The Legion of Heretics

On Bastille Day; July 14th, the French Foreign Legion will parade down Paris' Champs Elysees as it has for years, impeccable in white kepis and blue waist bands, FA-MAS rifles strapped across chests. As usual they will be the last of the foot units in the parade before the tanks and armour roll and thunder down a thoroughfare normally reserved for more elegant traffic.

For this occasion the Legion imposes two conditions. First it is the only unit in the parade allowed the accompaniment of its own band because the special slow, striding Legion march cannot be performed to the jaunty tempo of the music furnished by la reguliere. Second, as the Legion passes the reviewing stand where the Champs Elysees merges into the place de la Concorde, its marchers stay together while every other unit divides, half to march toward the rue de Rivoli, half toward the pont de la Concorde which crosses the Seine in front of the French national assembly. The Legion stays together because, as the French television announcer solemnly proclaims, 'La Legion ne se divise jamais!' (The Legion will never be divided).