French Foreign Legion information. An online project dedicated to the famous Foreign Legion.
A new part of the PHOTOS series. Today, we explore the now-discontinued products from the workshops of the Foreign Legion Institution for Disabled Veterans (IILE), which were prominently showcased in vibrant, regular color advertisements in Képi Blanc, the French Foreign Legion’s magazine, from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s.
Read morePHOTOS: Golden Age of Foreign Legion Veterans’ Handcrafted Products (1975–1992)
Between June 13 and 15, 2025, the French town of Castelnaudary, garrison of the 4th Foreign Regiment (4e RE), became the heart of the Foreign Legion family, as it hosted the national congress of the Federation of Foreign Legion Veterans’ Associations (Fédération des Sociétés d’Anciens de la Légion Etrangère, FSALE). View the photos and videos documenting the event.
In May 1955, a large semicircular building in southern France, containing 200 beds and modern medical and support facilities, was completed and inaugurated. It opened to wounded legionnaires as a center for their professional and social reintegration. As the Legion’s needs evolved after the 1950s, the institution adapted to new challenges, housing older, often solitary individuals facing personal hardships.
Read more70 years ago: A large center for Foreign Legion disabled veterans was completed
Each year, the 4th Foreign Regiment (4e RE) organizes an exceptional long-distance cycling event that brings together passionate riders and supporters from across various Foreign Legion regiments. United by solidarity, they ride with a single goal: to support the Legion’s wounded and retired veterans.
See a French Army official documentary dedicated to the Foreign Legion Institution for Disabled Veterans (IILE), based in Puyloubier, southern France. The documentary was published on the Army’s official YouTube channel in late 2022.
A few days ago, the French Foreign Legion published a video with rare images from 1934, showing the newly opened Home of Legionnaire (Maison du Légionnaire), a retirement home for Legion veterans. The home is located in Auriol, some 6 miles (10 km) northeast of Aubagne, the Foreign Legion headquarters situated close to Marseille, in Southern France.
A month ago, legionnaires from the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC) lent their support to the Foreign Legion Institution for Disabled Veterans (IILE) in Puyloubier, southern France.