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Feature
Here Comes the Foreign Legion
A great French institution shows no signs of slowing down.
It was my first quatorze juillet in Paris. I followed the crowds over to the Champs Elysées to watch the traditional Bastille Day parade flow down the cobblestones from the Arc de Triomphe, and a splendid sight it was: the silver-helmeted Gardes Républicaines bobbing on horseback, the impeccably aligned army, navy, and air force companies, followed by the proud, self-conscious cadets of the military academies, all marching to some of the world’s most rousing martial music-when it comes to putting on a military pageant, the British and French uniformed services, among the last bastions of Europe’s millennial traditions, are superb.
As the parade neared its end, the crowd stirred expectantly, necks craning. A low murmur rippled from the Arc down to the reviewing stand at Place de la Concorde: “Voilà! C’est la Légion!” Cheers and applause mounted as the Foreign Legion’s band passed, playing its strangely solemn hymn “Le Boudin,” followed by the Legion’s company, every crease and white képi in place, every assault rifle at the same angle, marching with their trademark slow swagger. The overwhelming impression was of a relentless, ruthless fighting machine. You wouldn’t want to get in its way.
The French public loves the Legion, partly for the macho mystique of its roguish, glory-filled past, partly because so many Legionnaires have given their lives for their adopted country, and partly because it is still easier, as it has been for its 178-year history, to send foreigners out to get shot at than the sons of voting French mamans. Its reputation for iron discipline and feats of arms long ago spread far beyond France’s borders. Today this unique band of 7,600 professional soldiers from some 140 countries has become a familiar sight in the nasty, ambiguous little conflicts of the post-Cold War era. From Beirut to Bosnia, Cambodia to the Congo, and now Afghanistan, “The Foreign Legion is coming” has meant hope for some, fear for others, depending.
In Brazzaville, the besieged capital of the Congo Republic just over a decade ago, it literally meant life or death for thousands of terrified foreign residents behind barricaded doors. Flies fed on bloated corpses as rival Cobra and Zulu militias, drugged and drunk, bturned the city into a charred, chaotic battlefield. Then early one morning armored personnel carriers of the Legion’s elite 2nd Foreign Airborne Regiment rumbled up Avenue Charles de Gaulle. At a roadblock, wild-eyed Cobra militiamen charged up spoiling for a fight, waving machine guns and grenades, ordering everybody out of the olive drab vehicles. A Legion captain coolly got down and said matter-of-factly, “We’re not looking for a fight, but we’re going evacuate any foreign civilians who want to leave.” The Cobras looked over the 15 crack Legionnaires with automatic assault rifles and fixed bayonets, and thought again: “Okay, okay, go ahead,” their leader muttered.
Despite skirmishes costing them a number of casualties, the Legion methodically saved 5,265 civilians of 52 nationalities, including nearly 100 Americans. One of its last tasks was to escort U.S. ambassador Aubrey Hooks to Maya Maya airport. “They did an absolutely superb job in a very difficult situation,” he said later. “They were extremely professional and took a humanitarian approach, going back repeatedly to be sure they had gotten everyone out.” Tokens of gratitude poured in from those who owed their lives to the Legion, including a Chinese woman whose French was limited to a heartfelt merci.
A HUMANITARIAN ROLE as international rescuer and peacekeeper is a far cry from the Legion’s initial mission, just as today’s professionals are a different breed from its original ragtag bunch of scoundrels. When King Louis Philippe created “a Legion of Foreigners” in 1831 to conquer new colonies, he knew that many would be on the run from the law. Recruiters asked few questions, new names and birth certificates were freely granted. For decades these dregs of society slogged through the deserts and jungles of France’s empire. They weren’t always covered with glory: in 1842 the disgusted governor-general of French Algeria reported to Paris, “They fight badly, they march badly, they desert often.” (The Legion had its way of dealing with deserters: it paid North African tribesmen to bring them back, dead or alive. They found it easier just to return the decapitated head to a Legion fort, to which his official papers would be attached.)
But slowly the Legion began to earn its stripes. When France’s puppet emperor in Mexico, Maximilian, needed propping up in 1863, a small Legion unit was sent. Attacked on April 30 by 2,000 Mexican troops, Captain Jean Danjou’s company of 65 men held out in a dilapidated hacienda in the village of Camerone until their ammunition ran out and nearly all were killed. In response to the Mexican demand for surrender, the last five standing fixed bayonets and charged into a withering volley of fire. “These are not men,” the awed Mexican commander exclaimed, “but demons.”
A legend was born and 20th-century novelists and filmmakers developed it. British writer P.C. Wren’s Beau Geste in 1924, with its Fort Zinderneuf under attack by Touaregs and Beau dying at his post, set the tone and was adapted for the screen several times. The 1930 Hollywood classic Morocco had Marlene Dietrich following her Legionnaire lover Gary Cooper through the Sahara (and speaking her lines phonetically for lack of English). It won Academy Awards for both her and its director, Josef von Sternberg, which is more than can be said for the 1950 farce Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion. Edith Piaf famously sang “Mon Légionnaire” about her soldier who refused to give his name. It only remained for Frank Sinatra to croon, “If you turn me down once more, I’ll join the French Foreign Legion / Bet you they would welcome me with open arms.”
Bet they would. Over the years the Legion has welcomed defrocked bishops and gentlemen running from gambling debts or girl trouble, along with escapees from the Bolsheviks like Georgian prince Dimitri Amilakhvari. Its who’s who also includes Henri Bourbon-Orleans, Count of Paris and pretender to the throne of France, who enlisted as Swiss citizen Henri Orliac, and Prince Napoleon, both of whom joined in 1939 as privates. The prince of Bavaria, Albert Frederick von Hohenzollern, Prince Louis II of Monaco, and Ali Khan did tours. Artists and writers too: German painter Hans Hartung, Hungarian author Arthur Koestler, and songwriter Cole Porter all wore the Legion uniform.
During World War I the Legion garnered an impressive list of distinguished service citations on its way to creating one of the longest combat records of any elite unit in modern history. This was the great period of American enlistment. A mixed lot, American recruits included Bob Scanlon, a black boxer from Ohio, and Charles Sweeney, fresh out of West Point. David King, Victor Chapman, and Andrew Champollion were Harvard graduates. Algernon Sartoris was a grandson of Ulysses S. Grant. Then there was Alan Seeger, a Harvard-educated poet who was killed in the first suicidal attack at the Battle of the Somme on July 1, 1916, at the age of 28. A poem, “I have a rendezvous with death,” was found on his body. Today the church bell that rings out over the village of Belloy-en-Santerre is a commemorative gift from Seeger’s family.
During World War II, when the Legion carried out missions from Narvik, Norway, to Bir Hakeim in Libya, losing 9,000 men in the process, many German Legionnaires unhesitatingly fought against Germany. But as France’s colonial empire wound down after the war, the Legion, which had served for 72 years in Indochina, found itself trapped at Dien Bien Phu in April-May 1954. The wily Viet Minh general Vo Nguyen Giap surrounded the Legion’s dug-in positions and rained shells on them for two weeks before sending in his troops. The Legionnaires held out for 56 days, often calling for their artillery to pound their own posts as the Viets swarmed over them. A Legion medic later recalled, “Some with one arm amputated would say they could still throw grenades, men who had lost a leg propped themselves against a tree with a machine gun, one who had lost an eye said ‘It’s easier now, doc, I don’t have to close it to aim.’” When the massacre was over the Legion had lost 9,714 dead and 10,201 taken prisoner — and France’s colonialist regime was finished. For this outfit that perversely celebrates its heroic sacrifices as much as its victories, another legend was born.
WHO ARE THESE MEN with false names, many of whom came to the Legion for one last chance, more than 36,000 of whom have died serving it? How do they merit their many accolades, such as that of the American military historian Douglas Porch, who writes, “There can be few, if any, units that have produced such a sustained record of combat performance”?
It’s easy enough to enlist. All a man has to do is sign up at a recruiting station on French soil — the hard part comes later. French police have been known to let illegal immigrants through if they are heading for the Legion; one recruit recently bicycled in from Mongolia. French citizens are legally forbidden to join unless they are already officers in the regular army — it’s one of the Legion’s worst-kept secrets that French recruits routinely enlist under Swiss or Canadian “declared identity.” Of the approximately 10,000 hopefuls who knock on the Legion’s door annually, only around 1,000 will make it even as far as boot camp. “In the past, when we had five times as many troops and big combat losses, we had to take more questionable recruits,” a Legion officer told me. “Now we can be choosy and take only the biggest and smartest.”
Some, surely, are petty delinquents, though the Legion never, ever, says who. An ID card is preferred, but if there’s none then background checks — often with national police forces and Interpol — are pushed harder. Besides thorough psychological, medical, and physical exams, the Legion always has members on hand who can question candidates in their own language. Those guilty of violent crime, child molesters, drug traffickers and addicts are virtually certain to be excluded.
And women. “Impossible,” a Legion general told me. “There has never been a woman in the Legion and there never will be. The day you introduce women, our special camaraderie is gone. Besides, we’re an assault force and that’s not women’s work.” Another reason stems from the Legion’s international character; women and their role are viewed quite differently by soldiers from some of the cultures represented in its ranks. In any case, being politically correct is definitely not one of the Legion’s many traditions.
About the Author
Joseph A. Harriss is The American Spectator’s Paris correspondent. His latest book, An American Spectator in Paris, was released this fall.
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Old Marine| 2.25.10 @ 10:00AM
I have always admired the Legion. Their battlefield exploits and camaraderie are the stuff of legend.
A nation whose finest fighting outfit is composed entirely of foreigners, however, receives no admiration from me.
NavyBrat | 2.25.10 @ 12:25PM
Old Marine. You said:
"A nation whose finest fighting outfit is composed entirely of foreigners, however, receives no admiration from me."
I've also found that little factiod ironic throughout history. I also find it ironic that the men who serve in the Legion don't consider themselves as "fighting for France," but "fighting for the legion." It speaks volumes to me.
Alan Brooks| 2.25.10 @ 5:53PM
and the Lafayette Escadrille.
That was when men were men and sheep were sheep.
NavyBrat | 2.25.10 @ 8:46PM
AMEN!!!
Bruce | 2.25.10 @ 1:24PM
QUOTE: "A nation whose finest fighting outfit is composed entirely of foreigners, however, receives no admiration from me."
Incorrect. The majority of noncoms and all officers of the Legion Etrange' are all French Army regulars.
chris| 2.26.10 @ 3:44PM
YOU, good sir, are incorrect. Officers of the legion are from the French Regular Army, that is true. But non-commissioned officers (NCO)? They are all from within the ranks of the legion itself. As for all of these other "experts" on statistics about La Legion Etrangere, go to their public website, and it will tell you everything.
LAURENT| 2.26.10 @ 3:43AM
who are you to think that French army and nation needs your admiration? just for your information, approx 50% of soldiers are french, the most part of the sergeants are French and 90% of officers are French. and be sure that all these guys are not hide behind the foreigners.
TAW| 2.26.10 @ 5:12PM
The Legion has my respect...although they don't need it, they've earned it.
Ex-US Navy Sailor
Larry| 2.25.10 @ 10:12AM
Like so many other German soldiers after World War II, my father, who is now 82, spent seven years in the Legion before coming to the United States, serving in Viet Nam and Morocco. He takes great pride in his former French Foreign Legion service, even to this day. I sent a copy of the article to my father; I know he'll enjoy reading it as much as I did.
Al Adab| 2.25.10 @ 11:40AM
The article mentions Douglas Porch. His book on the Legion is the definitive history and well worth the read. Your father would no doubt find it of interest as well. What a great family history.
Dan| 2.25.10 @ 11:46AM
It's far more difficult to get into the Legion than the article let on. And it's not just certain criminal activity that will see a man refused admittance.
The Legion is so small now that they only allow in the creme de la creme of those seeking entry. Which means former soldiers, oftern former commandos. The Legion is now a home away from home for former soldiers from all across the world.
The Legion now refused perfectly fit men, simply because they don't have former military experience. Whereas before men in their 40s could get in, ------------ now, again because the Legion's numbers are so few, they're only taking young men, and very fit men at that. If you show up with a paunch, -------------------- forget about it.
The author of the piece remarked upon the affection the French people have for the Legion, and that's certainly true. But their feelings for the Legion are more rightly described as ambivalent. They're a trace of derision in their feelings about the Legion. Perhaps that's merely the typical telltale of the Left, and the influence of the Left. But whatever the origin, there is that present in their attitude towards the Legion.
And as for their professionalism, which they are rightly known for, ---------- what's the good of such professionalism if their political leaders refuse to allow the Legion to engage the enemy throughout islam.
Take a gander at their ROE in Afghanistan. Pretty pathetic.
Cuffs| 2.25.10 @ 1:16PM
Wonderful article!
I learned much and enjoyed your
enthusiasm for military expertise.
A refreshing change from all this political
commentary.
Bruce | 2.25.10 @ 1:30PM
I had the very great pleasure of meeting and chatting with many members of the Legion at the New York City "Welcome Home" parade for Vietnam vets years ago. As Navy Brat correctly points out, these guys fight for each other - not France - in the tradition of the US Marines and Army. In my years in LE, there were very few men I would not go toe to toe with. These guys are ones I would not want to face down. These guys are pros, they're touch, and they fight to win. You do NOT want to meet them in a dark alley if up to no good.
Steve Sundberg| 2.25.10 @ 1:39PM
This article is a very refreshing change from political commentary ...
Richard Baker| 2.25.10 @ 7:32PM
Outstanding story about a truly one-of-a-kind unit. I recommending reading Bernard Fall's book, "Hell in a Very Small Place" about Dienbienphu where the Legion is prominently featured. Vive La Legion Etrangere!
Richard Baker| 2.25.10 @ 7:33PM
Correction:
I recommend reading Bernard Fall's book
Laguna Beach Trad | 2.25.10 @ 7:49PM
I've been a fan of the Legion since a very young man and considered joining several times.
When I lived in London, I associated with a few ex-Legionnaires, mainly chaps from South Africa and Rhodesia. Hard, fit, taciturn men. The tales they recounted, though maybe tall, were harrowing in the extreme.
My favourite Legion book by far is Mouthful of Rocks by Christian Jennings, with Simon Murray's book a close second. Highly recommended.
My favourite ex-Legionnaire is Ernst Junger.
Nothing the Americans can put together even comes close to the Legion.
LiveFreeOrDie| 2.26.10 @ 9:22PM
"Nothing the Americans can put together even comes close to the Legion. "
Horseshit! You "considered joining" and "associated with a few," listened to admittedly tall tales and have a "favourite" which shows your obvious bias.
You don't know a thing about what the elite forces of the United States has to offer. Spend some time with force recon or the seals, they would change your mind in a minute. It's one thing to kiss the ass of the organization you didn't have the balls to join but don't trash my military you pile of euro trash.
Laguna Beach Trad | 3.3.10 @ 8:55AM
By 'horseshit' I assume you're referring to the US military?
Face it, the US military has seen better days and now exists mainly as a sort of adult day-camp for ambitious blacks, corporate men, wayward females, naive Southern boys, and various third world populations who make up an ever-increasing percentage of the force.
Good luck trying to rule the world with a bunch of feminists and illiterate little peasants from the developing world. You can't even rule your own cities!
The US military has been transformed into a global relief agency whose focus is on providing welfare srvices to the third world.
Officers and men of quality who display any signs of courage and tradition are forced out. Political Correctness prevails.
Units such as the French Foreign Legion and the Royal Marines stand head-and-shoulders above the US military.
Christopher Holland| 2.25.10 @ 8:06PM
What do they think of gays in the military? I can imagine what the response will be. Either you have a disciplined, motivated fighting force or you have a social organisation that wants people to feel good. I know which one is better at defending the country
Jocon307| 2.26.10 @ 9:46AM
A very interesting article. Cole Porter in the French Foreign Legion, amazing!
BHG| 2.27.10 @ 6:28AM
Porter was seriously in the closet. No way the Legion would have tolerated an openly gay légionnaire. From a French cousin-in-law, retired regular army general, PDs (pédérastes) aren't acceptable evn now.
Curtis| 2.27.10 @ 11:48AM
I don't doubt that there were, and may be gay legionnaires.
But the fact remains, you either chase what your heart and loins want, or you put behind your personal desires and dreams and uphold your oath to serve and sacrifice on behalf of something you believe to be bigger then yourself.
Complete your duty, serve admirably, and after you're discharged and done, you can live your life in the best manner you see fit.
Alex Lochrie | 4.6.10 @ 9:16AM
It is intersting to read all the comments. That is one of the reasons I wrote my book 'Fighting For The French Foreign Legion' Memoirs of a Scottish Legionnaire. I have tried to expose many of the myths about the Legion. Today it is a small professional fighting force and is heavily involved in Afghanistan, suporting US and UK forces high in the mountains where other units fear to tred. Mr Harriss was good enough to ask me for a quote but can I recommend that you either get my book out of the library or buy one if you want to learn more about this unique unit. Once you have done that you might come back with different comments.
No one 'elite' force is better than any other. They all work hand in hand on the front line in todays fight against the modern terrorist. If you have been there and done it then your comments will be constructive. If not follow my suggestion and read up on the subject.
Alex Lochrie
Cal Disher| 7.24.10 @ 1:34AM
Amen......
Jack| 5.9.10 @ 7:15PM
I thought the legion was how so many dog muslims got into france.
Jim| 7.18.10 @ 12:55AM
The Legion is highly respected and admired. I wish them well,
ex. Canadian Paratrooper
fromer recon| 11.12.10 @ 5:42PM
I am a former Marine, 2nd Force Recon. Got out for the wrong reasons, now although definitely still fit unable to return due to age. I recently made the decision to join the Legion. They support the ideas of espirit de corps that I joined the corps for, I have always viewed myself as a professional soldier and this unit will give me what I want. I have 11 friends, all former operators in the spec ops community and they will attest to the professionalism of the Legion.
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L Tod Schlosser
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