Found a picture made by Gast that I didn't know existed.

[jwaltos]

I'm to the far right standing with the machete leaning on the borne. The guy on the bottom left kneeling is a Hungarian by the name of Dedzo Kekz (at the time), tough and fearless and a good friend. When I was leaving the Legion I said I'd stay in contact but never did. At that time I just wanted a clean break. These days I regret I didn't maintain contact but if anyone knows of his whereabouts I'd like to make good on what I said.
This picture was found on T. Gast's site, https://thefrenchforeignlegionfirsthand.wordpress.com/ (no comment on the other site content..well..maybe one). I just love those photos where "war paint" is applied but the shiny bling hasn't been taped over, blacked-out or otherwise removed...photo-ops.
I also think I'll be changing my "Happy Guy" smiley faced avatar with a current photo of myself and possibly our dogs..or maybe just our dogs. Everything online is hoovered, encrypted or not, so I think I've been tagged on Facebook, Instagrammed a few times and probably Chapsnatched as well (Snapchat is the reference in case it was missed)..Sooo my mug probably has been sucked up into some server vortex where my life story can be spat out to whoever/whatever has access to those algorithms I'm aware of. Oh..well.

 

[Le petit caporal]

Kektz? Can he be the same one I knew? Ex 2 REI?

 

[jwaltos]

Could be. I heard he was (is) married.
A few things I know to be true about him:
He hunted Caimans by himself at night with a headlamp and machete (successfully).
He found a watermelon during a march and carried it for 10 km, then shared it with everyone during a rest.
He caught a large Mygale and put it in a ration carton then forgot about it. About a week later he opened it up and the thing jumped up and out about a meter in the air and attacked him.
He traveled to some cities in Brazil, Fortaleza was one of them, no papers..and he nearly got asked for his papers while in an airport.
He was soft spoken, not much of a drinker and easy going. He would get pissed off sometimes but usually kept a lid on it which was normal. If this sounds anything like him then it probably is.
(Unlike some Yugo's I knew who would go apeshit.. while at the Rep. I had to carry one to the infirmary over my back from the barracks when he put his hand through a glass door and later passed out..this was after his buddy started stabbing a bunch of our duffel bags with a bayonet while ranting..bags OK, people not so much.)

Changed the avatar to our young Newfie Gracie who was surveying her domain yesterday. We also have a chocolate Lab. and an Aussie shepherd (which we inherited from our son because they had kids and couldn't keep her anymore), both are over six and showing their age..turning gray, aches and pains...but the younger one keeps them alert.

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

Could be. I heard he was (is) married.
A few things I know to be true about him:
He hunted Caimans by himself at night with a headlamp and machete (successfully).
He found a watermelon during a march and carried it for 10 km, then shared it with everyone during a rest.
He caught a large Mygale and put it in a ration carton then forgot about it. About a week later he opened it up and the thing jumped up and out about a meter in the air and attacked him.
He traveled to some cities in Brazil, Fortaleza was one of them, no papers..and he nearly got asked for his papers while in an airport.
He was soft spoken, not much of a drinker and easy going. He would get pissed off sometimes but usually kept a lid on it which was normal. If this sounds anything like him then it probably is.
(Unlike some Yugo's I knew who would go apeshit.. while at the Rep. I had to carry one to the infirmary over my back from the barracks when he put his hand through a glass door and later passed out..this was after his buddy started stabbing a bunch of our duffel bags with a bayonet while ranting..bags OK, people not so much.)

Changed the avatar to our young Newfie Gracie who was surveying her domain yesterday. We also have a chocolate Lab. and an Aussie shepherd (which we inherited from our son because they had kids and couldn't keep her anymore), both are over six and showing their age..turning gray, aches and pains...but the younger one keeps them alert.

Sorry, I meant to click on the like button.