This magazine
came in this envelope
and later this letter came. I have no idea what it says...
But I did understand this article....I was alerted for Zaire when I was in the Army. These guys went instead of us. Good on them.
The Kepi Blanc in formation. I did consider a "contract" with the French Foreign Legion but the five year minimum enlistment turned me off. Still, a great place to learn French. 
You can show off this watch at a bar...impress the girls...
Years ago I wound up having a conversation with an older veteran at the bar in Fraunces Tavern. He guessed I served based on my hair cut, watch and posture. I guessed he served based on his crew cut. He said he had been a Marine. But that wasn't quite true. I knew enough about the Marines to know he had never been one two drinks into our conversation. He knew he had been found out. He was embarrassed and I can only think that was why he opened up four drinks into the conversation. He knew his stuff but he didn't know the US Armed Forces. I guessed he had been a mercenary and moved the conversation in that direction. No, he wasn't a mercenary. With great reluctance he admitted, six drinks into the conversation, that he had been in the French Foreign Legion. Blew. Me. Away.
The discussion level lowered while he expressed concern about losing his citizenship if the State Department ever found out and I wound up with an address for the magazine published by the Legion, "Kepi Blanc." It was a major pain getting the subscription but the first issue finally came. Leaving Kepi Blanc on the coffee table when company comes over is a helluva lot of fun. Adding that you just get the subscription, don't know who sends it and mumble something about the State Department is priceless. Ah, oui?
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