Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-06
THE FOREIGN LEGION
BY RAY CAVE



AIN SIERRA, Algeria, Jan. Sit is hard
to md typical" outpost Of the Foreign
Legion. The storied North African forts at
the deserts edge which Hollywood has glori-
ned as the essence Of Legion life are now
manned only by small and often transferred
elements.
The majority of the Legion has become
involved In the increasingly difficult task Of
fighting rebels in Algeria and Morocco. rebels
who strike and disappear with the effortless
motion of an advancing Sahara sand dune.
Ain Sefra. located in an arid mountain
valley 200 miles south Of Oran. is one Of the
few remaining outposts not likely to become
involved In operations against nearby Arab
fellagha.
There is little to disturb life at Ain Sefra.
where the weeks greatest activity occurs on
Monday when nomadic natives come to the
market to dispose Of fresh meat on the hoof
in exchange for cloth and other goods.
The Real Enemy Appears
1t is at such a post that the real enemy
Of life in the Foreign Legion manifests itself.
an ever-present monotony which somehow
makes each successive day little worse than
the one before because each day is the same
as the one before.
At Ain Sierra the oath Motorized Com
pany Of Foreign Legion has moved into BAR
racks built in 1894 for Spanish troops In
stead Of the traditional walled fort that can
be defended to the equally traditional last
man, there is a large fenced compound en-
closing several dozen buildings and Q quad
rangle looking much like the one ct the
Legions headquarters in Sidi bel Abbes.
Space No Problem
Space is no problem at Ain Sefra. where one
can look over the huddle of low buildings that
house the 1850 population and stare as far
as the eye can see at the rocks and dust that
mark the valley floor. nestled between twin
ranges Of equally brown and rocky mountains.
Each day the Legionnaires at this outpost
arise at $50 am. leaving the compound by
am. for an hour Of athletics on q field
where a running track has been lined of in
the sand and stones.
This Is more exercise than sport, with the
bare bleached skull of goat lying where one
might expect to find the broad-jump pit, OBJ
viously q bit of debris not considered worth
moving.
After breakfast Of coffee, bread and dried
meat or cheese the members of the company
not on some fatigue or construction detail
take to the field again to march among the
rocks or listen to lectures on tactics.
The oath Motorized Company. only two
months out of basic training near Sid bel
Abbes, will start working with its vehicles
soon, ana WlIL1n lew more montnS WILL DC
sufficiently trained to move to Constantine
or Morocco and fight in similar territory
against the Arabs and Berbers
Back for Siesta
By 1890 am, the Legionnaires are back.
assembled in the compound to receive their
mail, which comes three times q week by rail
from Oran, or get orders concerning the
afternoon before settling down to lunch and
. siesta, which won't end until pm, when
the blazing African sun is past its peak.
For two and half more hours the Legion
naires will train or work at the housekeeping
chores that occupy all military units. BY $50
pm, the day Is officially over. If 1t were
literally over as well, most Of the Legionnaires
would be happier.
Advancing darkness brings the lowering Of
q well-worn French tricolor which flies from
Q stan placed in the center of an ornately