Honneur et Fidélité

[1] First Consul Bonaparte chose for the Grande Armée the motto Valeur et Discipline ("Valour and Discipline"), which remained almost until August 1914, when General Joseph Gallieni had the inscription Honneur et Patrie ("Honour and Fatherland") written on all emblems; the motto was already featured on the verso of the regimental colours of the first flag of the Foreign Legion from 1831 to 1835, and from 1840 to 1844 following the cession of the Foreign Legion in Spain.

[1] As a result, and mainly for those two reasons, Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Frédéric Rollet, following World War I, vested his power to inscribe Honneur et Fidélité on the 3 Foreign Legion regimental flags.

[1] His vocation was received and approved by the minister, and the decree of 1920 precised that "Regimental Colours of the Foreign Legion, in existence or created in the future, will carry the motto Honneur et Fidélité".

[1] On this subject, René Doumic, perpetual secretary of the French academy, cited in 1926 by General Rollet in the preface of the book of Jean Martin Légionnaire, stated: Let us not forget that from 1870 to 1914, the Legion was the "go to place" for those who kept a heart fealt love for the lost Fatherland.

Intellectuals, students, workers and all able men, born abroad, locally, we who have found the nurturing material, let us group link in a solid chain vested in the service of France.

[1] General Aimable Pélissier, superior commandant of the Province of Oran reminds in June 1854 at the 1st Foreign Regiment which was making way to the Crimean War after having constructed Sidi Bel Abbès: "Remember, while following the road of honour, that there is no more beautiful title in the world than that of French soldier, and that these noble fanions floating at the tip of your bayonets are unfortunately your fatherland.