NORWEGIANS IN THE FRENCH FOREIGN LEGION

The French Foreign Legion is a military service branch of the French Army. The year is 2017. Why do men from different countries enlist in the Legion at all in year 2017? –even Norwegians have left Norway to join the French Foreign Legion. The Norwegian historian and officer, Knut Flovik Thoresen, has spent at least two years making research and studies about the history of the Legion -and above all: The main reasons for joining the French Foreign Legion in year 2017. Let me turn to his book: “ Norwegians in the French Foreign Legion from 1831 to 2017 “ (Original title: Nordmenn i Fremmedlegionen fra 1831 til 2017).

Let one of the boys who left Norway bound for France to join the Legion tells his own story:”…I am waiting for a plane bound for the City of Nice ( The City of Nice is located in the southern part of France).From Nice I take the train to a town Aubagne. The Headquater of the French Foreign Legion is situated in Aubagne …. I am making an attempt to enlist in the French Foreign Legion…”.  The boy who wrote the letter to his parents was twenty-nine years of age when he decided to leave Norway for the Legion. He was not a teenager. His name is published in the book: Johannes Hartmann who had served in the Norwegian army already. He wanted a change in life only. The life in the Legion was no problem for him because he had a military training already. Johannes Hartmann served the Legion from 2010 to 2015 as a paratrooper in 2REP. Those who join the Legion for economic reasons are not coming from Scandinavia but from countries in the Eastern Europe. Former soldiers from countries in Eastern Europe are paid about 100 EURO monthly at home while in the Legion they are paid about 2000 EURO monthly. Besides they can be granted French citizenship after having served the Legion for five years.

When Norwegian sailors joined the Legion before the Second World the main reason was not to become a citizen of France. No. Many of the sailors had enjoyed the party life in bars located in the harbors for too long time. When the ship had left the harbor without the young sailor, he joined the Legion to make a living for five years. The stories published about the untrained sailors making a life in the Legion are stories about unqualified persons who should not have enlisted at all. It is seldom you read such stories to-day because the official standard and qualifications of those who want to join the Legion, are high. No drunken sailor or former criminals are accepted any more- that is past and

history.

The life of the Legion was a risky life and not a romantic life: So far the official number of men killed during the service in the Legion is sixteen. Sous-lieutenant Oscar Tønsberg  from Christiania(Oslo) was killed in Mexico close to Montealo in December 1866. Truls Andersen was killed in Mexico in December 1866 too.

Reading the stories about the young boys who had survived the time in the Legion create a wish for more detailed information. Maybe the writer of the book is already making preparations for another book contenting more facts about the life of the former legionaries?

WHY WE FOUGHT AND WHY WE LOST THE WAR AND WHY WE WON THE PEACE: A PERSONAL GERMAN REPORT NOT WRITTEN FOR PUBLICATION

Otto Carius: Tiger in Schlamm. 1960

( Norwegian title: Tiger på slagmarken. Otto Carius og krigen på Østfronten. Historien om 2. Schwerer Panzer-Abteilung 502 ved Narva og Dunabrug.2016)

The German officer, Otto Carius, had survived the Second World War. In 1945 he was regarded as a German war hero among the population of postwar Germany. Instead of making public statements about the war defending the Germans, he decided to write a personal report about this experience as a commander of the famous German Tiger tanks. The report was written for his friends with whom he had chaired the hard and dramatic events during the battles on the East-front and on the West-front later on. The result of the report was later published as a book. Otto Carius wrote an honest book about his private opinions about the war, the hard time on the fronts, the sufferings and the daily demands of running a Tiger tank in active battles. The book is an important source and contribution for any person who is interesting in studies about the WWII. Otto Carius is very clear on one main issue: He believed in the war. He fought the war to win for Germany. He fought the war as long as possible- to the bitter end, so to speak. Reading his story and his opinions about the war you get a good understanding the main reasons why Germany managed to launch military campaigns against country after country and winning most of the battles at the beginning of the war. The German officers and the German military forces wanted the wars. To win the war was the main task for all the professional officers who were the best educated officers in the world of the time. The responsibility for the war was not only the German Nazi-government but the ambitious German generals like General Gerd von Rundstedt( 1875-1953), who was even fired by Adolf Hitler several times due to disagreements with Adolf Hitler, General Fedor von Bock and Amiral Karl Dønitz . The standard of the German military forces was high. They all believed in the winning of the war. Otto Carius agreed with them all. He was made a war hero because he had destroyed more allied tanks than the German tank commander Michael Wittmann. Otto Carius was responsible for the destruction of about 150 allied tanks. The report is an education in how to act under fire and how to make it as a tank commander in actions. Otto Carius was making preparations for the fights all the time. He was a man who had to control all details before the battle and he was good as making quick changes during the fight if necessary. To call other officers for advise, was out of the question. He made the final decisions himself on the spot just like America field officers are doing today.

In year 2017 it is important to ask some critical questions about his book. He was a representative for the German population and the German military forces of the time thinking than the wars were not so bad after all. The war made him famous in Germany. He was respected. He received military awards for his qualifications as a tank commander in actions. He was granted a private visit to Heinrich Himmler (1900 -1945) because of his results as a tank commander. The description of Heinrich Himmler and his impression after the meeting were not negative at all. Otto Carius was concerned of the final result of the war. He wanted to know if they managed to win the war.

Let me put up a list of some of his comments of the war:

-He fought for his country only

-He was a man of duty

-He was not critical to the official policy of the German Nazi- regime

-He was happy for his new official position in society as a war hero

-He appreciated the military awards given him

-He was happy of his military promotions

-He was not military impressed by the standard of the American soldiers

-He is not making any regrets about the war and the sufferings of people

-He was of the opinion that the war against Soviet-Union was a just war and he hoped that the Americans should fight the Russians together with the German after 1945.

Conclusion

Otto Carius was more honest about the war than the common Germans after the war. He had lost the war. That is all. He had not learned anything from the war. The war made him a respected man who managed to win the peace for Germany. But he did change any opinions of WWII. He managed to make use of his qualifications as a leader into a service for the new Germany like many other Germans did. The difference between Otto Carius and the German officers of the time was that he did not make any excuses for his contribution to destroy the life of millions of people. No. He lost the war only.

The German military forces were the best of the world in 1940. The war was not only a result of the aggressive policy of the Nazi-government of Germany but also a result of the military forces active policy of launching wars making use the German officers qualifications in battles.

HISTORICAL  MEMORIAL  MONUMENT IN PUBLIC PARK IN NICE

THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

The Armenian Genocide – known as the Armenian Holocaust- was the Ottoman government’s systematic extermination of 1.5 million Armenians. The starting date for the genocide was April 24 1915.

On my way to the beach of the city of Nice I had passed a modest historical memorial monument many times during my holidays in Nice. The only reasonable explanation for not having approached the memorial monument earlier was the hot weather. My brain is not so active in hot weather. Sorry. Anyway I decided to take some photos of the memorial monument to study the facts about the content of the information written on the monument. I must admit that my knowledge about the content of the memorial monument was not much. Making studies later on at home in Norway I was surprised to discover the complexity of the political events described. Let me publish the information written in French on the monument as an introduction to the history of the Armenian people:

“ … Cette stele a ete devoilee le 23.Septembre 2011 a presence de M. Christian Estrosi, Depute des Alpes-Maritimes, Maire de Nice, President de Nice Cote-d’Azur et de M. Karen Karapetyan, Maire d’ Erevan a l’occasion du 20e anniversaire de la Republique d’Armene proclamee le 21. Septembre 1991…”.

Countries who do not officially recognize the Armenian Genocide as a genocide, are for the time being: USA, Great Britain, Israel, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Georgia and- to my surprise: Norway! France is among the countries who accepted that the genocide took place.

About 135 memorials commemorating the Armenian Genocide are spread across 25 countries.

Well, let me put in this way: The cold weather of Norway made me study the history of a modest memorial monument set up in a small and modest public park in Nice. History alive, you may say.

 Ruben Sevak whose photo is put on the memorial monument, was an Armenian poet, prose-writer, and doctor.He finished his medical education in Lausanne in Switzerland. He returned to Costantinople in 1914 with his family.

He was arrested on April 24, 1915 and killed on August 26, 1915. Ruben Sevak is known as a lyric poet. 

 

MENTON: ANNA CHROMY  AND HER SCULPTURE “ ULYSSES”

Sculptures for public viewing

If you want to pay the beach library a visit during your stay in Menton, it is impossible not to see the sculpture made by Anna Chromy. The sculpture is set up close to the sea, the beach and the splendid public beach library.

Anna Chromy wanted to become a painter but due to an accident she could not paint for about six years. Then she decided to become a sculptor. During her stay in Paris she was impressed by the surrealism of Max Ernst, Rene Magritte and Salvador Dali .Later on she settled on Cote d’Azor close to the Italian border and began to work with sculptures. “…Anna don’t relent, fight evil, and ugliness through inspired beauty. Go back to the roots of Europe, to the Ancient Myths and salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ…”, statements made by Anna Chromy about the meaning  and the philosophy of her work as a sculptor.

The sculpture “ Ulysses” is a part of the exhibition “ Mythos Revised”. The exhibition was shown at the National Archeological Museum in Athens.

Anna Chromy has been showered with honors and distinctions for her long career. She has been awarded the Michelangelo Award in Tuscany and the Dali and Kafka Prizes in Prague. Anna Chromy has the largest number of sculptures permanently installed in public locations all over Europe and in China. The number of sculptures is fifty. 

FRANCE/MENTON: OUTDOOR SCULPTURES IN PUBLIC PARK

Close to the beach of the city of Menton and close to the beach library, some interesting sculptures are set for public viewing. The name of the sculptor is Patrick Montalto. People  who went to the beach for swimming took time viewing the outdoor sculptures too. I was not the only one of the tourists who took photos of the sculptures.

FRANCE: CAGNES-SUR-MER-FRENCH RIVIERA

Outdoor sculptures

Sculptures are set up along the beach of Cagnes-sur- mer in 2015. Even if it was terrible hot walking along the nice beach of Cagnes-sur-mer in July , you had  to make a pause viewing the sculptures made by the famous Swedish sculptor Gudmar Olovson ( 1936- 2017). “… you like to look at the ladies…” a quick remark from an old French lady passing me while I was taken photos of the sculptures.” Yes, I do, but I like them alive not in stones “ , my reply to the old lady approaching me while I had a good time viewing the sculptures.

Some facts about Gudmar Olovson: He grew up in Stockholm where he received his training at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. In 1960 he went to France where he worked as a sculptor. He has taken part in many exhibitions in Paris, Stockholm and New York. Gudmar Olovson has received a number of medals and international awards for his art. Reliefs of Pope john Paul II, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, a burst of Charles de Gaulle, Georges Pompidou, Ingrid Berman, Jacob Wallenberg, Peter Wallenberg and Philippe de Rothschild are persons who have been portrayed by Gudmar Olovson . He is also represented in private collections worldwide.

 

FRANCE/THE CITY OF NICE AND KING GUSTAV V OF SWEDEN

I must admit that I have few common interests with the late Swedish King Gustav V of Sweden.  But we have one main interest in common: The City of Nice. It is impossible not to notice that the late Swedish king had stayed in the city. A street is named after the king, a hotel has his name and above all: A sculpture of the king is set up in a public park close to the beach. For your information only: Gustaf V ( Oscar Gustaf Adolf) was king of Sweden from 1907 until his death in 1950. The king was keen on sport. He loved to play tennis while he stayed in Nice.  He was a devoted tennis player, appearing under the pseudonym Mr  G. In 1980 he was elected into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. During a visit in England in 1876 he learned about the sport and he founded Sweden’s first tennis club on his return from England.

 

FRANCE/MENTON: BEACH LIBRARY-BIBLIOTHEQUE A LA PLAGE

If you are paying the nice City of Menton a visit I recommend you to relax on the beach for swimming and sun bathing- and above all: Pay the nice beach library a visit: Bibliotheque a la plage. The library is open from 9.30 to 12.30 –then the librarians must have a pause- and  they are back in business at about 14.30. The library is closed at about 18.30 local time. On Sundays the library is closed at about 17.30. The library is open from July 1 to August 31. Good luck and have nice time in a nice city.

MENTON: HISTORY ON THE WALL- VIETNAM

It is not easy to notice the plague on the wall of an old building in the City of Menton. The address to the building is: La Maison du 2 quai Bonaparte. The man who was born in the house in 1947 died at the age of 21 years. Jean Pierre Vincent Pellicano was born in the house on November  5, 1947. He was a French citizen. He was killed in action in Vietnam in 1968. He was killed at Da-Nang in November 1968 fighting for the Americans: AUS COB 3e Bat 21 st. American Division. He was a member of the famed American Division formed during WWII in French New Caledonia. Sergeant Jean Pierre Vincent Pellicano was awarded the Bronze Service Medal and Purple Heart.

The City of Menton wanted to let all of you who are paying the city a visit to know about him even if the War of Vietnam was not a popular war at all among the men of his age in 1968- and later on. No. The plague tells the true story of the cost of wars.