If you notice any errors in the translations, remember:
"In the Legion, of the 144 languages, there is only one language: understanding each other."
Edito from PYC
THE POPE AND THE IMAGINARY EMPIRE
By Louis Perez y Cid
Talking about the Pope on a Legion website might seem surprising.
And yet, in the Legion, no major ceremony begins or ends without a Mass.
Between the silence of arms and the sacred word, there is no contradiction, but rather an age-old tradition. It is from this balance that certain words, even those from the distant past, find a particular resonance here.
Sometimes, a single sentence uttered on a television set is enough to bring an entire century back to life.
In recent days, during a debate, some have seen in the verbal tension between the Pope and the President of the United States an echo of another confrontation, that which pitted John Paul II against the Soviet Union.
The image is striking. It is even reassuring. A Pope, a power, a moral voice facing an empire. And, at the end of the story, the promise of a fall.
But history doesn't repeat itself at the behest of the media.
After all, what are we comparing?...Read more...
Views of the Elders
The Legion Unvarnished 2
By Christian Morisot
Old age is, as everyone knows, the twilight of life. It is now or never, not to write one's will, but to pass on a written legacy, drawing on the memories and "eclipses" that have marked our lives. For us, legionnaires, it is also the time to take stock of these years spent in service to the Institution, which occupied the greater part of our youth.
One observation is inescapable: we are the heirs of these veterans with their remarkable destinies. In all objectivity, and without wishing to tarnish the image of this magnificent Institution, we simply wish to present—without naivety—certain aspects little known or obscured by the writers who have recounted the history of the Legion.
The motivation for such a sharing is clear: to draw upon the writings accumulated during our service to reveal, subtly woven throughout, reflections and lived anecdotes. For if no other military corps has so captivated the popular imagination, we, the living witnesses, are its only remaining witnesses. Currently, our website primarily reflects the reactions of foreign officers, although it is open to all veterans—as our comrade Michel Gravereau demonstrates to us each week.
In reality, the Legion is composed of men fleeing their countries or who have reached their breaking point—a common stereotype—but for a thousand other reasons, as there are as many motives as there are legionnaires. For many foreigners, whose national salary barely exceeds a few hundred euros, the pay, aligned with the French minimum wage, is a godsend. These young men, in excellent health, enlist and push their endurance to the extreme limits. All contribute to making the history of the Legion this dramatic and mysterious saga, of unparalleled exoticism... Read more...
Old age is, as everyone knows, the twilight of life. It is now or never, not to write one's will, but to pass on a written legacy, drawing on the memories and "eclipses" that have marked our lives. For us, legionnaires, it is also the time to take stock of these years spent in service to the Institution, which occupied the greater part of our youth.
One observation is inescapable: we are the heirs of these veterans with their remarkable destinies. In all objectivity, and without wishing to tarnish the image of this magnificent Institution, we simply wish to present—without naivety—certain aspects little known or obscured by the writers who have recounted the history of the Legion.
The motivation for such a sharing is clear: to draw upon the writings accumulated during our service to reveal, subtly woven throughout, reflections and lived anecdotes. For if no other military corps has so captivated the popular imagination, we, the living witnesses, are its only remaining witnesses. Currently, our website primarily reflects the reactions of foreign officers, although it is open to all veterans—as our comrade Michel Gravereau demonstrates to us each week.
In reality, the Legion is composed of men fleeing their countries or who have reached their breaking point—a common stereotype—but for a thousand other reasons, as there are as many motives as there are legionnaires. For many foreigners, whose national salary barely exceeds a few hundred euros, the pay, aligned with the French minimum wage, is a godsend. These young men, in excellent health, enlist and push their endurance to the extreme limits. All contribute to making the history of the Legion this dramatic and mysterious saga, of unparalleled exoticism... Read more...
Reflexions
Reflections on the Genesis of the Legion's Identity Celebration
By Antoine Marquet.
“Camerone is not a victory, it is loyalty.”
On April 30, 1863, under the relentless Mexican sun, in the small village of Camerone, a handful of legionnaires were about to write one of the most brilliant lessons in loyalty and military honor. Sixty men, commanded by Captain Jean Danjou, found themselves facing nearly two thousand combatants. The disparity in forces was such that the outcome was never in doubt. And yet, they held on. They held on to the very end, to the last cartridge, to their last breath.
The oath of a captain was already weaving the shroud for these men and would transform an obscure battle in the harsh, hot lands of Mexico into an epic destined to become world-renowned.
The battle that pitted some sixty brave legionnaires against two thousand Mexicans entered the annals of history, becoming the immortal Camerone.
Elevated to the status of myth, this battle was nonetheless very real, so intimately linked to the French Foreign Legion and the history of the French Army. It became the expression of a symbol of fierce resistance, to the very last breath of the last man: to achieve Camerone...Read more...
The oath of a captain was already weaving the shroud for these men and would transform an obscure battle in the harsh, hot lands of Mexico into an epic destined to become world-renowned.
The battle that pitted some sixty brave legionnaires against two thousand Mexicans entered the annals of history, becoming the immortal Camerone.
Elevated to the status of myth, this battle was nonetheless very real, so intimately linked to the French Foreign Legion and the history of the French Army. It became the expression of a symbol of fierce resistance, to the very last breath of the last man: to achieve Camerone...Read more...
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Literary Explorations
The Book of Camerone
By Louis Perez y Cid
Book by Alain Gandy, published by Presses de la Cité, 1995
As Camerone approaches, it seemed natural to pay tribute to the man as much as to the writer.
Alain Gandy was not only a renowned author, but above all a soldier with an unusual career. An officer who enlisted during the Battle of France in World War II, he later served in Indochina and then Algeria. It was there that he made a rare choice: to leave his officer's rank and enlist as a simple legionnaire.
This choice speaks volumes about the man.
He then continued his... Read more...
All this is happening above our heads
Managing the Passing Days
By Michel Gravereau
Marignan: 1515.
How many times have you been asked your date of birth?
Do you know anyone born on February 29th who only celebrates their birthday every four years?
We could go on with these kinds of questions for a long time, questions that relate to the passage of time inscribed on our calendars.
Speaking of which, our 28, 29, 30, or 31-day calendar, where does it come from, and isn't it the result of humanity's perpetual concern with knowing how to measure time?
The Romans.
More than 2,000 years ago, in 46 BC, Julius Caesar commissioned the Greek astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria to invent a calendar that would put an end to the enormous imperfections of the previous one, which, depending on the year, had 12 or 13 months. Indeed, it was based on the phases of the Moon, which renew themselves every 29.5 days. Thus, we had months of 29 and months of 30 days, totaling 354 days in the year.
To correspond with the seasons, it was necessary to add a thirteenth month every three years.
To achieve this, Sosigenes took the solar year, 365.25 days, and had the idea of dividing it into 12, alternating months of 30 and 31 days. Since February was the first month of the year for the Romans, it would only have 28 months. To reach 0.25 and align with the Sun, it was necessary to add a day every 4 years, hence the famous leap year... Read more...
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Légion’Arts is an independent publishing house created by former legionnaire artists: preserving and sharing the memory of the Foreign Legion through authentic, human, and inspiring works. Every legionnaire has a voice. With Légion’Arts, these stories become a collective memory, accessible to all.