Seventy-eight-year-old Retired Corporal Siveniasi Rasaqiwa says he still recalls the night of September 9, 1978, when he was part of the first Fiji battalion to Lebanon ambushed by the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).

Mr Rasaqiwa joined the armed forces from 1971 until 2007, but was deployed to Lebanon at the age of 34 from June to December in 1978 amid the conflict between the Israeli forces and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).

“It became hard for us to stay in Lebanon and we faced hardships as we would see blood on the side of the streets where the bodies of deceased and wounded people lay. While inside, we could hear bombing overhead between the Israeli and PLO,” he said.

He said despite the challenges faced, the first battalion, with 30 personnel were able to fulfil their duties and return home.

“We were only shot at during the ambush on 9th of September 1978, at 9pm. We were on watch that night at the checkpoint and as we sat there, a bright light almost as bright as a moonlight shined on us and seated at the top were the PLO who ambushed us that night,” he said.

He said officers attempted desperately to try to take cover as their guns were stored in the gun pit.

“Their machine guns shot at us with countless bullets and then they fled. We checked to see and luckily no one was injured or shot, but the next morning we counted about 30 bullet shell casings at the site, and those were shot at 10 of our officers who survived,” he said.

“People prayed for our battalion before we left and I believe that is what saved us because we would have been wiped out during that ambush and I always remember that night of 9th of September 1978 even now that I am 78 years old; that encounter is still fresh in my mind.”

He said he now has five children, 17 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. He considered it a blessing to be part of the Remembrance Day celebration last week.

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