EVERETT—Reza Ghandhari was recognized by Community Transit CEO Ric Ilgenfritz on January 2 for his 30 years of service with the public transit agency. Over his tenure, he received nine commendations, earned his million-mile driver badge, and is considered one of the agency’s highest performing drivers.
Ghandhari escaped certain death fleeing his birth-country of Iran after the Iranian Revolution deposed its monarch, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, which began the era of theocratic rule which survives to this day. The Iranian Revolution resulted in more than 50 Americans being held captive, known as the Iranian Hostage Crisis, which lasted for 444 days and was considered the greatest geopolitical defeat for former President Jimmy Carter.
Ghandhari was a pilot in the Iranian Navy and experienced combat in the 1980s flying missions for the new Islamic Republic of Iran led by Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini against Iraq which was led by Saddam Hussein who invaded Iran to gain control of the Shatt al-Arab river and the oil-rich province of Khuzestan. Iraq also feared that Iran would exploit sectarian tensions in Iraq by rallying the Shia majority against its Ba’athist government.
During the Iran-Iraq war’s eight years (1980 to 1988), an estimated half-a-million soldiers and over 100,000 civilians were killed with more than 4.7 million Iraqis fleeing to other countries.
“The government they got was not my favorite,” Ghandhari said.
After his squadron recovered a downed pilot during a search and rescue mission over the Persian Gulf, they fled to Saudi Arabia to escape the Iranian regime.
“We had 91 pilots in the Special Rescue Squadron. Of those people, maybe about seven or eight of us were left. I lost quite a bit of friends during the war,” Ghandhari said.
After being denied political asylum in Saudi Arabia, Ghandhari then flew to Egypt, led by US-backed Hosni Mubarak. From Egypt, Ghandhari was able to secure political asylum and enter the United States.
Prior to being a Coach Operator for Community Transit, Ghandhari worked for Boeing, the United States Post Office, and as an insurance agent.
He has been happily married for 45 years, has a daughter who is a dentist and a son who’s an attorney and works for the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General. He also lost a son in a car accident several years ago.
“I went through lots of ups and downs in my personal life and my life, but everything just went on and I’m so glad Community Transit is getting better and better,” Ghandhari said.
Author: Mario Lotmore
