Saudi father who lost his leg and his son to defend homeland

Jeddah — He stands tall and proud despite losing his leg and his son in defending the homeland. Hadi Hassan Assiri, a Saudi paratrooper, lost his leg during the Gulf War to liberate Kuwait 26 years ago. His son too enlisted in the army following the footsteps of his father. He was martyred in Jazan last year while defending his homeland. “I gave my soul to the homeland and now my son has given his own defending religion and the homeland in Jazan,” Assiri told Al Arabiya. He vividly remembers the day he lost his leg. “We entered Kuwait and I was a paratrooper in the Thunderbolt Brigade. We were the first to enter after the liberation of Kuwait,” Assiri told Al Arabiya. “We went to Saudi Embassy to raise the Saudi flag with five other colleagues. In the inner courtyard of the embassy there was an empty area of land full of mines planted by the enemy. One of the mines exploded killing my colleagues. I suffered an injury that led to the amputation of my right foot,” he recalled. “I had to retire because of my disability. But 26 years later my son enlisted in the ranks of the Saudi army to be among the defenders of this country, its people and its sanctities,” he said. On the death of his son, Assiri said: “My son sacrificed himself in the battlefield of Jazan during Ramadan last year. I am so proud of him and I pray that God protects this country from all turmoil”.