ThomasP
Senior Master Sergeant
An interesting bit of info:
The French Foreign Legion currently has just over 700 members (out of 9000 total, or ~7.8%) who are current or former Ukrainian citizens. Recently the French Government has had to stop a number of FFL soldiers from traveling to the Ukraine area. Most of these soldiers were doing so in order to join the Ukraine armed forces in one form or another. There have also been a number of desertions, and it is believed most intend to travel to Ukraine.
Last week, the Commander of the French Foreign Legion made an address to his Ukrainian legionnaires and their families.
The following is a transcript of the address:
LEGIO PATRIA NOSTRA (The Legion is our homeland). It is with these words that you, the legionnaires of Ukrainian origin or of the region in particular, wear the White kepi: "We swear to serve France with honor and fidelity".
I wrote this to you just one year ago in our Kepi Blanc magazine "In the name of Fidelity": Legionnaires are not stateless and the Legion does not ask them in any way to disavow their homeland, let alone to fight it.
But the Legion does not hand out causes to fight for, no matter how beautiful they may be. It was created for the service of France, welcoming volunteers. Our honor is not to choose our causes but to serve the mission which is sacred.
Your loyalty as a legionnaire is the heart of our commitment. It is for the time you have decided in your contract, unsurpassable.
Is loyalty painful? The history of the Legion for almost 200 years has been filled with pain but honor, the one that remains above all else. One of our elders said, "You can ask a lot of a soldier, especially to die, that's his job. We cannot ask him to cheat, to deny himself, to contradict himself, to lie, to perjure himself."
My dear legionnaires of Ukraine or of the region, concerned by this war, I sympathize with your inner turmoil. Your homeland is bleeding and suffering, your families are affected by this war. Yet, for those few who are tempted to run to where the fire is raging, I tell you that wars are only won if everyone does their job, where they are. As a Legion Father I know I must encourage you in this path of honor: do not perjure yourselves, for yourselves and for the Legion, maintain your service with honor and loyalty.
Who knows if tomorrow your unit will not be engaged, where will you be? You will then be missed by your partner, brother in arms like any legionnaire.
Dear Legion families, some of whom have suffered, be assured of the support of the Foreign Legion. In order to facilitate the safety of families fleeing the conflict zone, I have authorized legionnaires who so desire to travel to a country bordering the Ukraine to collect them.
Please be aware that any legionnaire concerned by this conflict may request the Foreign Legion to help him or her to receive his or her family in an emergency, in compliance with the regulations applicable in France, in particular according to the evolution of the directives concerning the consideration of refugees.
Legion solidarity, a corollary of the legionnaire's total commitment to our country, will thus be able to provide material or administrative assistance to the extent and according to its priorities. In this context, the Legion is working on the establishment of a listening unit to best meet your needs.
Let us be united and responsible for our Foreign Legion.
Interestingly, there are also ~450 Russian-born members of the FFL - none of whom have attempted to travel to the Ukraine area.
The French Foreign Legion currently has just over 700 members (out of 9000 total, or ~7.8%) who are current or former Ukrainian citizens. Recently the French Government has had to stop a number of FFL soldiers from traveling to the Ukraine area. Most of these soldiers were doing so in order to join the Ukraine armed forces in one form or another. There have also been a number of desertions, and it is believed most intend to travel to Ukraine.
Last week, the Commander of the French Foreign Legion made an address to his Ukrainian legionnaires and their families.
The following is a transcript of the address:
LEGIO PATRIA NOSTRA (The Legion is our homeland). It is with these words that you, the legionnaires of Ukrainian origin or of the region in particular, wear the White kepi: "We swear to serve France with honor and fidelity".
I wrote this to you just one year ago in our Kepi Blanc magazine "In the name of Fidelity": Legionnaires are not stateless and the Legion does not ask them in any way to disavow their homeland, let alone to fight it.
But the Legion does not hand out causes to fight for, no matter how beautiful they may be. It was created for the service of France, welcoming volunteers. Our honor is not to choose our causes but to serve the mission which is sacred.
Your loyalty as a legionnaire is the heart of our commitment. It is for the time you have decided in your contract, unsurpassable.
Is loyalty painful? The history of the Legion for almost 200 years has been filled with pain but honor, the one that remains above all else. One of our elders said, "You can ask a lot of a soldier, especially to die, that's his job. We cannot ask him to cheat, to deny himself, to contradict himself, to lie, to perjure himself."
My dear legionnaires of Ukraine or of the region, concerned by this war, I sympathize with your inner turmoil. Your homeland is bleeding and suffering, your families are affected by this war. Yet, for those few who are tempted to run to where the fire is raging, I tell you that wars are only won if everyone does their job, where they are. As a Legion Father I know I must encourage you in this path of honor: do not perjure yourselves, for yourselves and for the Legion, maintain your service with honor and loyalty.
Who knows if tomorrow your unit will not be engaged, where will you be? You will then be missed by your partner, brother in arms like any legionnaire.
Dear Legion families, some of whom have suffered, be assured of the support of the Foreign Legion. In order to facilitate the safety of families fleeing the conflict zone, I have authorized legionnaires who so desire to travel to a country bordering the Ukraine to collect them.
Please be aware that any legionnaire concerned by this conflict may request the Foreign Legion to help him or her to receive his or her family in an emergency, in compliance with the regulations applicable in France, in particular according to the evolution of the directives concerning the consideration of refugees.
Legion solidarity, a corollary of the legionnaire's total commitment to our country, will thus be able to provide material or administrative assistance to the extent and according to its priorities. In this context, the Legion is working on the establishment of a listening unit to best meet your needs.
Let us be united and responsible for our Foreign Legion.
Interestingly, there are also ~450 Russian-born members of the FFL - none of whom have attempted to travel to the Ukraine area.
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