Green and Red.

By Louis Perez y Cid
Sometimes we make a small sign in the Legion's colors, green and red. So far, so good; everyone knows that green comes first.

But as soon as we start talking about the diagonal… well, that's a different story. Certainties evaporate, glances are exchanged, and doubt creeps in.
That's when, inevitably, the resident expert appears, proudly brandishing their mnemonic device, which some even take for historical fact: "Blood flows on the plain."
Very well. Except that blood is red… and if it flows on the plain, shouldn't it be above it?
Silence. Hesitation. General questioning.

In short!

These colors only very gradually entered the symbolism of the French Foreign Legion.

Originally, the dominant color of the legionnaire's uniform was green, dragon green.

This distinction was officially established in 1914, and it wasn't until 1959 that red was definitively added.

It should be noted, however, that the Foreign Legion had already been equipped with "green and red" epaulettes since 1868. Various texts dealing with symbolism or traditions have always remained vague regarding the arrangement of green and red on pennants, banners, aprons, streamers, or even simple two-tone signs.

The subject has always been debated. However, it was officially settled by the COMLE (Foreign Legion Command) in the early 1980s.

• First: The "dominant" color is green.

• Second: The colors are read in the order green then red, from left to right. “On the pennants, the green is at the hoist, in the lower part of the pennant, cut diagonally from the top of the hoist to the bottom point of the pennant; the red is opposite.” (see fig. Green & Red - Diagonal)
Based on these principles, the following layout was adopted:

“A picture is worth a thousand words.”

If you have signs to make or Legion “green & red” to print, require the following color composition (CMYK):
Legion Green = Cian 100% - Magenta 0% - Yellow 100% - Black 40%.
Legion Red = Cian 0% - Magenta 100% - Yellow 100% - Black 30%.