The only Iranian who served in the front during WWII was a bear. Polish soldiers who were stationed in Iran during WWII rescued an Iranian bear cub and became quite attached to it. When it was time for them to move to the war zone, they requested to take the bear with them. Apparently, the only way to do so was to enlist the bear with a complete name, rank, and serial number in the Allied forces. The bear moved with the soldiers, carried heavy mortar rounds, and took part in the Italian campaign. They named the bear Wojtek. After the war, the Polish soldiers didn’t know what to do with the bear, so it was sent to a zoo in Scotland. A Bronze statue commemorates the bear’s bravery and contribution to the Allied troops. The bear died of old age in the mid ’60s in the zoo.
