# French foreign legion? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 11, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-foreign-legion/218239 "2003-12-11T00:18:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![the\_fascist\_hunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b77776/32.png) [@the\_fascist\_hunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_fascist_hunter)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-foreign-legion/218239/1 "2003-12-11T00:18:04Z")
Today in History class me and **Xwalrus2** were talking about the French foreign legion, in an offhand remark the possiblity of joining was tossed aroung pretty quickly I dissmissed the idea, but now I have been thinking about it and it seems more and more appealing. i was just wondereing if ther were any legionarres here or vets, information about the FFL is sparse and hard to come by so you guys are the smartest on the web so I thought Id ask you. Max, souther boy from georgia ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-foreign-legion/218239/2 "2003-12-11T00:22:20Z")
Here’s a Straight Dope column about it: [Did people really run away to join the French Foreign Legion?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/011019.html) That’s all I know. ---
**Author:** ![the\_fascist\_hunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b77776/32.png) [@the\_fascist\_hunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_fascist_hunter)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-foreign-legion/218239/3 "2003-12-11T00:30:30Z")
thanks a bunchload ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-foreign-legion/218239/4 "2003-12-11T00:37:38Z")
There was also a book a few years ago, I think the title was “Mouthful of Marbles”, or something like that. It was a true story, written by a guy who was in the FFL and escaped. I can’t find the book on Amazon, nor have I seen it on bargain bin tables…but the review I read in the LA Times book review back then made the book sound interesting. Maybe someone here will have better luck tracking the book down. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-foreign-legion/218239/5 "2003-12-11T05:04:03Z")
Here you go. [The official French Foreign Legion (La Legion Etrangere) Site](http://www.legionetrangere.fr/default_zone/fr/html/framesfr.html) and [The Legion’s English language recruitment page](http://www.br-legion.com/ang/default.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-foreign-legion/218239/6 "2003-12-11T06:09:37Z")
“A Mouthful of Rocks” by Christian Jennings. Might cure you of a desire to join les kepis blancs. [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0871133407/002-6318437-1320040?v=glance](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0871133407/002-6318437-1320040?v=glance) ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-foreign-legion/218239/7 "2003-12-11T06:17:26Z")
Man, that Publisher’s Weekly review is priceless. “Hypnotically bland”?! ---
**Author:** ![CaptBushido](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@CaptBushido](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptBushido)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-foreign-legion/218239/8 "2003-12-11T07:20:39Z")
First, you must get into the proper mood. Listen to **The Legionnaire’s Lament** by the Decemberists Tres bien! ---
**Author:** ![Gest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Gest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gest)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-foreign-legion/218239/9 "2003-12-11T11:31:31Z")
I once shared with a Ukrainian guy who went from the Red Army to a five year stint with the Legion. According to him, it seems it is very much a _buyer’s market_ as far as the legion is concerned. Especially since the breakup of the USSR, there is now a glut of personnel with the kind of specialist training the Legion values. They can so easily get it prepackaged and hence it’s tough to get in without _any_ appropriate highlights on your resume. Think combat medic or spectacular marksmanship ability. My roomie was an absolute fiend with electronics. Have a look at the Spanish Foreign Legion. It’s probably even harder to get into and it’s meant to be an even more miserable existence but then again, perhaps hedonism isn’t your thing. I’m told I lead a rather ascetic life but I think even I’d draw my line somewhere between the French and Spanish incarnations of the Legion. Oh yeah… upon preview, I pondered the meaning of your screen name. Do you hunt fascists or you _are_ a fascist? Generalissimo Franco got his start with the Spanish Foreign Legion so there are some footsteps to follow in. Or not. ---
**Author:** ![ReuvenB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@ReuvenB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReuvenB)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-foreign-legion/218239/10 "2003-12-12T01:24:39Z")
Oh, he’s a fascist. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-foreign-legion/218239/11 "2003-12-12T01:46:08Z")
**Gest** , the Spanish Legión was only ‘foreign’ in the sense that foreigners MAY join, most of the time it was 75% Spaniards, and they have stopped accepting foreigners. One of the ideas behind the Legions was to have a corps of long-timer soldiers-by-trade who did not have too many concerns about mama and the little sweetheart back home and could be assigned to “do the dirty deeds”, and leave the fresh young draftee boys for more conventional battles. ---
**Author:** ![Blackeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@Blackeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackeyes)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-foreign-legion/218239/12 "2003-12-12T04:34:17Z")
In August I gave some serious thought to running away and joining the French Foreign Legion. But ties to home kept me from leaving just then. I did start learning French though. ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-foreign-legion/218239/13 "2003-12-12T07:17:55Z")
Check out [this](http://www.br-legion.com/ang/kepi.htm) from **bump** ’s second link: > [@](#): > > Can I wear clothes other than those I am given? > > The daily life of a Legionnaire is closely linked to his status as Legionnaire. He is therefore not permitted to wear any clothes other than military before he has completed five years of service. Furthermore, in order to purchase a car you must have the rank of Corporal, live under your original identity and have served at least five years. In order to get married you must live under your original identity and be one of the following three : Warrant Officer, Corporal totaling seven years of service or 1st Class totaling ten years of service. Perhaps that life would appeal to a facist…