# French Foreign Legion

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-foreign-legion/88441>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [October 19, 2001, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-foreign-legion/88441 "2001-10-19T15:47:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2001, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-foreign-legion/88441/1 "2001-10-19T15:47:57Z")

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In regards to C.A.'s column:

[http://www.straightdope.com/columns/011019.html](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/011019.html)

for interested parties I recommend for a swell read Christian Jennings’ “Mouthful of Rocks”:

> **[Mouthful of Rocks: Through Africa and Corsica in the French Foreign Legion...](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mouthful-Rocks-Through-Corsica-Jennings/dp/0747505799)**
>
> Buy Mouthful of Rocks: Through Africa and Corsica in the French Foreign Legion (Jennings) by Christian Jennings (ISBN: 9780747505792) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

The only other comment I have is, if you watch the Gary Cooper B&W version of “Beau Geste,” you can tell how they filmed the night scenes during daylingt by placing a (red?) gel over the lens. This turned the sky dark, but made the legionaires’ dark blue tunics lighten from black to gray.

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**Author:** ![Schadenfreude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac8455/32.png) [@Schadenfreude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schadenfreude)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2001, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-foreign-legion/88441/2 "2001-10-20T00:12:15Z")

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And should anyone wish to join, you may find helpful information on the Legion’s [website](http://www.frenchforeignlegion.org/).

You’ll want to check out their links page. The tales and testimonials of veterans are really something to read.

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**Author:** ![davanden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@davanden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davanden)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-foreign-legion/88441/3 "2001-10-23T12:08:46Z")

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“Also like much else connected with the legion, it’s a beau geste (beautiful gesture). Very nice,  
but in the end you think, all this accomplished what?”

I’m reminded of a French officer’s remarks after witnessing the Charge of the Light Brigade: “Magnificent! But it is not war!”

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**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-foreign-legion/88441/4 "2001-10-24T02:20:45Z")

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Help me here. I recall a PBS program on the FFL several years ago. It seems that one of the attractions (considering the people who joined) was that upon completion of some ungodly amount of time you gained full French citizenship under your FFL name.  
Any truth to this?

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2001, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-foreign-legion/88441/5 "2001-10-29T06:04:43Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Five years’ honourable service will still bring a foreigner French Citizenship and the inducements to re-list are attractive, giving the Legion a strong corps of experienced NCO’s.

From [Why the Legion?](http://www.frenchforeignlegion.org/database/why.asp)