Keep smiling during the hard times

Every man knows that the difficult moments he was confronted with during his life and managed them, they will transform later into great memories. The difficulties and the fun are the essences which the man needs to live a good life. The French Foreign Legion, and the army in general, provides men with both a little bit of difficulties and a little bit of fun…

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BLEM: History of the only Foreign Legion unit not participating in the Algerian War

The Foreign Legion Madagascar Battalion (BLEM) is one of those very little known units of the French Foreign Legion, even in France. The BLEM, in historical context, it is a very unique unit. It was the only Foreign Legion combat unit being not involved in the Algerian War (1954-1962). Also, the BLEM is that unit which helped to re-establish the new 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment in 1962. A company of BLEM was the first Legion unit ever stationed in Djibouti. The battalion also operated an amphibious and jungle training center, the predecessor to today’s famous, well-known CEFE jungle training center based in French Guiana. The last interesting thing is that the very few data we can find about the BLEM are misinterpreted by both, Wikipedia and the Foreign Legion official website.

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