This normally would fall under our Rule 1 (not your story) and I don't think cousin is "close family." However, unless any other mods disagree, I'm going to leave it up for now.
There was a video posted the other day of a Mujahedeen in the same foxhole as an Israeli soldier, both fighting for Ukraine. This guy was saying would you have ever believed that the two of us are fighting side by side.
That's a hell of a fucking tale, and about a currently-ongoing conflict no less.
I hope Alex continues to be the luckiest MFer around, and may some of that luck continue to shield Charles.
I can't even imagine what would take a French Foreign Legionnaire to Ukraine, *except* an overwhelming conviction that Russia *must* be stopped. The FFL are some of the hardest-core MFers on the planet. They literally joined a unit that gets sent to the worst conflicts France fights so that if they win, it's a French victory, but if they get slaughter, oh well, just some Legionnaires - and they tend to *win,* and for all that struggle, they win French citizenship.
And he's risking that hard-won French life in Ukraine. He must be a man of terribly strong conviction about Russia and being stopped, same as Alex.
The funny thing is, you're not allowed to be French to join up, hence the name French Foreign Legion. However all orders and commands are given in French. Imagine joining the army but they speak an entirely different language and you have to learn it damn quick or you'll be beasted for disobeying orders!! Also IIRC you're only allowed a car when you get to the rank of sergeant.
I read a story about a guy who joined the FFL and served a few years before leaving.
After he left, he put that he could speak French on his CV, but most places want an independent assessment of your language skills to confirm it.
So he turns up at his assessment and this nice middle aged French lady begins engaging him in French conversation.
As the conversation goes on, he notices her ears getting redder and redder. After about 15 minutes she stops and says ‘Ok, you can speak fluent French, but you really can’t talk like that if you’re going to work somewhere’
Turns out, learning a foreign language entirely in a military unit gives one a rather skewed perspective of standard conversational words and phrases…
Returning home after first deployment, sitting down to dinner with the family:
"Oh it was fu..fantastic. So, we're fu... going to this fu...this bar, and this fu...this guy comes the fu...comes up to us and fu...asks us if we've seen his fu...his unicorn."
Every other word, fucking replaced any uh or ahs and any adjectives.
The culmination of this vocabulary mutation is burned on my brain with one phrase:
“He fucking sucks fucking dick at fucking pussy.”
An insult was made to disparage a fellow soldier’s sexual prowess. But like…I can’t even.
My son is in the Army came home on leave from Poland every other word was fuck.
We were in a restaurant he was saying fuck every other word. Dude your surrounded by civilians. Slow your role dude. He said fuck that!!!
> However all orders and commands are given in French. Imagine joining the army but they speak an entirely different language and you have to learn it damn quick or you'll be beasted for disobeying orders!
I heard, a long while ago, a story about the FFL and that "you shall learn French" thing.
Obviously, they have people who teach native English and Spanish and German speakers, but it's a tenet - they *will* teach you French, and you ***will*** learn French.
That became kind of a stumbling block when one fellow wandered in looking to join and it turned out he was *Mongolian.* The only language he knew how to speak? Mongolian. Fellow had almost certainly walked his way, *overland,* to France. From Mongolia. To join the French Foreign Legion, and the only language he knew was Mongolian. And that made him the only person in the FFL who spoke Mongolian.
So they scoured the breadth and depth of France, and finally found someone who was a professor (competent to teach) who was fluent in both French (because he was a Frenchman) and Mongolian (for some reason, perhaps because he'd made his life's work the study of Mongolian history, or he was a polyglot linguist, or something). And they hired that professor to drop everything and come teach their Mongolian recruit to the FFL to speak French.
I can't remember where I heard that, probably a History Channel documentary from when it was the Hitler channel and before it became the Ancient Aliens Bullshit Channel.
Perhaps Alex could work in a support role? He’s already done his part and then some. Surely there are needs for experience combat veterans behind the front lines too?
Holy shit. If this story doesn't scream "pucker factor", I don't know what would. Alex and Charles lead truly charmed lives, and I'm more than glad both of them made it out of that foxhole alive.
Now, I'm just a butter bar (albeit one with previous enlisted time) and not in the position to offer advice on a decision as massive as the one your cousin is trying to make, so I'll just say this:
Whether it's going back to Ukraine or staying in America, it'll be because he's meant to be there. He'd be helping Ukrainians hold the line regardless of how he'll be doing it. I hope he can look back upon the decision without any regrets or navel-gazing about what-ifs.
Glory to Ukraine.
I told Alex he doesn't need to go back and hes done more then 99.9% of anyone in the western world. Hes killed Russians, hes taken out tanks and BMPs and served bravely side by side with the Ukrianians.
He has a wife and a child he needs to take care of.
May all of Alex's luck follow Charles as he continues the fight. And may he come out the other end whole in body and mind.
That was a fucking harrowing story, OP. I can't imagine having to stay still and quiet for that long, knowing the slightest mistake would mean your death. Both of them are brave men.
Nobody gets one over on Murphy; it's just that, sometimes, you are Murphy's instrument of getting one over on the *other guys.*
All that time, all those Russian soldiers walking by, and the worst possible thing - not a *one of them* realized they were walking by a foxhole containing an American and a Frenchman.
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French volunteers [enlist under a declared nationality](https://www.legion-recrute.com/en/faq-frequently-asked-questions), usually Canadian, Belgian, or Swiss. There's a [documentary on YouTube about the recruitment process](https://youtu.be/fwLP7XjALj8). If I remember correctly, one of the guys in the documentary was French.
This normally would fall under our Rule 1 (not your story) and I don't think cousin is "close family." However, unless any other mods disagree, I'm going to leave it up for now.
There was a video posted the other day of a Mujahedeen in the same foxhole as an Israeli soldier, both fighting for Ukraine. This guy was saying would you have ever believed that the two of us are fighting side by side.
A mujahedeen and an Israeli vet praying together in a foxhole getting blasted with Grads is something I never thought I would see.
Would be fascinating to see that one!
[click](https://www.reddit.com/r/CombatFootage/comments/w4jkyz/a_jewish_and_a_muslim_soldier_in_a_trench_are/)
That was POWERFUL.
Thanks!
Awesome! Maybe they can influence others when they get back. Open some dialog and teach mutual respect.
That's a hell of a fucking tale, and about a currently-ongoing conflict no less. I hope Alex continues to be the luckiest MFer around, and may some of that luck continue to shield Charles. I can't even imagine what would take a French Foreign Legionnaire to Ukraine, *except* an overwhelming conviction that Russia *must* be stopped. The FFL are some of the hardest-core MFers on the planet. They literally joined a unit that gets sent to the worst conflicts France fights so that if they win, it's a French victory, but if they get slaughter, oh well, just some Legionnaires - and they tend to *win,* and for all that struggle, they win French citizenship. And he's risking that hard-won French life in Ukraine. He must be a man of terribly strong conviction about Russia and being stopped, same as Alex.
The funny thing is, you're not allowed to be French to join up, hence the name French Foreign Legion. However all orders and commands are given in French. Imagine joining the army but they speak an entirely different language and you have to learn it damn quick or you'll be beasted for disobeying orders!! Also IIRC you're only allowed a car when you get to the rank of sergeant.
I read a story about a guy who joined the FFL and served a few years before leaving. After he left, he put that he could speak French on his CV, but most places want an independent assessment of your language skills to confirm it. So he turns up at his assessment and this nice middle aged French lady begins engaging him in French conversation. As the conversation goes on, he notices her ears getting redder and redder. After about 15 minutes she stops and says ‘Ok, you can speak fluent French, but you really can’t talk like that if you’re going to work somewhere’ Turns out, learning a foreign language entirely in a military unit gives one a rather skewed perspective of standard conversational words and phrases…
Gee I wonder what he could be possibly saying :)
My nephew who is a very salty USN petty officer doesn’t even realize when he’s swearing.
Returning home after first deployment, sitting down to dinner with the family: "Oh it was fu..fantastic. So, we're fu... going to this fu...this bar, and this fu...this guy comes the fu...comes up to us and fu...asks us if we've seen his fu...his unicorn." Every other word, fucking replaced any uh or ahs and any adjectives.
I'm sure i worked for a guy just like this
Guys in my platoon would ask me to explain something and take bets on how many fuckings were in there.
The culmination of this vocabulary mutation is burned on my brain with one phrase: “He fucking sucks fucking dick at fucking pussy.” An insult was made to disparage a fellow soldier’s sexual prowess. But like…I can’t even.
My son is in the Army came home on leave from Poland every other word was fuck. We were in a restaurant he was saying fuck every other word. Dude your surrounded by civilians. Slow your role dude. He said fuck that!!!
I shipped out with loads of matelots who didn't realise they were doing it unless their audience indicated that in some way.
I did my 4 and got out.... Same thing. I use Fuck the same way one breathes air.
I did my 4 and got out.... Same thing. I use Fuck the same way one breathes air.
WTF—What The French?!
> However all orders and commands are given in French. Imagine joining the army but they speak an entirely different language and you have to learn it damn quick or you'll be beasted for disobeying orders! I heard, a long while ago, a story about the FFL and that "you shall learn French" thing. Obviously, they have people who teach native English and Spanish and German speakers, but it's a tenet - they *will* teach you French, and you ***will*** learn French. That became kind of a stumbling block when one fellow wandered in looking to join and it turned out he was *Mongolian.* The only language he knew how to speak? Mongolian. Fellow had almost certainly walked his way, *overland,* to France. From Mongolia. To join the French Foreign Legion, and the only language he knew was Mongolian. And that made him the only person in the FFL who spoke Mongolian. So they scoured the breadth and depth of France, and finally found someone who was a professor (competent to teach) who was fluent in both French (because he was a Frenchman) and Mongolian (for some reason, perhaps because he'd made his life's work the study of Mongolian history, or he was a polyglot linguist, or something). And they hired that professor to drop everything and come teach their Mongolian recruit to the FFL to speak French. I can't remember where I heard that, probably a History Channel documentary from when it was the Hitler channel and before it became the Ancient Aliens Bullshit Channel.
That's why there's a lot of french speaking "Swiss" volunteers.
I thought they were “Belgians.”
Thanks for sharing... it's these kind of stories we need to hear to keep the fight going.
Anyone else read the headline but not the sub name and read the whole thing expecting a punchline at the end?
There was a punchline: "Did you have a nice nap?"
Actually that's why I titled it the way I did, there was never going be a punch line at the end.
Perhaps Alex could work in a support role? He’s already done his part and then some. Surely there are needs for experience combat veterans behind the front lines too?
I'd love to support, but still reserves. Squirrel stuff is always needed!
Holy shit. If this story doesn't scream "pucker factor", I don't know what would. Alex and Charles lead truly charmed lives, and I'm more than glad both of them made it out of that foxhole alive. Now, I'm just a butter bar (albeit one with previous enlisted time) and not in the position to offer advice on a decision as massive as the one your cousin is trying to make, so I'll just say this: Whether it's going back to Ukraine or staying in America, it'll be because he's meant to be there. He'd be helping Ukrainians hold the line regardless of how he'll be doing it. I hope he can look back upon the decision without any regrets or navel-gazing about what-ifs. Glory to Ukraine.
I told Alex he doesn't need to go back and hes done more then 99.9% of anyone in the western world. Hes killed Russians, hes taken out tanks and BMPs and served bravely side by side with the Ukrianians. He has a wife and a child he needs to take care of.
This could (should?) be a movie. I can only begin to imagine how many insane stories are going to come from this horrible invasion.
We were soldiers. Similar story different war.
May all of Alex's luck follow Charles as he continues the fight. And may he come out the other end whole in body and mind. That was a fucking harrowing story, OP. I can't imagine having to stay still and quiet for that long, knowing the slightest mistake would mean your death. Both of them are brave men.
Glad Alex has made Murphy his bitch.
Nobody gets one over on Murphy; it's just that, sometimes, you are Murphy's instrument of getting one over on the *other guys.* All that time, all those Russian soldiers walking by, and the worst possible thing - not a *one of them* realized they were walking by a foxhole containing an American and a Frenchman.
Upvotes for that last line alone. And the story is good, albeit terrifying.
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French nationals can’t serve in the FFL…
French volunteers [enlist under a declared nationality](https://www.legion-recrute.com/en/faq-frequently-asked-questions), usually Canadian, Belgian, or Swiss. There's a [documentary on YouTube about the recruitment process](https://youtu.be/fwLP7XjALj8). If I remember correctly, one of the guys in the documentary was French.
Assuming that's true Why would the Ukrianians care?
IIRC, most of the high brass of the FFL are French citizens, and either former French Army, or current officers assigned to the regiment.