Legionary Songs

By Christian Morisot
I received as a gift the book "The Collection of Legionary Songs," published by the company "D'un autre ailleurs" (From Another Elsewhere).

Legionary song is a living tradition with global reach. The French Foreign Legion stands with them at the crossroads of military history and human fraternity, embodying a unique spirit.

I have kept some songbooks and, as a result, I have observed an evolution in the songs recorded. While it is true that song plays a role in fostering cohesion, it is important to note that it is above all an ancestral practice with a beneficial influence on the individual, an influence that is amplified when they are in a group. Song presents itself as a collective harmony that acts through time; the singer is thus in communion with all those who have performed the songs before them, the forces of the past helping them to face current challenges.

A return to the book is essential; this large collection is the result of extensive work undertaken over several years with legionnaires, historians, and musicians. While access to the archives of the French Foreign Legion Historical Service was crucial, it is nonetheless missing the excellent text intended for instructors training young legionnaires, written in 1970 by Captain Jean-Marie Selosse, who was later replaced, and largely inspired by one of the book's authors.

I wouldn't presume to say that this collection will replace our traditional songbooks, even though singing in the Legion fosters esprit de corps and contributes to operational effectiveness; I doubt it will be a great success.

The songbook, with its pocket-sized format, is indispensable for many occasions, and our upcoming Camerone Day celebration is just one of them…

PS: Colonel (ret.) Jean-Marie Selosse carried Captain Danjou's hand in 2003 and is the author of the book "The Tree of Prey."