Legion Pulp: Taboo

Posted on July 15, 2022 by Jack Wagner

Here is a short novelette from Georges Surdez that appeared in the 15 October 1930 issue of Adventure Magazine. Like many of Surdez’s stories, he explores certain common military themes and situations but through the unique lenses, traditions and customs of the French Foreign Legion. In this story he again addresses the often tense relationship between new, inexperienced and often impertinent young officers and the old school, decorated, war forged, grizzled Legionnaires. It’s a situation most officers and senior NCO’s of any country’s military can relate to–that delicate task of the senior enlisted in training and mentoring the young shavetails for the difficult leadership tasks they will face ahead in their careers. There are often conflicts between the two strong willed soldiers and sometimes there are Anciens that simply confound the whole system and it takes a shooting war to sort things out.

Taboo

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Retired Army.

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2 Responses to Legion Pulp: Taboo

Irene says:

July 17, 2022 at 06:40

thank you, Jack. You may be interested in how this attempt to know Uncle Georges has opened so many doorsÂ connecting with family (this is a big family, there were, my best guess, 12 children though we are not sure). Some of Georges’ brothers were famous too:Edward Surdez…my great grandfather….head chef at The Plaza in 1906 after he and his wife,Elizabeth Conn Surdez, pregnant with my great Aunt Vi and with another little girl, my grandmother,survived the SF Earthquake. My great grandma…I knew her…and remember her vividly. She wasvegetable chef for the Gov of Bermuda. Those folk made a bÃ©chamel sauce to die for.Louis Surdez…aide to General Pershing and also a chef at The Waldorf.Leon Surdez….invented the Rum Omelet at Del MonicosÂ

They are written about in several books about famous Culinarians circa changeÂ of the century. We are a talented family. Thank you, Jack, for helping us catchup with it and giving me the courage to solve a crime in print….the death of my dad. God bless,Irene A. MasielloAuthor: PARADISE COSTS- A VICTIM’S DAUGHTER FIGHTSÂ BACKÂ Â AGAINST ELDER ABUSEAfterword: Bennett Blum, MD, internationally known forensic and geriatric psychiatristÂ andÂ author of the world famous work, “Suicide-by-Cop” available on Amazon

Â In 2009,Â Paradise CostsÂ was honored to be invited and included in the National Clearinghouse on Abuse & Neglect of the Elderly (CANE), the largest .gov site in the world dedicated to data-basing professional, academic and scholarly works on elder abuse and exploitation. Britain’s medical journal, THE LANCET, the most famous and oldest medical journal in the world states there will be 330-million victim’s of elder abuseÂ and elder exploitation across the world by 2050. #1 sign elder abuse is happening? ISOLATION (in person or on the phone) OF THE VICTIM FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS “Paradise CostsÂ is a tragic, true-life tale…Some of the people taking assets from the elderly have been tied to gang violence,Â prostitution and drug trafficking.Â Their elderly victims are often subjected to physical abuse, neglect, abandonment, sexual abuse and murder.”Â Â âBennett Blum, MD, internationally known forensic and geriatric psychiatrist and co-author of âSuicide-by-Copâ

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- Jack Wagner says:
  
  July 17, 2022 at 12:23
  
  Irene,
  
  Thanks for the update and book referrals. There is something about the French/Swiss and their cooking. During my trips there I never had a bad meal–even the gas station sandwiches used the best bread, ham, cheese and butter.
  
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