French Far East Expeditionary Corps

At the Battle of Điện Biên Phủ

The **French Far East Expeditionary Corps** (French: *Corps Expéditionnaire Français en Extrême-Orient*, **CEFEO**) was a colonial expeditionary force of the French Union Army that was initially formed in French Indochina during 1945 during the Pacific War. The CEFEO later fought and lost in the First Indochina War against the Viet Minh rebels.The CEFEO was largely made up of voluntarily-enlisted indigenous tirailleurs from the French Union colonial or protectorate territories, the exception was the French Foreign Legion, which consisted mainly of European volunteers. The use of metropolitan recruits were forbidden by the government during the First Indochina War to prevent the war from becoming even more unpopular at home.

## In Vietnam

The French Far East Expeditionary Corps are seen in the French Indochina War section of Vietnam. The Frenchman, or "Jacques" retells his experiences with them when he was defeated at the battle of Điện Biên Phủ. His unit was made up of white colonial French living in South Vietnam formed to protect their home colony from the communist separatists. The French section beings stating the date May 7th, 1954, the day Điện Biên Phủ fell to Viet-Minh forces. In a black and white flashback Jacques' company is seen under heavy fire from artillery on all sides defending their position before the Capitaine decides to pull his men back. Several French troops attempt to retreat but are surprised and slaughtered by the Vietnamese. The Vietnamese had the French forces entirely surrounded meaning the only way to receive supplies and reinforcements was by air. This made retreat difficult leading to Jacques' remaining squad member to try and push through the attackers line. In the chaos of this maneuver Jacques is separated and suddenly attacked by an enemy soldier. Jacques and the soldier engage in a fist fight with the communist gaining the upper hand before the French Captain arrives shooting the soldier point blank in the face. Jacques gathers his dropped equipment and continues with the rest of the squad.

The squad eventually reaches what is believed to be safe position, but when they cross over a barbed wire fence they are suddenly attacked once again. Jacques is the only survivor being ordered to continue running on his own and is given a baguette as a ration to survive as long as he could. Jacques continues to run and when trying to return fire discovers he had run out of ammunition. Jacques then continues to flea until finally reaching a safe distance where he stops behind a tree to drink from his canteen. He then spots stick which Jacques says, "Is his greatest weapon and companion for the years to come". This stick becomes Jacques' primary weapon which he uses to ambush Viet-Minh a seen when he uses his baguette as a trap to lure in an enemy soldier. To avoid detection Jacques does not make camp opting to always change his location and surviving by raiding enemy camps, ending the French Indochina section showing Jacques is the last vessel of French power in the country.

Attempting to break freeThe Frenchman under attackSaved by the capitaneSlaughteredFinal retreatFinishing the Fight