17 years ago, on August 16, 2000, a ceremony took place inside the barracks of the 4th Foreign Regiment (4e RE), the training unit of the French Foreign Legion, to render homage and to say the last goodbye to legionnaires killed in an accident during their basic training.
According to the official statement, two Renault TRM 4000 trucks occupied by the 2nd Platoon, 2nd Enlisted Volunteer Company (2e CEV), 4e RE were going to Castelnaudary, the garrison town of the Legion’s training regiment in southern France, in the afternoon of August 7, 2000. The platoon (around 40 men) left an isolated farm some 20 miles (around 30 km) distant. The legionnaires spent their first four weeks of basic training there.
The driver of the second truck lost control of his vehicle when approaching the road verge to let an oncoming car to pass. The truck left the road and, having broken two trees, it was stopped by the third one. The truck was demolished.
Four legionnaires were killed immediately. Another 11 fresh legionnaires were wounded, including 4-5 badly injured men. One of them died a few days later, on August 18.
Legionnaires killed in the August 2000 accident:
- Legionnaire DOLAK S.
- Legionnaire HARASZTOSI A.
- Legionnaire RAVALASON A.
- Legionnaire SMYRNOV S.
- Legionnaire URANO T. (Japanese, he died on August 18)
During the August 16 ceremony, the killed and wounded legionnaires were awarded with the gold National Defense Medal with the inscription “Légion étrangère” (Foreign Legion). Two families of the killed legionnaires were attending.
In September 2013, another serious road accident with 4e RE legionnaires occurred. This time, nobody was killed, luckily. Nevertheless, an officer + 18 legionnaires were wounded. They also belonged to the 2nd Enlisted Volunteer Company.
In November 2017, two legionnaires died during a road accident in Djibouti.
In 2018, also in August, a legionnaire was killed and another 13 legionnaires were wounded during a road accident in French Guiana.
In March 2020, a 1er REG legionnaire died during a road accident in Lebanon, 4 legionnaires were injured.
See also:
The then French article: Quatre jeunes militaires tués
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Related posts:
Car accident: 19 soldiers of 4e RE injured
2e REG: Five legionnaires killed in the Alps
Mont Garbi accident 1982
GOLE: 1976 Djibouti helicopter crash
4e RE: Remise de Képis blancs at Auriol