'Musique De La Légion étrangère' , 'Music of the French Foreign

'Musique de la Légion étrangère' , 'Music of the French Foreign Legion' - Musik der Fremdenlegion

"Legio Patria Nostra" (The Legion is our Homeland)
"Honneur et Fidélité" (Honour and Fidelity)
"Marche ou crève" (March or die, unofficial)

It was in Mexico on 30 April 1863 that the Legion earned its legendary status. A company led by Capitaine Danjou, numbering 62 soldiers and 3 officers, was escorting a convoy to the besieged city of Puebla when it was attacked and besieged by two thousand members of the Mexican Army, organized in three battalions of infantry and cavalry, numbering 1,200 and 800 respectively. The patrol was forced to make a defence in Hacienda Camarón, and despite the hopelessness of the situation, fought nearly to the last man. When only five survivors remained, out of ammunition, a bayonet charge was conducted in which three of the five were killed. The remaining two were brought before the Mexican general, who allowed them to return to France as an honour guard for the body of Capitaine Danjou. The captain had a wooden hand which was stolen during the battle; it was later returned to the legion and is now kept in a case in the Foreign Legion museum at Aubagne, and paraded annually on Camerone day.


Previously, the Legion was not stationed in mainland France except in wartime. Until 1962, the Legion headquarters were located in Sidi-Bel-Abbès, Algeria. Nowadays, some units of the Legion are in Corsica or overseas possessions, while the rest is in the south of mainland France. Current headquarters are in Aubagne, France, just outside Marseille.

There are nine regiments and one independent sub-unit :

* Mainland France
o 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC), based in Orange (armoured troops),
o 1st Foreign Regiment (1er RE), based in Aubagne (legion headquarters),
o 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI), based in Nîmes,
o 4th Foreign Regiment (4e RE), based in Castelnaudary (training);
o 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment (1er REG), based in Laudun;
o 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (2e REG), based in St Christol;
* Corsica
o 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP), based in Calvi;
* French Overseas Territories and Overseas Collectives,
o 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3e REI), based in French Guiana,
o Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte (DLEM);
* Africa
o 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade (13 DBLE), based in Djibouti.




The Legionnaire's Code of Honour

Every Legionnaire must know by heart the "Legionnaire's Code of Honour". The Legionnaires spend many hours learning it, reciting it, and then getting the vocal synchronization together:
“

1. Légionnaire, you are a volunteer serving France with "Honour and Fidelity".
2. Every legionnaire is your brother-in-arms, regardless of his nationality, race, or religion. You will demonstrate this by strict solidarity which must always unite members of the same family.
3. Respect of traditions, devotion to your leaders, discipline and comradeship are your strengths, courage and loyalty your virtues.
4. Proud of your status as legionnaire, you display this in your uniform, which is always impeccable, your behaviour always dignified but modest, your living quarters always clean.
5. An elite soldier, you will train rigorously, you will maintain your weapon as your most precious possession, you are constantly concerned with your physical form.
6. A mission is sacred, you will carry it out until the end respecting laws, customs of war, international conventions and, if necessary, at the risk of your life. (Changed in November 2000)
7. In combat, you will act without passion and without hate, you will respect the vanquished enemy, you will never abandon your dead or wounded, nor surrender your arms.


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