Who Was This Man?

[sam]

I must appeal to the higher knowledge of the board for this one. There is a photo of the Legion departing Sidi-Bel-Abbes on September 29, 1962 for Aubagne in the book of Douglas Porch. In tenue de parade, the hand of Danjou is carried, followed by "the ashes of legionnaire Moll of Chicago, and the caskets of General Rollet, Prince Aage and legionnaire Zimmerman."
Quoted from the picture's caption.
So, now I ask....who was that man, legionnaire Moll?

[SMOR12]

......my bad,sorry :)

[Nickfury]

Smor, attention to detail. Try some.

[Stoeng]

Legionnaire Moll (if my fading memory is right) was some American legionnaire that did a modest and normal contract in the French Foreign Legion. After finishing his contract he went back to USA (Chicago).
There he went on to become an enormously rich and successful guy. After he died and the testament was opened (to his relatives great horror), they discovered that he had been a legionnaire and that he left his whole fortune to the Legion and he ended his testament with something like I want to be buried in the FFL where I spent the best and most interesting years of my life.
When you visit the Legion museum in Aubagne you can see a little niche close to the entrance of the crypt, it contains the ashes of Legionnaire Moll. That is all I know and if some other ancien remember better the story, just shoot.

[DannyJJ]

What an interesting story. Sucks for Moll's family though, lol.

[greatza1]

You are right Charles :

«...One American occupies a special place in the crypt of the Legion museum in Aubagne along with the engraved lists of the Legion's dead and the retired battle flags of its former regiments. A small, polished wall plaque marks the resting place of William Moll from Chicago who died in 1937. Moll, who had served five years in the Legion, asked to be buried at Sidi Bel Abbès. When the Legion left Algeriahis ashes were transferred to Aubagne.»
Howard R. Simpson - Paratroopers of the French Foreign Legion

[seth1]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Does not say much more then what Stoeng said.