Soldier or psychologist, what's best: 2 by thadeusz

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Soldier or psychologist, what is best for a young thief ? Part 2

5. Serving in the French Foreign Legion

I finished the instruction as one of the best new legionnaires. This enabled me to choose my regiment and my choice was 3 REI in Guiana. I was sent there for two years and I behaved well. This enabled me to become a Corporal rather rapidly as a good legionnaire. Life was cool in Guiana even if we had to work hard, but after two years I had to go back to mainland France. Before going to my new regiment, I had a leave and since it was agreeable to be on leave, I extended my leave by seven days. I arrived thus in my new regiment, the 2 REP, the legion only paratrooper regiment, seven days late. This was WRONG according to Legion rules.

I was immediately sent to the para training group, but I was told that there would be hell to pay for this seven day delay. Indeed, I got my para wings but simultaneously I was demoted to Private and sent to the brig for 20 days as punishment for my 7 days delay.

Of course, I had to wear a prisoner’s uniform during these 20 days, and I was shaved "to the woods" three times, once every week. The barber was another prisoner, not a specialist. He took a sadistic pleasure to shave me rather brutally, moving my head more than previous barbers had done: he said that he was lazy that this way he did not have to move the hand holding the clippers. In any case, the Legion charged me for these compulsory haircuts !

After that, I became again a good and obedient legionnaire. I proved that I was a good fighter during one of the numerous fights France had in Africa. I was then told that I would again be sent to CPL training after a series of jumps.

Unluckily, when I had 3 years and 2 months of service and was still a plain Legionnaire 1st Class, I had a jump accident. I broke my right leg and both knees. I was afraid that I was lost for para jumps, and I liked these jumps ! I was brought to a military hospital in Marseille where I was treated as well as possible by military nurses. After 4 months in this hospital, my officer came and told me that to let me walk as before would take too long and would be too costly for the Legion. He gave me a choice: either stay until the end of my contract, but with a cane and only for a secretarial job, which was less paid. If I chose this option my contract with the Legion would not be renewed. Or, accept an honorable medical discharge without pension, since my officers considered that it was my own fault if I had had this accident. I realized that the proposal was in fact staying in the regiment where I had been a proud jumper, but now as an invalid, or leaving the legion and forgetting my soldiering dreams. I chose the latter … and I did not get a pension, but I got my real name back. Of course, I kept my matricule number!

Before I left, an MD, a Captain in the regular French Army came near my bed and asked me what my plans were. He spoke kindly as follows:
"Do you plan to go back home and continue your young life there ?"
Young life since I was only 22 years and a few months old ! I replied energetically:
"No Captain, I want to show my parents that I can achieve something."
"You seem intelligent, why don’t you try to study something ?"
"Before leaving Canada, I had started to study Psychology and I liked it, Captain."
"Was that in a University ? Canadians have good universities."
"No Sir, at that time I was in a Borstal for a minor infraction. I got my GED, the equivalent of a Highschool diploma and I started to study psychology to occupy my time before being set free."
"Why don’t you resume your studies ? Here in France they might be difficult about your GED, but in Belgium they would not refuse it. Especially if you go to the University where my brother is professor."
"I will do that, Captain. Could you give me a recommendation letter for this professor ?"
"Of course, Tremmer. But now you must still rest here."

6. Brussels

I was finally discharged from the Legion two months later: I had thus stayed in the Legion for nearly 4 years, but this counted only as 3 years and 2 months of service, an accident and a little bit of money. I was not even Corporal since I had been demoted after my "mistake" and had not had time to go back to this gruesome stage.

I immediately went to Brussels where I met the Captain’s brother. This man was a professor of physiotherapy. He asked me a lot of questions about the stuff I had learned for my GED. In fact he made me pass a test more or less equivalent to my GED. Finally, he spent a lot of time examining my broken leg and knees. He concluded:
"Your intellectual test is good and I will arrange it so that you will be admitted immediately in first year psychology. I will also ask the Faculty to give you a small scholarship. No need to explain to me your situation, my brother told me about your case. But one thing is certain, in Marseille, they know nothing about physiotherapy. I will treat you and you will walk as you did before your accident."
"Will I be able to rejoin the paras, professor ?"
"You would like that ? But that would require a miracle and in this university, we don’t believe in miracles."

As soon as I was well set up and well organized, I wrote to my family and told them what had happened. My mother came immediately by plane and wanted to bring me home. I refused: I wanted to show my family that I was able to achieve something all by myself. My mother understood that her attempts to bring me home would not succeed. So she chose to let me live my life as I wanted, but she made me promise to write often !

First, I realized that my scholarship was not sufficient. I searched for a small student job and I found one at the nearest McDo. I spend most of my time in classes or studying with the self discipline I had acquired during my studies in the Borstal and later in the Legion. That enabled me to validate (in two years) my 1st and 2nd year psychology. In the meantime, I was tremendously helped by a sports doctor at the University and by a physiotherapist. My broken leg and knees were much better after that.

During my 2nd study year, there were terrorist attacks in France. I immediately realized that as a former active duty legionnaire, I should help my comrades, even if it was from an office only. I envisaged the possibility of joining the reserves. I wrote about this to the General commanding the Legion, but I got no answer and I continued my studies as well as I could.

I thought then that my offer had been rejected because of my French medical file which was now clearly outdated. I wrote a second letter saying that I was much better now, and I added a medical certificate specifying that I was "apt for military duty". There was still no reply from the General commanding the Legion.

I started to study for my third year and was considered as a brilliant student. I was also in love with a girl from my class, Maria Van Eyck, and I even lived with her in a flat paid for by her parents, which made my life easier and reduced my financial burden.

Later in the year, I received a letter from the Legion inviting me to come to the Fort de Nogent, one of the Legion recruiting places in Paris. I was supposed to be there as soon as possible and the object of this visit was to examine "details concerning my military situation".

I went to this Fort where a Legion MD, CNE Leroy, examined me. He showed me that he had my French medical file and the Belgian documents I had sent to the Legion to explain that my legs and knees were much better now. After his examination, CNE Leroy declared me fit for duty except for para duty. But he added that provisionally, I could not rejoin the active duty. This was perfect for me: I hoped to be accepted as a reservist but no longer as an active duty legionnaire since I was now studying very seriously.

Captain Leroy offered to sign a reservist contract, provisionally for office duty only. He added that, not whithstanding the fact that I had served as an active duty legionnaire, the Reserve duty was possible because since my mother was French when I was born. According to an old French law, I was thus a native French citizen by birth !

Considering the relevance of my project for a Master thesis, the Legion also suggested that I could sign a civilian contract for 10 years, to be started as soon as I had my diploma as a fully trained Psychologist. I had nothing in view for after my Master thesis, so I signed immediately without reading the details: I was glad, I would have a job. During my last months as a student, Captain Leroy would serve as my scientific supervisor: I would be paid by the Legion, but there were restrictions: I was not allowed to fail and repeat a year. Captain Leroy will thus, according to this "fair contract", be my main contact with the Legion.

7. French citizen

A few days later I received a French Identity card. After that, I went back to Brussels and I resumed my studies.

During the Spring holidays, I was called back to Aubagne for my training as a reservist. For most of those who took part in this training, it was an Initial Military training. For two other guys and me it was only a "refreshing course" since the three of us had been active duty Legionnaires. Nevertheless it all started with a serious haircut. In the French Army, Reservists must look more or less like the soldiers they are working with. In the Legion, it is nevertheless special: a Legionnaire Reservist must first go through a "rite of passage" and be shorn to the woods. One of us said that we all looked like "jailbirds". It reminded me of my first days as an active duty Legionnaire and I hoped Maria would not mind having such a jailbird for a lover.

During this Initial Training, we were all ranked. The former legionnaires had a serious advantage and I was ranked first. Our colleagues received a green beret at the end of their training and a Black Kepi, but we, the former legionnaires, received the same green beret but we also had the right to wear the coveted White Kepi again.

I worked very hard at the University and I validated my 3rd year with high marks. I had what is now called in Europe a Bachelor in Psychology. Maria and I were still in love, but I had to go for a long reserve period: I had to serve again in uniform for two months and I did not mind this ! During the first fortnight, I went again through a solid training: I finally regained the Corporal stripes I had lost when I came back late from Guiane. I was now a Corporal, but as a reservist ! The rest of the time was devoted to VIGIPIRATE duty: protecting citizens against potential hostile terrorists. I was very comfortable being again in uniform and patrolling in the streets of a small town.

At the end of this first reserve period I met Captain Leroy in Paris, in Fort de Nogent. He told me that now that I had validated 3 university years, I could become an officer according to the French law. He added that he wanted to help me become a Legion (Reserve) officer if I wanted to. I was rather pleased with this offer, but I could not resist asking the good Captain why he was doing this.

Slightly embarrassed, the Captain explained:
"Listen, I made you sign a 10 year contract as a psychologist with the Legion health service, to start as soon as you have your diploma in Belgium. Do you remember that ?
"Of course I do. At least I am certain now to have a job."
"Well, I learned recently that a Belgian psychologist diploma is not considered equivalent to a French diploma. So you would only be paid as a civilian helper, but not as a University graduate. This means that during these 10 years you would only be paid as much as a Legionnaire 1st class. But if you are a reserve officer, you will be paid much more during your reserve periods."
"This means that I would not earn a lot, I know how much a Legionnaire 1st class earns. But without the promotions and the other advantages, such as food, shelter and clothing ?"
"Exactly, and your clothes cannot be a legion uniform. So you must buy them on civvy streets."
I was not pleased with this information: I rapidly realized that even if I became a reserve officer in the Legion, my situation would not be as good as it could have been if I became simply a Psychologist in Belgium, with a Belgian diploma.

When I was back in Belgium, I tried to find a way to break this dreadful 10 year contract but not my reservist contract: I was rather proud of that one. My girlfriend, Maria Van der Meren, suggested that I should discuss this situation with her father. Maria’s father told me that since I had now recovered a French ID, I could perfectly join the Belgian Army: this would break all my contracts with the Legion, but it would let me remain in the military, since I seemed to like that. Maria’s father assumed that in that case, the Legion would no longer want me.

In fact, I did no longer want to join the Legion. I had the impression that I had been badly treated by this institution I had loved: I did not digest this business of changing my new contract. So I started direct, and clumsy, negotiations with the Legion represented by its General. I wrote to this important man that a young fellow, me, wanted to break a contract signed with his institution. It took a certain time, but I received an answer from the Legion legal office. The Letter was signed by a Colonel I had never heard of before and it had been rubber stamped "Official recruiting Legion office", which made it look official. The letter mentioned the fact that despite the fact that my 10 year contract had been signed by me in full knowledge of what it contained, it could be canceled since it had not started yet. But there was an addition: "We remind you that every active duty soldier in the French Army has, after quitting the army, a five year obligation as a reservist towards his regiment. For an ordinary legionnaire, this cannot be enforced since this legionnaire could be far from France and not a French citizen. Nevertheless, in your case, since you are a French citizen, it will be enforced. You will thus serve from now on, as a reservist, during each of your holidays. It is obvious that you lose your present rank of Reserve Corporal."
This letter also mentioned the fact that I had, from then on, to go to the Fort de Nogent and "be present there on reveil of the first day of each of your holidays."

Maria’s father suggested that I enlist immediately in the Belgian Army, asking them to have the possibility to complete my studies and to serve as an officer Psychologist as soon as I had my diploma. This would probably stop the Legion attempts to force me to serve as a badly paid reservist.

I went the next day to a recruiting center of the Belgian Army. The recruiter told me that I was too old to join as a Private (which is not what I wanted) and that I did not know enough Dutch to join as a candidate officer. But he also told me:
"You could try to join as a candidate NCO. You are too old to join as an NCO Psychologist, but you could try as a candidate Nurse NCO. In that case, as soon as you have your Master diploma, you could transfer to become a Candidate Officer Psychologist."

I applied as suggested by the Belgian recruiter who warned the Legion that I was no longer available for them. The same Colonel from the Legion sent me very rapidly a very dry letter saying:
"We make a note of the fact that you applied in the Belgian Army and if you are accepted, we will let you go. If you are not accepted, you will have to serve the Legion as a reservist continuously during the time remaining of your 5 year obligation, i.e. 18 months. You will then serve as a simple legionnaire without any promotion."
This letter was rather threatening, but I was confident that I would be accepted in the Belgian Army.

I went to the recruiting center. I was confident: after all, I had already completed 3 years of university. I took the required exam. I was good and even excellent in all the domains, except the ones which are specific for nurses. This exam was not valid for other domains such as Psychology (which in any case was not open for the time being), since I had not registered as a candidate for these domains. I was thus NOT admitted as a candidate NCO in the Belgian Army. This negative result was immediately transmitted by the Belgian Army to the Legion.

7. Back to the Legion

I was thus blocked by my previous agreement with the Legion. My major problem was that if I went then to the Legion "as a simple reservist for 18 months", I would not be able to validate my 4th and 5th year of Psychology in due time. That implied that for the Belgians, all my studies would have been done for nothing and I would never get my diploma. I tried to negotiate with the Legion, but they were adamant. They only offered me one possibility: validate my 4th year in Belgium and then enlist again for 5 years, one of these years would be devoted to a stage in a Military Hospital, and that would complete my studies in France if not in Belgium.

The Legion promised in that case that I would be promoted to CPL one year after starting this new contract, if I behaved well, and then promoted officer three years later, on the basis of my 4 years University diploma, provided I behaved not only well but really perfectly for the Legion.

I took my last 4th year exam and it was a success. I had thus validated my 4th year. But my 5th year was nowhere. I waited a bit, hoping that the Legion would forget me, but I received marching orders to go to Fort de Nogent, near Paris, as a reservist and be there no later than June 15, 14:30.

My girlfriend told me that she did not want to stay with a simple legionnaire and she broke. I left Belgium "forever" and went to Fort de Nogent on June 14, one day early. I felt unduly sentenced: I did not want to go there but I did not know how I could avoid it. I was still in civvies, but I knew that this would not last. I also went to a barber, asking him to give me a very short but nice haircut: I wanted to look like a decent reservist.

When I reached the Fort, I was taken to a Chief Adjutant Office. This "powerful" man told me that I was early since I was supposed to arrive on June 15, and that "Early is as bad as late for a legionnaire"
He nevertheless told me:
"Don’t be anxious." He looked in his file. "You are a Reservist, Corporal, and you are going to enlist as a reservist for five years. The Legion will manage for you. Sign here your reservist enlistment form and give me all your present identity papers. Your new Military Identity Card will only be ready tomorrow, but that is nothing for a Legionnaire like you."

I signed my reservist enlistment form in the same mood as a man sentenced to be hanged would sign his own execution order. I also gave this Chief Adjutant all my papers. The Chief Adjutant told me:
"Since you are going to serve for a long time, the General Commanding the Legion has decided, in order to ensure continuity in the service, that you can keep your Corporal Stripes. You can also keep your Black Kepi. Go immediately to the wearhouse and put on your uniform. Then pay rapidly a visit to this Fort Barber, he is also a Corporal."

I got my uniform, the first since a certain time and I went to visit the Barber, as ordered. I knew the rules: I would have a special haircut, 1 mm on the sides and 3 mm on the top. The Barber chose nevertheless to reduce the sides and neck to zero and he gave me a very very very short buzz cut on the top of my head. I wanted him to give me a High and Tight compatible with the Legion rules, after all I was not a new Legionnaire but a Corporal. The Barber chose to inflict on me a very short Crew cut which I did not like. He also told me that this would be used for my Legion picture on my Military ID as soon as it was ready. It was nevertheless acceptable since I have dark hair.

to be continued

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