:52.900 Where do you sit in the restaurant?

00:43:53.980 Do you sit in a specific place in the restaurant?

00:43:55.740 Yes.

00:43:55.760 Restaurant, I will not sit in the front or in the middle.

00:43:59.180 I sit behind my bag in the wall.

00:44:01.560 Back against the wall.

00:44:02.540 Got to.

00:44:03.020 That's amazing how that stays.

00:44:04.720 I got to.

00:44:05.000 Even I go, even I was top to Humvee with the 240s or 50 cal, we didn't have those block

00:44:11.620 Humvee coming up, you know, those cover.

00:44:14.160 No.

00:44:14.940 No, we didn't have that.

00:44:16.120 When I was in Afghanistan, we didn't have it.

00:44:18.440 But always, I was watching myself back in the 360, watching.

00:44:21.720 Because I was training Karzai, detailed.

00:44:25.740 We have the convoy, take the students to the range, fire, there's a combat zone.

00:44:30.440 Going back to the A-team part, what was it like being part of the A-team?

00:44:35.120 First of all, I mean, how does somebody become part of the A-team?

00:44:37.360 I know Special Forces, you have to be, you can't just say, I want to go be Special Forces.

00:44:41.200 There's an extreme training process.

00:44:44.000 Ranger School is its own school.

00:44:45.500 Airborne School is its own school.

00:44:47.020 Sears is its own Special Forces.

00:44:49.760 How long, Special Forces, eight weeks or 12 weeks?

00:44:52.100 The selection is one month.

00:44:54.540 After your selection, you have to know your MOS.

00:44:58.460 MOS depends the MOS.

00:45:00.140 The longest MOS in a Special Forces is a very critical medic.

00:45:03.600 That's the one where they say, they stab a cow in the heart and they say, you have to

00:45:07.720 make sure the cow doesn't die.

00:45:09.120 Goat.

00:45:09.760 Goat.

00:45:10.320 Goat is the one they do.

00:45:11.280 Yeah.

00:45:11.820 Yes.

00:45:12.320 I was a medic before, but I couldn't handle the medical terminology.

00:45:15.960 I couldn't, I couldn't pass it.

00:45:18.300 I was afraid.

00:45:19.340 So I changed my MOS to A-team.

00:45:21.600 It was, used to be 11 Bravo, 11, 12 Bravo.

00:45:24.860 Weapons heavy, light and heavy.

00:45:27.280 You ask me about them, A-team.

00:45:29.220 A-team is a place not for everybody.

00:45:31.660 When you finish the selection, finish your MOSs, you come to A-team as a young E-5, E-4

00:45:39.400 team sergeant, train you.

00:45:41.960 You have to listen what he's saying to you.

00:45:44.500 You just don't go, depends, depends the situation is, you just don't go to combat, shooting.

00:45:50.940 No.

00:45:51.860 He's testing you.

00:45:52.920 So each MOSs, each A-team, they speak foreign languages.

00:45:58.780 Every one.

00:45:59.500 Every one of them.

00:46:00.200 Every one, they speak one languages, like Farsi, Arabic, Chinese.

00:46:05.740 And those languages, like fifth group, most speak Farsi, Dari, Arabic, because we belong

00:46:12.240 to Middle East.

00:46:13.680 Seventh group, most speak Spanish, Italians.

00:46:16.740 And third group, they speak Sahulis from Africa and Arabic, because they belong to Africa.

00:46:25.280 Ten group, the most speak Russians, German, French.

00:46:31.160 Those people speak that, yes.

00:46:32.740 Interesting.

00:46:33.120 And for first group, everybody speak Chinese.

00:46:38.860 Not everybody.

00:46:40.140 Like one Chinese, one speak Tagala, one speak Thai, one speak, yes.

00:46:45.860 Asia is where it's at.

00:46:47.040 Any Asian language, they speak those languages, yes.

00:46:50.580 The good thing about A-team is nobody comes to you as a team member, 12 men, supervise you.

00:46:56.640 They give you opportunity to prove yourself.

00:47:00.580 When you ask me, Cengiz, I want you to watch this book for me for 10 hours.

00:47:06.200 It's not to come here, I'm drinking whiskey or coffee, and don't pay attention to the task

00:47:12.520 you gave me to do that.

00:47:14.220 So that's good about the A-team.

00:47:15.640 Everybody understand, everybody help each other in the team.

00:47:20.640 Every watching job.

00:47:21.660 We have one captain, one war officer, and we have 10 enlisted.

00:47:25.900 The E-8 team sergeant, he runs the team.

00:47:28.780 And everybody has to listen to him, even captain, war officers.

00:47:31.740 So rank doesn't matter in the A-team?

00:47:33.260 In A-team, no.

00:47:34.300 I like that.

00:47:35.020 That's why we don't, we call it.

00:47:36.220 So no one pulls rank on the A-team?

00:47:37.620 No, they call me Cengiz.

00:47:38.860 That's why they call me Cengiz.

00:47:40.340 And A-team, you guys had mustaches.

00:47:42.480 You didn't dress up the same as everybody else?

00:47:44.900 Not anymore.

00:47:46.080 They used to be like that.

00:47:47.120 Got it.

00:47:47.440 But now, when you go to different countries, you see it.

00:47:50.040 Yes, we're grooming standard.

00:47:53.100 We bear long hair, like Afghanistan.

00:47:55.800 I was Africa.

00:47:56.600 I was a fifth group.

00:47:58.140 Middle East, we do stuff to blend in.

00:48:01.500 But we're coming back.

00:48:02.580 It used to be four years ago, but now, because they changed it.

00:48:06.660 But when you go to different countries, yes, you don't understand that.

00:48:09.760 You know, the biggest difference you notice from Special Forces Iran training versus Special

00:48:14.400 Forces here training?

00:48:15.400 Oh, totally different.

00:48:16.340 What's the difference?

00:48:17.020 What's the difference is, the better equipment here.

00:48:19.780 Equipment.

00:48:20.560 Equipment.

00:48:21.160 Got it.

00:48:21.840 Better classes.

00:48:23.840 Better technique.

00:48:25.180 That's what we learned from fifth group.

00:48:27.440 We have a lot of American technique.

00:48:29.480 Philosophy.

00:48:30.100 A lot of American philosophy technique in Iran.

00:48:32.580 When I was being recruited to Special Forces, 18 Delta, fifth group, which was right down

00:48:38.040 the street from 326, my colonel was Colonel P. Cox at the time and Fulbert.

00:48:43.320 And I went there.

00:48:44.400 They said, you know, best thing you want to do is go talk to some other Special Forces

00:48:48.160 and talk to them.

00:48:49.360 That's true.

00:48:49.660 So I didn't understand that initially.

00:48:51.060 I'm like, listen, you want me.

00:48:52.440 Like, I was like, I'm going to be a super soldier.

00:48:54.420 I work out.

00:48:55.180 I'm strong.

00:48:55.780 I'm going to be, I speak languages.

00:48:57.220 I was the typical cocky 19 year old, right?

00:48:59.980 Correct.

00:49:00.180 Like, I'm going to come and help you take over the world.

00:49:02.260 So, no, go talk to other Special Forces.

00:49:04.380 So I started talking to them.

00:49:05.520 So many times the topic of marriage came up.

00:49:07.840 Exactly.

00:49:08.260 So I'm like, why are you talking to me about marriage?

00:49:10.140 They would say, hey, private soldier, let me ask you.

00:49:12.760 That was an E4 at the time.

00:49:14.120 Do you ever want to get married and have kids and have a family?

00:49:17.040 Yeah, of course.

00:49:17.900 Never become Special Forces.

00:49:19.200 Reason.

00:49:19.860 I said, why?

00:49:20.960 And they would say, just, it's not going to work out.

00:49:23.140 I'm on my fourth marriage.

00:49:24.360 I'm on my third marriage.

00:49:25.580 I'm on my fifth marriage.

00:49:26.600 I've been married five times.

00:49:27.740 I've been married three times.

00:49:28.820 That's true, though.

00:49:29.300 So you've never been married until you were 62.

00:49:32.900 Correct.

00:49:33.320 And you said at 62, you met a Native American woman who is your wife now.

00:49:38.440 And you said, I think at 62, it's time for me to settle down.

00:49:40.960 That's right.

00:49:41.340 How do you view marriage?

00:49:42.380 Okay.

00:49:42.640 People like me, the Special Forces, you always deploy and you leave your wife

00:49:46.820 behind nine, ten months a year and kids.

00:49:51.280 She understands, but not that much.

00:49:53.520 She gets tired of it.

00:49:55.220 Because women need the men be close to her.

00:49:58.380 Maybe not 24 hours a day, but has to be close to family, especially the kids.

00:50:03.800 So the Special Forces unit is hard.

00:50:07.380 Nine months is a long time.

00:50:08.500 Long time.

00:50:09.160 I was going 11 months a year.

00:50:11.880 So you're on the road.

00:50:13.560 24.

00:50:14.400 Yes, sir.

00:50:15.280 Deployed.

00:50:15.980 Yes.

00:50:16.580 You just got married.

00:50:17.320 Yes.

00:50:17.960 Congratulations.

00:50:18.640 Thank you.

00:50:19.300 So how old are you now, if you don't mind me asking?

00:50:21.940 I'm 68.

00:50:23.020 You're 68.

00:50:23.920 Yes, sir.

00:50:24.780 So 10 years ago, you were still going and doing, when Black Hawk Down happened, you were 58?

00:50:29.140 Yes, yes.

00:50:29.240 I was hardcore.

00:50:30.660 You were 58?

00:50:31.640 Yes.

00:50:32.260 I was hardcore.

00:50:33.220 I was bad.

00:50:35.780 People could not touch me.

00:50:37.380 I'm not kidding you.

00:50:38.680 Wow.

00:50:39.280 I was on the beard that long.

00:50:40.980 I show my beard.

00:50:41.820 I saw the picture.

00:50:43.040 I saw the picture.

00:50:43.900 I was doing...

00:50:44.360 You had blood all over your head in the picture.

00:50:46.420 And that's right after the whole thing happened.

00:50:48.320 Oh, yes.

00:50:48.940 I did.

00:50:49.440 I did.

00:50:50.100 I was jogging.

00:50:51.200 I'm comboing.

00:50:52.320 Oh, man.

00:50:52.900 Changis, are you a pretty sentimental guy?

00:50:54.880 Are you the guy that gets emotional and you go back thinking history, thinking family,

00:50:59.240 thinking Iran or not really?

00:51:00.420 You're pretty emotionally steady.

00:51:02.220 I am emotionally, yes.

00:51:03.460 I'm sensitive.

00:51:04.720 To what?

00:51:05.100 To people tell me, you're a terrorist.

00:51:07.320 I told people, I said, this terrorist, fight for your freedom and still fighting and fight

00:51:14.020 for my freedom also.

00:51:15.920 It's very obvious those comments bother you.

00:51:17.640 The camel comments, those comments.

00:51:19.100 Oh, they call me camel jockey.

00:51:20.840 They call me in-world.

00:51:22.840 First, I fought a lot.

00:51:25.340 But you're black belt.

00:51:26.440 Well, yes.

00:51:27.060 I was a good boxer, too.

00:51:29.160 Since 10, more than 15 years, I just, forgiveness for me is key.

00:51:37.400 Because I just, if I get fight, upset myself, I just killing myself.

00:51:43.500 It doesn't worth it.

00:51:44.720 How do you view the Shah?

00:51:46.800 What's your memories or just idea of the Shah?

00:51:51.000 What do you think about it?

00:51:51.520 The Shah was good.

00:51:52.880 He went too fast, put it this way.

00:51:54.460 The Shah first had one bag of gold, give it to his general, pass it out.

00:52:01.420 But the end, nothing left.

00:52:03.840 What I'm saying by that, that means he trusts everybody, but he did not listen to people

00:52:09.180 that have more knowledge than him.

00:52:11.040 Who should he have listened to?

00:52:12.160 Any specific names?

00:52:13.280 He told him something about the revolution.

00:52:16.060 He didn't listen to him about Khomeini.

00:52:17.740 No, that's what I'm saying.

00:52:18.660 That's my point is.

00:52:19.560 You have to take Khomeini more serious.

00:52:21.220 He says he's not.

00:52:21.840 He's too old.

00:52:22.280 He's going to die and we don't have to worry about it.

00:52:23.980 So he should have listened there.

00:52:25.140 He should listen to him.

00:52:26.040 Do you think he got a little too confident, a little too confident about what was happening

00:52:30.020 in Iran?

00:52:30.560 Too confidence?

00:52:31.600 The interview with BBC.

00:52:33.000 Do you remember that?

00:52:33.540 The blue-eyed people?

00:52:34.540 The brown-eyed peoples are teaching the blue-eyed peoples something.

00:52:39.040 Is that?

00:52:39.320 Well, no, really, we are not teaching something.

00:52:44.040 The blue-eyed people have to wake up.

00:52:47.760 Wake up too?

00:52:49.420 From their complacency for this torpor in which they put themselves by taking maybe too many

00:52:58.240 sleeping pills.

00:52:59.320 And he said Iran in the next 5, 10, 15, 20 years is going to be one of the top five

00:53:05.020 empires in the world.

00:53:05.980 He was wrong.

00:53:06.680 He was wrong.

00:53:07.200 It was because he was too confident.

00:53:08.900 You have to work into it.

00:53:10.540 Say he didn't take that approach.

00:53:12.500 What should he have done with Khomeini?

00:53:14.080 Say he listened to Majid.

00:53:15.580 What should he have done to Khomeini?

00:53:16.620 He's in Paris.

00:53:17.540 Okay, he should not bring Khomeini.

00:53:19.100 Actually, he didn't bring Khomeini back.

00:53:20.660 He didn't?

00:53:21.260 No.

00:53:21.540 He got exiled.

00:53:22.220 He got...

00:53:22.660 Foreign country brought him back.

00:53:24.680 Shah got exiled.

00:53:26.200 That's why he shouldn't have left the country.

00:53:27.960 He shouldn't have left the country?

00:53:29.080 He knew he was going to die.

00:53:30.680 Shah should stay in Iran.

00:53:32.740 Even if he dies?

00:53:33.680 Even if he died.

00:53:34.620 He didn't die in his country.

00:53:35.620 He died in Asia.

00:53:36.680 Shah should not have left the country.

00:53:38.960 His son right now with the...

00:53:40.640 D.C.

00:53:41.540 D.C. right now.

00:53:42.360 What do you think about him?

00:53:43.060 I don't know.

00:53:43.800 He's a smart guy.

00:53:45.160 What he's doing?

00:53:46.320 He just talks.

00:53:47.300 What should he be doing?

00:53:48.640 My opinion, he should grasp people, like old guys, like you said, military.

00:53:55.320 They are here, exiled to America, get together, have a good plan, get a good plan to build

00:54:01.940 Iran again.

00:54:03.080 Do you think he has to listen to the older people or they're not?

00:54:05.620 Because, you know, sometimes the older people are afraid of giving them direct feedback because

00:54:10.060 they're kind of at the phase of life is good.

00:54:12.180 It's about forgiveness.

00:54:13.540 My grandkids.

00:54:14.620 I want to play different life.

00:54:15.740 It's a different situation, forgiveness.

00:54:18.460 Forgiveness.

00:54:19.220 You give forgiveness to people that deserve it.

00:54:21.500 You know what I'm saying, though.

00:54:22.240 You know what I'm saying.

00:54:22.900 Yes, I do.

00:54:23.580 But you don't give forgiveness to those barbarian in Iran and forgiveness to people Arab from

00:54:31.040 Saudi Arabia.

00:54:32.520 Okay?

00:54:32.860 They're killing each other.

00:54:34.280 They're killing Iranians, too.

00:54:35.760 Those forgiveness is not forgiveness.

00:54:37.740 Those people have to be...

00:54:39.420 You believe that?

00:54:40.440 Yes.

00:54:41.020 So you believe that something needs to be done to the people that cost the half a million

00:54:45.660 lives of Iraqis and Iranians?

00:54:47.100 You better believe it.

00:54:48.100 And you think he can lead something like that?

00:54:49.760 Yes, because he killed half a million Iranian kids.

00:54:52.880 Saddam Hussein.

00:54:53.300 Yes.

00:54:54.080 Saddam Hussein, he was another worst people.

00:54:57.640 We killed him.

00:54:58.400 You know who found Saddam Hussein?

00:54:59.900 Hmm.

00:55:00.240 Fifth group and some Delta guys.

00:55:02.300 Do you know how much money, brand new dollar, hundred bill dollars in the boxes, the duffel

00:55:08.480 bag?

00:55:08.940 I see that, but I couldn't touch it because it wasn't belong to me.

00:55:12.440 Let me ask you.

00:55:13.660 One time I'm sitting down talking to a guy and he said, do you know why America has to

00:55:21.500 be very careful when they go against the extremists in the Middle East?

00:55:24.760 I said, why?

00:55:25.860 He says, because Christians believe in forgiveness, they don't believe in forgiveness.

00:55:29.780 They're going to retaliate.

00:55:31.260 So if you're going against somebody like that, you can't play that same game with them.

00:55:35.260 Does that make sense?

00:55:36.080 Like you can't go saying, oh, it's okay.

00:55:37.800 Let him go.

00:55:38.360 It's okay.

00:55:38.920 Forgive him.

00:55:39.380 It's okay.

00:55:39.940 Forgive him.

00:55:40.380 It's okay.

00:55:40.980 Forgive him.

00:55:41.620 Meanwhile, they keep attacking, attacking, infiltrating.

00:55:44.260 Do you think his son, Reza Pallavi, you're saying, okay, one, go and talk to the older generals

00:55:49.140 and bring them together.

00:55:50.400 There's some here in the U.S. that are still around.

00:55:52.400 Not a lot of them.

00:55:53.240 Some of them are still around.

00:55:53.800 Some of them, yes.

00:55:54.540 If you are going to infiltrate, don't you need to, isn't it going to get ugly before

00:55:58.400 it gets better?

00:55:59.100 Like, I don't think Iran's going to be a peaceful revolution if it ever goes back.

00:56:02.740 Relating people from Iran, I'm talking about, grab something.

00:56:06.720 It's right now very hard to them.

00:56:09.460 Let it go.

00:56:10.180 You know how many of those Mullah last presidents took the money out from Iran, brought to America,

00:56:16.800 their family, steal money, went to Venezuela?

00:56:20.880 One of the richest people in the world.

00:56:22.220 Yes.

00:56:22.520 Yes.

00:56:23.000 So are you saying the name that I'm thinking?

00:56:25.320 Yes.

00:56:25.940 He took $65 billion.

00:56:27.400 Yes.

00:56:27.880 That's exactly him.

00:56:29.340 His sons have the money.

00:56:30.500 Correct.

00:56:31.080 Correct.

00:56:31.480 Took your money, my money, even if I'm not living there.

00:56:34.060 You're not living there.

00:56:34.380 What can you do, though?

00:56:35.060 What can you do with that today?

00:56:36.380 Well, they should stop them.

00:56:38.060 Even Shah's sons should listen to young people like you, educate people, educate like you.

00:56:44.980 Listen, man.

00:56:45.700 Those people cannot breathe in Iran.

00:56:48.360 When I came here, a dollar was seven to a man.

00:56:51.100 Seven to a man.

00:56:51.740 I was about to say seven to a man.

00:56:53.280 You took the words out of my mind.

00:56:54.360 Thank you.

00:56:54.700 My dad waited till 89, and when he came, it was already done.

00:56:58.740 It was too expensive.

00:56:59.500 But today, from seven to a man to 14,000 to a man.

00:57:02.720 It's unbelievable.

00:57:04.320 Who's going to benefit?

00:57:05.260 They're going to benefit.

00:57:06.080 So you do think there's a possibility to create a revolution?

00:57:08.300 Always a possibility.

00:57:09.140 Okay.

00:57:09.400 Always a possibility to move better places.

00:57:12.700 You know, we have a lot of Iranians that watch Valuetainment.

00:57:15.260 Good.

00:57:15.620 From Iran.

00:57:16.280 Under, underground.

00:57:17.660 Say I'm in Iran right now.

00:57:18.700 I'm a younger generation.

00:57:19.820 Right.

00:57:20.180 What should I be doing?

00:57:21.240 Like, if I'm watching and saying, this guy kind of makes sense.

00:57:23.640 What should I be doing if I'm a 17, 18, 19, 20-year-old over there?

00:57:28.360 Don't give up.

00:57:29.380 Get friends together.

00:57:30.720 Trust each other.

00:57:31.760 Have a good plan.

00:57:32.940 Because these days, technology, awesome.

00:57:36.140 You can go to Google it.

00:57:38.580 Find out escape.

00:57:40.800 Find out shooting technique.

00:57:42.400 You're going that deep.

00:57:43.660 So you're talking militia.

00:57:45.340 Yes.

00:57:46.140 That's how far you're going.

00:57:47.360 Why not?

00:57:48.080 When I spoke to Reza Pahlavi one time, the son.

00:57:51.460 Right.

00:57:51.620 I think we were in D.C. at an Italian restaurant.

00:57:54.320 We had a meeting together with him for a few hours.

00:57:56.120 He said his plans were a peaceful revolution.

00:57:58.760 Do you think it is possible for Iran to have a revolution to be peaceful?

00:58:02.180 How can it be peaceful?

00:58:03.800 If you remember, Sabah was on in Iran, correct?

00:58:06.240 Now look at every person in the Khomeini's revolution.

00:58:11.360 They're dying for money.

00:58:13.480 So they get paid good.

00:58:15.520 So who's suffering?

00:58:16.480 Those people, students, women, kids.

00:58:20.420 To me, it cannot be peaceful because it cannot be peaceful.

00:58:25.380 It has to be something.

00:58:26.520 Destroy at least 50,000, 60,000 people get killed one day in whole Iran, only Tehran.

00:58:32.680 Then people put their weapons down.

00:58:34.580 See, that's why I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon because someone has

00:58:38.800 to take the responsibility of 50,000, 60,000 lives.

00:58:42.040 And whoever takes that responsibility, the 50,000, 60,000 lives, you're not necessarily

00:58:45.420 a hero to do something like that.

00:58:46.640 No, no.

00:58:47.240 It's a very ugly situation to be in.

00:58:49.340 It is.

00:58:49.540 But it's not going to be hero things because killing people is no good, in my opinion.

00:58:55.060 But when time comes, you want to change a revolution.

00:58:58.420 As you know history, I didn't see, I didn't read any history, revolution was peacefully.

00:59:04.900 Yeah.

00:59:05.180 Your opinion on Khomeini.

00:59:06.300 What is your opinion on Khomeini?

00:59:07.380 I know you said something where you had a hard time with religious zealots.

00:59:10.700 My dad told me, told us, he was very open-minded, do not trust these priests, Mullahs, at all.

00:59:17.540 Your dad would tell you that?

00:59:18.560 Oh, yes, I swear to God.

00:59:20.140 Wow.

00:59:20.560 At all, do not, because they are not real people.

00:59:24.200 That's why I'm not religious, man.

00:59:25.740 I don't, you know, I respect everybody religious.

00:59:28.480 Yes, I do.

00:59:29.200 You were the first Muslim special force?

00:59:31.060 Yes, nobody.

00:59:32.040 That's correct.

00:59:32.640 You were the first Muslim special force?

00:59:33.860 I'm the first Muslim.

00:59:34.880 Iranian.

00:59:35.380 Yes, I'm the first Iranian Muslim American.

00:59:39.120 Actually, I'm American for this, okay?

00:59:41.240 In the A-team, special forces.

00:59:43.680 And I'm the first American history, Green Beret, stay in the A-team, 20 years.

00:59:48.980 No break.

00:59:49.720 That's amazing to me.

00:59:50.920 No break.

00:59:51.380 That's amazing.

00:59:51.880 That's longstanding how long you went.

00:59:54.080 I broke every bone in my body.

00:59:56.040 That makes sense why you didn't get married.

00:59:57.400 Because I was gone.

00:59:58.340 I love this country.

00:59:59.440 I love the people I work with it.

01:00:00.920 I never put them down.

01:00:02.300 I got, they put me down, a couple of them.

01:00:05.440 But you learned how to make friends with them.

01:00:07.200 Oh, big time.

01:00:07.840 Your opinion on Khomeini.

01:00:09.120 The thing about that, this guy was 80 years old, come to Iran, even cannot talk.

01:00:16.020 I see his pictures many times, videos.

01:00:18.980 How much he knows about the politics.

01:00:23.000 Only thing he knew, in my opinion, I'm wrong about religion.

01:00:27.080 Okay, he knows.

01:00:28.520 Okay.

01:00:29.060 You can read a lot about religion.

01:00:32.240 Get yourself educated these days.

01:00:34.220 How did 9 million people follow, though?

01:00:36.680 Because they forced them.

01:00:38.960 They forced people.

01:00:39.720 You can't force 9 million people to go out there.

01:00:42.300 I mean, I remember a speech he gave.

01:00:44.120 He said, Iran has so much money.

01:00:46.000 The Shah is so rich.

01:00:47.000 If you make me your president, your leader, I'm going to give you free rice, free food,

01:00:51.740 free drinks, free house, free this, free that.

01:00:54.040 How?

01:00:54.480 But he said it, and they fell for it.

01:00:56.860 But because the forced people, like I said, every other Iranian, the undercover cop, maybe

01:01:03.760 I'm wrong, but you have a lot.

01:01:05.600 They get money more, or fraud, a lot of fraud in Iran.

01:01:08.900 You know it.

01:01:09.420 Here, too, but it's a different way.

01:01:12.420 A lot of fraud in Iran.

01:01:13.640 I haven't been there for 44 years.

01:01:15.680 You haven't gone there for 44 years?

01:01:17.260 Yeah, I never.

01:01:18.160 Didn't you go there to the embassy right after Jimmy Carter when you went to Lebanon?

01:01:21.760 Jimmy Carter, yes, but it was three weeks.

01:01:23.780 Yeah, but you went to Tehran for three weeks.

01:01:25.820 Nobody knew me then.

01:01:27.120 Right.

01:01:27.400 You were a spy when you went there.

01:01:28.700 Yeah, you went in 88.

01:01:29.720 What?

01:01:29.940 You went 81, right?

01:01:31.100 You went 80 right outside of the embassy.

01:01:33.660 Embassy, right.

01:01:34.500 When I, okay, this is a story.

01:01:36.220 When I read the letter to President Carter.

01:01:38.480 Can I read the letter?

01:01:39.520 Yeah, sure.

01:01:39.700 I want to read the letter you wrote to President Carter.

01:01:41.340 Yeah, please.

01:01:42.040 Dear President Carter, my name is Sergeant Changis Lahiji, and I am an Iranian native serving

01:01:47.320 in Special Forces, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

01:01:49.260 Please give me permission to choose an A-team and deploy to Iran to free American hostages.

01:01:54.200 I know the area well and used to play soccer at the stadium across the country.

01:01:57.340 Across the street from the U.S. Embassy.

01:01:58.760 Correct.

01:01:59.060 With your approval and support, I am sure I can come up with a plan that will succeed.

01:02:03.380 Please don't say no.

01:02:04.840 That's why I did.

01:02:05.540 Honestly, God's truth.

01:02:07.100 That's why I did.

01:02:07.800 That's why I did.

01:02:08.800 They waited a little bit longer.

01:02:10.260 And they said, let me get back to you.

01:02:11.980 Let us get back to you.

01:02:13.320 Just like that, when I was a contractor, when I spotted Bin Laden, 2002, went to Tora Bora,

01:02:21.620 came back to the embassy, he was offering $25 million.

01:02:25.080 I don't care about that money, you know.

01:02:28.080 He's around here.

01:02:29.980 Well, we get back with you.

01:02:31.240 Because we didn't want it.

01:02:32.800 We didn't want it.

01:02:34.040 Rather than Bin Laden that time, 2002, we had a mission in Afghanistan.

01:02:39.740 Not only Bin Laden, a lot of things.

01:02:41.340 We had to be close to Iran, close to Azerbaijan, close to Russia.

01:02:44.920 Because Afghanistan country is a very, very important land for our interest.

01:02:52.500 Even Iran is.

01:02:53.700 You said CIA is the one that influenced Khomeini.

01:02:57.760 And I've read that in many, many different places.

01:02:59.500 You're not the first person that says this.

01:03:01.120 Right.

01:03:01.320 Isn't CIA linked to Carter at the time?

01:03:04.740 And I know it's two different agencies, but still the commander-in-chief at the time was Carter.

01:03:08.980 What's your opinion on President Carter?

01:03:10.840 President Carter is, I met him personally, I was his detail in Sudan, Darfur.

01:03:16.660 He's a pretty calm guy.

01:03:18.000 He is smart.

01:03:19.200 Very smart.

01:03:20.480 Brilliant.

01:03:21.360 Very smart.

01:03:23.000 So, what I like about him is he's not rushing to go kill people.

01:03:28.220 Okay, do it.

01:03:29.820 He's thinking.

01:03:30.680 Do you think a part of that, the fact that he moved slow, also caused Iran to get out of control?

01:03:35.260 Correct.

01:03:35.480 Because you know that part where he didn't help the Shah as much as he could.

01:03:38.040 Because the moment he left on December 31st, New Year's Eve, he left six days later, the revolution started.

01:03:43.980 Example, like President Obama pulled the troops out from Iraq too soon.

01:03:49.840 ISIS came.

01:03:50.540 You don't do that.

01:03:51.440 Look at how much it costs us taxpayer money for this stupid war.

01:03:55.600 You think, so Carter had some influence with the Iranian revolution?

01:03:58.840 Falling.

01:03:59.780 Falling.

01:04:00.260 The empire falling after the Shah.

01:04:01.900 Did he influence that?

01:04:03.240 I think so, yes.

01:04:04.240 I think so, he did.

01:04:05.040 The problem was Shah, he shouldn't have left the country, like I said before.

01:04:09.200 He did, and he wasn't getting any help though.

01:04:11.100 He asked for a while though.

01:04:13.060 No, they helped him because CIA, America wants the Iran revolution change something.

01:04:18.240 Because the more it happens, the more control they have over oil.

01:04:20.680 If Iran is more stable, it seems like the more stable Iran is, the less control people can have over Middle East and OPEC and politics, all that stuff.

01:04:28.500 You got it.

01:04:29.040 So the more issues there is there, the easier it is to be able to control oil prices, all these other things.

01:04:34.880 Correct.

01:04:35.240 But, I mean, look, it's a very fascinating topic to me because, again, I was born, I lived there for 10 years.

01:04:41.960 I'd like to want to be able to take my kids back to Iran for them to say, here's Khayabana Hojat, this is where your daddy, okay, here's a school Gulbenkian, this is where your daddy went to school.

01:04:50.580 Right, right, right, right.

01:04:51.140 Here's Parki Shahan Shahi, this is why I rode the skateboard and fell on my back.

01:04:55.360 That's right.

01:04:55.760 Here's, you know, Caspian Sea, Bandar Pahlavi, this is why I used to go eat caviar.

01:04:59.980 You know, here's, I don't want to be able to, the only.

01:05:02.140 I hope someday, trust me, someday.

01:05:03.880 I hope someday, too.

01:05:04.960 I hope someday, too.

01:05:05.960 And I think today with the tools we have on social media, I think it's more doable today than ever before.

01:05:10.460 Yes.

01:05:10.680 I think it was 2012 where Iran was number one in the world with women bloggers.

01:05:16.920 Oh.

01:05:17.580 Women bloggers, writers.

01:05:19.200 So the amount of influence they have with writing, sharing their opinions today, they're on Instagram, they're active, it's higher than it's ever been before.

01:05:25.540 Thank you so much for your time.

01:05:26.860 Thank you for coming and being a guest on Valuetainment.

01:05:28.620 My pleasure.

01:05:28.640 Truly.

01:05:29.120 Thanks, everybody, for listening.

01:05:30.380 And by the way, if you haven't already subscribed to Valuetainment on iTunes, please do so.

01:05:35.000 Give us a five-star.

01:05:36.420 Write a review if you haven't already.

01:05:37.760 And if you have any questions for me that you may have, you can always find me on Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube.

01:05:43.960 Just search my name, Patrick MidDavid.

01:05:45.880 And I actually do respond back when you snap me or send me a message on Instagram.

01:05:50.840 With that being said, have a great day today.

01:05:52.580 Take care, everybody.

01:05:53.300 Bye-bye.

01:05:55.180 Bye-bye.

Valuetainment - March 14, 2019

Episode 281： Iran & US Special Forces Talks About the Iranian Revolution

Episode Stats

Length

Words per Minute

Word Count

Sentence Count

Misogynist Sentences

Hate Speech Sentences

Summary

Transcript