On April 30, 2026, the French Foreign Legion observed the 163rd anniversary of the Battle of Camerone, the legendary action that forged the Legion’s identity and esprit de corps. On that day in Mexico in 1863, a company of 62 legionnaires led by Captain Jean Danjou stood against some 2,000 Mexican soldiers. The legionnaires refused to surrender and fought until only three of them remained standing. As every year, the anniversary was commemorated across all Legion units and garrisons, in France and abroad. Below are images from several of these ceremonies.
CARDS: Foreign Legion Camerone Cards
CARDS series. This post is dedicated to Camerone invitation cards — formal invitations issued by French Foreign Legion units for the celebration of Camerone Day, the Legion’s most important day, commemorating the 1863 Battle of Camerone in Mexico. Camerone Day is observed every year on April 30, and the approaching anniversary makes this the most fitting time to present this part of the series.
Foreign Legion: 2025 Camerone Day
April 30, 2025, marked the 162nd anniversary of the Battle of Camerone, the defining event in the French Foreign Legion’s history, when 62 legionnaires under the command of Captain Jean Danjou faced a force of 2,000 Mexican troops. Refusing to surrender, they fought to the very end, with only three able-bodied legionnaires left standing. Commemorations of this anniversary were held across all Legion units and garrisons, both in France and abroad. The following post includes images from several of these ceremonies.
2e REP: 2025 Camerone Day Challenge
Recently, legionnaires of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP) took part in the annual Camerone Day Challenge, a series of sports competitions held in the days leading up to the main day of the French Foreign Legion to which the regiment belongs.
PHOTOS: 1938 Camerone Day in Syria
A new part of the PHOTOS series. See a rare set of pictures taken in Syria in late April 1938. They show legionnaires of the 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment (1er REI; now 1er RE) during the most important holiday of the Foreign Legion (April 30), commemorating the famous 1863 Battle of Camerone.
DLEM: 2024 Camerone Day in Mayotte
Watch images from Mayotte, a French overseas department in the Indian Ocean, where the Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte (DLEM) commemorated the 161st anniversary of the 1863 Battle of Camerone.
Foreign Legion: 2024 Camerone Day
On April 30, 2024, the French Foreign Legion celebrated the 161st anniversary of the 1863 Battle of Camerone, an epic moment in its history. The celebrations were held across the regiments in France and abroad. See images.
2e REP: 2024 Regimental colors’ decoration
At Calvi in Corsica on April 30, 2024, the regimental colors of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP), the only airborne unit of the French Foreign Legion, were decorated.
VIDEO: 160th Anniversary of the Battle of Camerone in Aubagne
See a nice, 15-minute-long official video dedicated to the recent 160th Anniversary of the Battle of Camerone in Aubagne. The video was published by the French Foreign Legion on their YouTube channel.
Read moreVIDEO: 160th Anniversary of the Battle of Camerone in Aubagne
PHOTOS: 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Camerone in Aubagne in 1963
A new part of the PHOTOS series. Rare photographs presenting the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Camerone, which was commemorated in Aubagne in 1963, within the new HQ of the Foreign Legion and the 1st Foreign Regiment (1er RE). This was also the very first Camerone Day celebrated in France and not in Algeria’s Sidi Bel Abbes.
Read morePHOTOS: 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Camerone in Aubagne in 1963
Foreign Legion: 2023 Camerone Day
The 30th of April 2023 marked the 160th anniversary of the 1863 Battle of Camerone, an epic moment in the history of the French Foreign Legion in which its 65 men faced some 2,000 Mexican adversaries. The famous battle is portrayed as a pure example of bravery and the determination to fight to the finish, and gave the Legion its character and esprit de corps. Therefore, Camerone Day became the most important holiday for all current or former members of this exceptional military unit. See 2023 Camerone Day pictures from several Legion regiments.