Behind every soldier, there is a woman. A support base. A silent force.
Without her, the soldier's commitment would be much more difficult. She holds the line while he is on a mission.
Yet, her role remains too often invisible, reduced to support tasks, as if the essentials were self-evident.
This is the subject of Christian's text, which also mentions the Veterans' Associations, where many women keep the structures running: treasury, secretariat, organization, continuity. Their commitment is real, constant, and indispensable.
They are not in the background; they are often at the heart of it.
Without them, many Veterans' Associations would not function.
Louis Perez y Cid

By Christian Morisot

Discussion:
Absences pile up, and comments often fly, sometimes clumsily: "At least your husbands have job security! He's already back, how quickly did it go?" You knew it when you got married, etc…
Being a military wife means taking on her husband's job, come what may. It means accepting long deployments, frequent moves, weekend shifts and on-call duty, and leave rather than vacation time.
A true pillar of the family, the military wife learns selflessness and dedication. Yet, for her, nothing is easy; there are moments of doubt and breakdown, contrary to popular belief. Unless she lives in a geographically isolated location or can work from home, it's rare that she can't find work, often due to a transfer every two or three years…

Thus, the following are on the agenda:
• The experience of loneliness,
• The dreaded experience of giving birth alone,
• Repeated absences,
• Hardships,
• Constant worry,
• Low morale.

The Puyloubier Association of Former Legionnaires innovated by creating a "women's section," demonstrating its commitment to recognizing and celebrating the women and widows of former legionnaires.

From its inception, some self-righteous individuals, guardians of the traditions and customs practiced in the Foreign Legion, expressed their displeasure, noting with great annoyance that the women were taking up too much space and becoming overly involved in the Association's operations.

Looking back at the history of the Legion, it is true that there was a time when the uncertainty of the future prevented Legionnaires, exposed to countless dangers, from marrying. Back then, it was said that a married man couldn't be fully available and that he was bound to be a bad soldier…

But today, it must be acknowledged that this no longer holds true. Marriage undeniably provides balance, and wives know how to manage the most delicate situations and become fully operational, often perfectly complementing their husbands' faithful and honest sense of duty.

How could it be that today we overlook the essential role of military wives within their families? The family spirit expressed with pride and conviction in the Legion necessarily involves these legionnaires' wives who are part of it! A huge congratulations to the AALE of Aix and Sainte-Baume for this wonderful initiative! It's high time that certain staunch defenders of the past adapted and understood that they must live in the present, that the Legion of today, while respecting that of its predecessors, must evolve with the times—it's simply a matter of survival!

The Legion cannot remain merely an institution made up solely of men living amongst themselves, completely self-sufficient, where the "Chaplain's tent" takes on considerable, but ultimately questionable, importance!

In conclusion, I should also mention the children of legionnaires, but that's a whole other story that deserves further attention… To be continued!

"Against all odds…"