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Join home country's Army first or Legion first?

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Recruits of today are far better educated than in my day and considerably more intelligent.
They also have much more to assimilate.

We however were very much harder , street wise, cunning and savvy.

Volt, Jonny and one or two others might agree ?

I came across the Legion in 1956 but had of course known of their previous exploits in Indo China.
 

Le petit caporal

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Savvy = Savoir in french = knowledge
'Not a lot of per people know that'
 

Papillon

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1970 Boots Chemist small shelf men’s stuff ( old spice, Brute)
Now 3 f*ck-ing double isles ( I rest my case when was the last time you saw a kid climb a tree? Any one seen Free Solo the climbing film Watch it
 
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mark wake

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Recruits of today are far better educated than in my day and considerably more intelligent.
They also have much more to assimilate.

We however were very much harder , street wise, cunning and savvy.

Volt, Jonny and one or two others might agree ?

I came across the Legion in 1956 but had of course known of their previous exploits in Indo China.
It would be like a turkey shoot! Charles as you well know! It is good to see today’s army’s/ including the legion equipped with all the latest gadgets. How long would they last? Not long in today’s hi tech warfare! Drones and robots are already doing the dirty work! I would be very comfortable once all the main grids were all eliminated and it was one against one!
 

Pink Floyd

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A week before this Camerone I spent an afternoon having a few cold ones with a current serving legionnaire (2REP). He was back in Australia on PLD-leave. In his own words “having spent some time in our army reserve before the Legion was a huge bonus”. I know this is not always available in some countries, but in Australia it is. Comparing the Legion of the 1960’s to 2019 is ridiculous. My fin de contrat was 25 years ago today (Friday 3rd June ‘94). So even the Legion from my time is a no contest against today’s crop of young men. Reminds me of the old saying...the older we get, the better we were! That’s why so many middle age men fill the emergency wards of hospitals on the weekends trying to relive the glorious past...
 
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mark wake

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A week before this Camerone I spent an afternoon having a few cold ones with a current serving legionnaire (2REP). He was back in Australia on PLD-leave. In his own words “having spent some time in our army reserve before the Legion was a huge bonus”. I know this is not always available in some countries, but in Australia it is. Comparing the Legion of the 1960’s to 2019 is ridiculous. My fin de contrat was 25 years ago today (Friday 3rd June ‘94). So even the Legion from my time is a no contest against today’s crop of young men. Reminds me of the old saying...the older we get, the better we were! That’s why so many middle age men fill the emergency wards of hospitals on the weekends trying to relive the glorious past...
Hmm..we all grow old. Would you rather forget the times you had with your mates? I think not! I relish those times but also like hearing about the latest in kit/everyday life in our regiments. Relive the old days? Nah! Honor our mates? Yes! But it’s also good to belong to us! Anciens of the legion! I’M getting a little sick of being lectured at like i’m Some kind of freak!
 

jonny

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A week before this Camerone I spent an afternoon having a few cold ones with a current serving legionnaire (2REP). He was back in Australia on PLD-leave. In his own words “having spent some time in our army reserve before the Legion was a huge bonus”. I know this is not always available in some countries, but in Australia it is. Comparing the Legion of the 1960’s to 2019 is ridiculous. My fin de contrat was 25 years ago today (Friday 3rd June ‘94). So even the Legion from my time is a no contest against today’s crop of young men. Reminds me of the old saying...the older we get, the better we were! That’s why so many middle age men fill the emergency wards of hospitals on the weekends trying to relive the glorious past...
Uh, Pink, I would like to totally disagree with that generalizing statement of yours. I served in the 1950s and 1960s in the Algerian war, as a paratrooper. Are you seriously saying that we were inferior to today’s men? (Your words) And the totally condescending ‘the older we get the better we were’ ??

Ok, I’ll upload another pic of my medals. Do you reckon I got those for ‘bragging’?

375050A0-3964-4CA8-9705-6A0624FE43AB.jpeg
 

Pink Floyd

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Uh, Pink, I would like to totally disagree with that generalizing statement of yours. I served in the 1950s and 1960s in the Algerian war, as a paratrooper. Are you seriously saying that we were inferior to today’s men? (Your words) And the totally condescending ‘the older we get the better we were’ ??

Ok, I’ll upload another pic of my medals. Do you reckon I got those for ‘bragging’?

View attachment 5101
Jan, you can disagree as much as you like. But I stand by my statement. Comparing today’s Legion to the 1950’s and 1960’s is ludicrous. As for the courage, dedication and sacrifice of past legionnaires...no one holds them in higher regard than me. More Majorum
 

jonny

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I found this interesting clip about the legion in Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria 1950s and 60s
Brings back some good memories of those days.

 
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Uh, Pink, I would like to totally disagree with that generalizing statement of yours. I served in the 1950s and 1960s in the Algerian war, as a paratrooper. Are you seriously saying that we were inferior to today’s men? (Your words) And the totally condescending ‘the older we get the better we were’ ??

Ok, I’ll upload another pic of my medals. Do you reckon I got those for ‘bragging’?

View attachment 5101
Jonny I would love to see the citations that go with them. 😀
 

voltigeur

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Recruits of today are far better educated than in my day and considerably more intelligent.
They also have much more to assimilate.

We however were very much harder , street wise, cunning and savvy.

Volt, Jonny and one or two others might agree ?

I came across the Legion in 1956 but had of course known of their previous exploits in Indo China.
Sorry Chas, not more intelligent, just better educated.;)
 
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I hope Jonny is gathering his citations relating to his interesting Legion service in Algeria and to France.:D
He need not worry about bragging. My interest remains simply as a military history 'buff'.
 

Pink Floyd

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I hope Jonny is gathering his citations relating to his interesting Legion service in Algeria and to France.:D
He need not worry about bragging. My interest remains simply as a military history 'buff'.
Chas, it would be interesting
 
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By comparison mine would be bloody boring. Hence I really hope Jonny is not offended and will oblige.;)
well do a thread together like an old school thread. Up to say the 70s. Possible early 80s. Just my opinion. A vintage photo thread.
 
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