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Guiscard
12th February 2006, 09:58
I meet my Uncle for the 3rd time in the last 7 years of my 15 year old life. He is a old guy, he has a beer belly and he served in the French Foriegn Legion during the French-Indochina War. He joined because he was promised adventure and a time away from my grandfather & grandmother.

When he joined up he was a (I think) a student enrolled in a university, or he was employed in a business venture in France. Well as I sat next to him he told me that he got bored of his job and was POed at my grand parents (because they are complete assholes). He travelled on a taxi to a Foreign Legion recruitment station in Paris.

His training class consisted of Eastern Europeans, German refugees, Italians, and Jews.

My family is Jewish, and so was my Uncle. And after 3 1/2 months of training and being stationed in France he and his battalion was rushed into Indochina. When he got to Diên Biên Phu, he found, Oddly enough he found out that he would be fighting with Ex. SS-Men, elite Heer Troops, and other types of the old Wermacht.

Strange isn't it. :P

Sabre
12th February 2006, 12:59
My uncle served in the Legion too, in Algeria though and he has a beer belly too. Today he is pretty ill, he cooks and will soon retire to a holiday farm in Sweden perhaps. He was also stabbed in the stomach and sent to the hospital.

sam
12th February 2006, 18:56
The only thing I find odd about that story is: "being stationed in France."

Postman
12th February 2006, 19:06
I also immediately picked up on that; if my memory serves me La Légion never set foot on mainland France (excluding Corsica) until around '67.

voltigeur
12th February 2006, 19:56
I also immediately picked up on that; if my memory serves me LaLegion never set foot on mainland France (excluding Corsce) until around '67.
1963-1964 would be closer to the date the Legion moved to France, including Corsica. I was transferred to France April 1964 while the 1er REC stayed untill 1967 near Mers el Kebir in Algeria

flash010
12th February 2006, 23:58
My uncle served in the Legion too, in Algeria though and he has a beer belly too. Today he is pretty ill, he cooks and will soon retire to a holiday farm in Sweden perhaps. He was also stabbed in the stomach and sent to the hospital.all us old boys have beer bellys' except Joe its vodka based. your uncle sounds like an ok dude.:)