Remembering OAS

[Peter Lyderik]

A controversial remembering

A new memorial to four executed members of an organisation who resorted to terrorism to stop Algerian independence has sparked new arguments about how France should remember its colonial past. Hugh Schofield looks at the bitter debate over what many see as the creeping rehabilitation of an inglorious episode in French history.

Whole article here http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=25&story_id=21654

[Rapace]

Yeah... Another brilliant idea of those guys from Front National (Le Pen and al.). They love stirring up old bad memories...

[Cpl K]

I agree with you well said Patrick.

[BobW]

Bonjour Peter,

This was a great article. So far, haven't seen it in the US press.

One of my "callings" is dealing with military cemeteries and memorials. I've got a couple of minor footnote level "firsts" in this field. This article presents material not usually discussed.

One of my favorite sayings - as translated from the French - is:

"History: the agreed-upon lies." Napoleon

Salutations,
Bob

[viström]

How is the OAS viewed in the Legion? It is long ago but still people must have an opinion.

[flash010]

best to let sleeping dogs lay

[Rapace]

best to let sleeping dogs layAgree 100%. Viström : this is still a sensitive subject. I don't know if you plan to join but if you make it into the Legion, avoid this topic. The disbandment of 1REP, the execution of Lt Roger Degueldre (head of the so-called "Commandos Delta") and his aide, Sgt Bobby Dovecar, left bitter memories.
And some right-wing pricks, like to play with these old bad memories and add fuel to the fire, for reasons that have nothing to do with the Legion or the remembrance of the dead.

[flash010]

It was in a book i read in jabout did not mean to stir up bad memorys we all heard the story about the 1er bep. I'm not right or left i think all polititians are not fit to lick the boots of a legionnaire or any one else for that matter so sorry if i p...ed you off. flash mle180805

[hannibal]

Not wanting to stir up a discussion about OAS, but I would just like to pinpoint the readers of this forum that some of the bibliographical information about Sgt. Albert "Bobby" Dovecar on this website (http://www.algerie-francaise.org/cimetiere/dovecar-vie.shtml) are wrong:

Albert DOVECAR est né le 19 Juillet 1937 à TUZNO, petit village au Nord de l’ex- Yougoslavie (actuelle Croatie) , situé à quelques dizaines de kilomètres de l’Autriche. La famille DOVECAR fuyant le nouveau régime politique yougoslave immigre en Autriche pour s’installer à GRAZ, capitale de la Styrie.I have never heard of any village "Tuzno" near Austrian border. However, there used to exist a village TEZNO near Marburg a.d.Drau (today Maribor in Slovenia), which is today a suburb of the same city. During World War II the place was famous for having a large German aircraft factory, which was producing aircraft engines for Messerschmidts and Focke-Wulfs.

Also there is no way that Dovecar could be a Croat or born in Croatia if he was born only a "couple of kilometres from the Austrian border". Croatia is not bordering to Austria. Thus I assume Sgt. Dovecar was most likely a Slovene. His surname also suggests that.

[Rapace]

Hannibal, are you from Slovenia ?

[sikter]

Also there is no way that Dovecar could be a Croat or born in Croatia if he was born only a "couple of kilometres from the Austrian border". Croatia is not bordering to Austria. Thus I assume Sgt. Dovecar was most likely a Slovene. His surname also suggests that.Maybe born in Slo from Croatian parents. Although Dovecar or "Dovečar" sounds like Slovenian surname.

[hannibal]

Maybe born in Slo from Croatian parents. Although Dovecar or "Dovečar" sounds like Slovenian surname.No. I have asked my friend who is aquinted with the area very well and he confirmed to me that Dovecar's come from Lower Styria (Untersteiermark). They owned a couple of factories or mills in that area before the war, so they were quite wealthy, therefore they had to run for their lifes in May 1945. You probably know for massacres of thousands of Germans, Italians, Slovenes, Croats, Bosnians, Montenegrians and other prisoners-of-war and civilians considered a threat for new communist regime in that area during May - July 1945.

[sikter]

One more thing, There is no Tuzno in Croatia but there is Tužno :) (sad in english) petit petit village situated in NE Croatia, close to Slovenian border (also close to Austrian border).
http://www.fallingrain.com/world/HR/16/Tuzno.html
sorry Lector

[hannibal]

One more thing, There is no Tuzno in Croatia but there is Tužno (sad in english) petit petit village situated in NE Croatia, close to Slovenian border (also close to Austrian border).

From Tuzno to Austrian border is ca. 90km. From Tezno (MB) to Austrian border is ca. 22km. The french article says ... situé à quelques dizaines de kilomètres de l’Autriche -> several tens kilometres from Austria. Could several tens mean two, three, four, five or nine? I leave this open doe debate, but I doubt this means more than 90km.

I also looked this website - http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/message/an/localities.eeurope.slovenia.general/2254.1.1
and checked the Croatian online phone book http://www.tportal.hr/imenik/default.asp?lang=1 and found only nine Dovecars in Croatia.

I don't wish to continue this discussion any further, but I have my doubts, whether he was really born in Tuzno, Croatia and not Tezno (?) near Maribor, Slovenia.

[voltigeur]

They started out with good intentions, however it degenerated into criminal activities. (in my view). I was asked to join them, but I still had to finish my five years first, so I declined. In the end it proved to be the right decision for me.

[flash010]

Right or wrong it's all part of Legion history to be talked over a Kro in the foyer. Let Bobby and others rest in peace :).