Here are some of the interesting items I’ve found this past month. …concerning the French Foreign Legion of course.
1. Classic Legion Personalities. Here is a neat article (in French) that helps identify some of the figures seen in this great photograph. It originally appeared on this website which also has several other categories of vintage black and white photographs.
2. My Afternoon with the French Foreign Legion. This article from the UK Spectator is short but interesting. Interesting comments below the article too.
3. General Christian Piquemal Arrested. I was not sure about posting this item but it was very discomforting to read what happened to this French General and former commander of the French Foreign Legion. Pequemal became a Lieutenant in 1962 and joined the Foreign Legion in the next year. He was a paratrooper in the 2nd Parachute Regiment (2REP) and served in North Africa and New Caledonia. He eventually became the commander of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment from 1985 to 1987 and later became the commander of the Foreign Legion 1994 to 1999. He was recently arrested for participating in a banned rally against the immigration situation in Calais and faces up to a year in prison.
It’s inconceivable to me, as an American, that French authorities can exercise such sweeping dictatorial powers to effectively squash nationalist protests such as this. I will insert my political opinion here and say —never trust Socialists! President Holland, using the extended state of emergency powers that was given to his government after the terrorist attacks in Paris in November, is now using these powers to keep the right wing elements in their place. One would think he would stay focused on defeating terrorism and not his political enemies.
4. Foreign Legion 2016. Here is a gem of a video that shows some English speaking legionnaires fooling around with a video cam and doing some impromptu introductions of the different nationalities one might find in the Legion. They were all in Mayotte and waiting to proceed on to France after “four months in hell”. Anyone who was in the military would appreciate the hi-jinks.
Mon Legionnaire 