An occasion to mention Gen. Christian Piquemal, Commandant of the Foreign Legion from 1994 to 1999. Christian Piquemal is the retired Commandant of the Legion (1994 to 1999)..
At 75, he was struck off the generals of the 2nd section for breach of the duty of reserve and loyalty after participating in a far-right anti-migrants political demonstration in 2016 around the Calais Jungle (alongside the RN's Marine Le Pen, the German anti-Muslim PEGIDA and the Putin-supported Night Wolves bikers (serving military in France are subject to a strict "obligation of reserve" until thy reach 2ème section ie semi-retirement). In 2021, Piquemal was one of the signatories of a letter from former generals admirals and retired military personnel calling for the overthrow of President Macron should he sign the Marrakech accord which basically says one should be nice with migrants. He did sign.
Piquemal is active on LinkedIn as an anti NATO, anti-EU and pro-Russian, pro-"Eurasia" propagandist. As I had been fighting hard on LinkedIn those right-wing extremists and enemies of democracy, Piquemal took the step of writing a circular letter as former Commander of he Foreign Legion, designating me as a dangerous actor to be barred from all "patriotic and Christian" LinkedIn groups/ So I just se proxies.
Note that Gen Martinez (another would-be putschist prominent far-right retired general) and Piquemal have contacts with Vostok France Solidarité Donbass, a GRU outfit which used to recruit mercenaries to fight with the pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas. They are at 10 Impasse du Bocage, Annecy-le-Vieux, Haute-Savoie, France.
Very interesting. Very few Americans served in the Legion during WWII. One who did, and with distinction was John F. (Jack) Hasey. He clearly had a desire to be where the action was. A young American living and working in Europe at the time, he volunteered to drive an ambulance in Finland's Winter War with the Soviet Union.
Following that, when Great Britain and France went to war with the Axis, Hasey enlisted in the Legion. He was seriously wounded in action. While in the hospital, he received a personal letter from General de Gaulle, which said in part:
"Just as you were the first American citizen to shed his blood to free France from the oppressors, so I wish you to be the first American citizen to become Comagnon de l'ordre de la Liberation."
That medal was given only to those who rallied early on to join de Gaulle's Free French forces and was a very high honor.
After the war, Hasey joined the CIA where he served a long career as a case officer, which is where I met him.
For those interested in reading about Hasey's service in the Legion, he tells it himself in a book entitled "Yankee Fighter: The Story of an American in the Free French Foreign Legion."
Larry Brown
Ex-CIA case officer
Colonel (Retired), Military Intelligence, US Army Reserve
An occasion to mention Gen. Christian Piquemal, Commandant of the Foreign Legion from 1994 to 1999. Christian Piquemal is the retired Commandant of the Legion (1994 to 1999)..
At 75, he was struck off the generals of the 2nd section for breach of the duty of reserve and loyalty after participating in a far-right anti-migrants political demonstration in 2016 around the Calais Jungle (alongside the RN's Marine Le Pen, the German anti-Muslim PEGIDA and the Putin-supported Night Wolves bikers (serving military in France are subject to a strict "obligation of reserve" until thy reach 2ème section ie semi-retirement). In 2021, Piquemal was one of the signatories of a letter from former generals admirals and retired military personnel calling for the overthrow of President Macron should he sign the Marrakech accord which basically says one should be nice with migrants. He did sign.
Piquemal is active on LinkedIn as an anti NATO, anti-EU and pro-Russian, pro-"Eurasia" propagandist. As I had been fighting hard on LinkedIn those right-wing extremists and enemies of democracy, Piquemal took the step of writing a circular letter as former Commander of he Foreign Legion, designating me as a dangerous actor to be barred from all "patriotic and Christian" LinkedIn groups/ So I just se proxies.
Note that Gen Martinez (another would-be putschist prominent far-right retired general) and Piquemal have contacts with Vostok France Solidarité Donbass, a GRU outfit which used to recruit mercenaries to fight with the pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas. They are at 10 Impasse du Bocage, Annecy-le-Vieux, Haute-Savoie, France.
Very interesting. Very few Americans served in the Legion during WWII. One who did, and with distinction was John F. (Jack) Hasey. He clearly had a desire to be where the action was. A young American living and working in Europe at the time, he volunteered to drive an ambulance in Finland's Winter War with the Soviet Union.
Following that, when Great Britain and France went to war with the Axis, Hasey enlisted in the Legion. He was seriously wounded in action. While in the hospital, he received a personal letter from General de Gaulle, which said in part:
"Just as you were the first American citizen to shed his blood to free France from the oppressors, so I wish you to be the first American citizen to become Comagnon de l'ordre de la Liberation."
That medal was given only to those who rallied early on to join de Gaulle's Free French forces and was a very high honor.
After the war, Hasey joined the CIA where he served a long career as a case officer, which is where I met him.
For those interested in reading about Hasey's service in the Legion, he tells it himself in a book entitled "Yankee Fighter: The Story of an American in the Free French Foreign Legion."
Larry Brown
Ex-CIA case officer
Colonel (Retired), Military Intelligence, US Army Reserve