C clair que entr une pioch et une hache ya une sacré différence. Franchement, bravo a la légion ces hommes sont des légendes et sont craints par nos ennemies du monde entier. Vive la légion et Vive la France !

Là, je suis fier de ma nation ; France, je t'aime !

j'ai un ami qui était un ancien de cette grande famille qu'est la Légion ... il est parti emporté par un cancer. il me parlé souvent de cette partie de sa vie qui fut la sienne mais perso pour moi ça fait des années que je voue une grande admiration pour ce corps militaire

bravo la légion Etrangére

quite a formidable looking regiment!

This pace is the right pace to walk through the desserts of the Sahara, ;)

Das sind richtige Pioniere, groß stark, Vollbart , Bauch , essen wie Pferd trinken wie Pferd. Es lebe die Pionier Truppe. Gruß Respekt Ed

Beautiful day for a parade. Vive Legion Etranger.

I **love** the Legion's march music, "Le Boudin"!

Quite right, it heartens me to hear, or rather read, comments from such fair minded people as your good self Sir, my respects

One of my ancestor's name is inscribed on the Arc. He was one of the Wild Geese from Ireland who came to the aid of France during the revolution. A very good diplomat, I've read, but sadly he lost his head over his zeal for the French.

magnifique vous etes tous beau

Vive l'Armée, vive la Légion ! Vive la France ! Marine 2012 !

I love their swagger!

thanks bro!

@tiddlywink100 The Pionniers (pioneers) are the combat engineers and a traditional unit of the Legion. The sappers were very common in the French army and in other European armies during the Napoleonic era but progressively disappeared in the 19th century, except in the Legion. They had the mission to advance, under the enemy's fire, in order to destroy with their axes the obstacles drawn by the enemy and to clear the way for the rest of the infantry.

Look at the ex legion men on the grandstand,look at proud men ,brave men.i have a lot of respect for these fighters.not a bad pace 88pm good band as well,just wish the voice over was quieter

Vive la France

meme en Italie on sait que la Légion défile parfois avec des haches et des tabliers!!! Bravo pour ces légionnaires et leur excellente musique.

l'ironie de cette vidéo est que le"président" français avait un papa venu de Hongrie, qui devait justement s'engager dans la légion en 47 ou 48 avec en retour l'acquisition de la citoyenneté française, évidemment le mec s'est défilé car sachant qu'il allait être envoyé en Indo, peut-être le fiston sera t il condamné par contumace dans 50 ans pour toute son oeuvre, Lybie etc...

This most excellent!

Bravo les camerades

@tiddlywink100 The Pionniers (pioneers) are the combat engineers and a traditional unit of the Legion. The sapeurs traditionally sport large beards, wear leather aprons and gloves and hold axes. The sappers were very common in the French army and in other European armies during the Napoleonic era but progressively disappeared in the 19th century, except in the Legion.

come one guys !! its so good

Merci Legion!

C'est pas pour rien si ceux sont les plus applaudies sur les Champs (avec les Sapeur Pompiers de Paris)!!!!

best marching video..

La fameuse pioche.

L'ancien que je suis attend avec une impatience non dissimulée qu'un journaliste explique : pourquoi "Le Boudin" ?

In the Norwegian campaign and North African campaign among others. In the latter they fought at the battle of Bir Hakeim where they delayed Rommels Africa Korps long enough for the British to win a pivotal victory at El Alamein. During the invasion of Normandy 900 French troopers landed, as a part of the British SAS paratroopers, on Utah beach. They fought against the Germans, even without a fatherland. The legion is their fatherland.

Vive la legion ! Vive la France ! Ceux qui veulent supprimer le defile du 14 juillet sont indignes d'etre Francais !

Une pioche ... Qu'elle connaisse

@OnkelMickwald indeed Combat Engineers or Sappers

The legion has to bring its own music because they walk at their own speed which is very low but the chasseurs (alpins or à pieds) walk at their own speed too (which is the fastest in the french army) and have to bring their own music too (but then it is called a fanfare and not the musique like it is with the legion)

sidi bel abbès vive la légion

@MaxRWF 3:42 And just an angry look from a Sapeur can make a Marine's hair fall out.

Iedhunter44,that was in the old days,now they are loved by all nations

ils sont tres beaux isabel

Et c'est quand qu'il la ferme... ca gâche tout de les entendre piailler! !!!!

Sir(s): If I may, at this Date, Wednesday, 12 May 2010, and at this daily Time, 15:35 Hours/3:35 PM, CST, USA state that I am truly and thoroughly pleased that the United States of America, the U. S. A., still attends this Event. Thank you. Have a Nice Day. Godspeed.

@tiddlywink100 Marching pace of the Legion. In comparison to the 120-step-per-minute pace of other French units, the Legion has an 88-step-per-minute marching speed. ." This can be seen at ceremonial parades and public displays attended by the Legion, particularly while parading in Paris on 14 July. Because of the impressively slow pace, the Legion is always the last unit marching in any parade.

@tiddlywink100 The current pioneer unit of the Legion reintroduced the symbols of the Napoleonic sappers: the beard, the axe, the leather apron, the crossed-axes insignia and the leather gloves. If the parades of the Legion are opened by this unit, it is to commemorate the traditional role of the sappers "opening the way" for the troops.

The cadence they are keeping is one that would let a person march/walk for quite a distance without tiring that person out. I would guess that any other military members in this parade just might be "wiped out" at the end of it due to their faster cadence.

The dreaded "announcers who didn't know when to shut up.

:( ok, no problem, thanks for the information mate!

@OnkelMickwald yes

Last I checked US marines and French foreign legionnaires are fighting side by side in Afghanistan, are they not? Why make everything a competition of who's better.

In sports it is a mistake to underestimate your opponent. the same rule applies in warfare.

J ai fait mes 16 mois d armée Et j en suis fiere

Those are the French Foreign Legion Sappers, they wear gloves, and leather aprons, holds an Axe, and that beard.

@3:30 "A partir de cet apres-midi ils font ce qu'ils veulent" Non. Ils vont surtout servir la France et faire en sorte que l'on garde notre liberte !

Eine Tradition die weiter leben muss !

@tiddlywink100 Also, because the Legion must always stay together, it does not break formation into two when approaching the presidential grandstand, as other French military units do, in order to preserve the unity of the Legion.

@MrBK4u its a part of the France army, its the Legion. the best army, LPN

@LLPorduction I know US Marines and I know former members of the French Legion. All I can is that the former members of the French Legion are very intense and literally are lookign for blood. And this one's had no war experience. They had a very hard time readjusting to society. Very hard time and a Boot Camp of 6 months compare to one of 3 months is a huge difference. It can cause a lot of changes in your psyche. My respecto to the French Legion!

Superbe prestation comme d'habitude dirait-on, mais si les commentateurs pouvaient la fermer pour nous laisser que le spectacle........surtout pour du bla bla inutile

viv la france

Commentaires lamentables, un mulet et une bécasse ! On peut les voir à la télévision...

@tiddlywink100 they are sappers , and the legion marches at 88 paces/min, instead of usual 120

Sappers are great!

I am sorry because I do not speak French, so, I have one question which is the name of the march that they play before the legion one?

Any one know who manufactures the AXE these men carry?

Madame la journaliste, sauf le respect que je vous dois, les pionniers de la légion étrangère ne portent pas une pioche comme vous dites mais une hache... Avant d'ouvrir son bec il serait bon de vérifier vos infos. Salutations...

Tisztelet a Légió Harcosainak! HUN

Don't wrap them up I'll take them just as they are!!! I love a good beard...

@egusmc1 Look up Camerone, Mexico in your history book. You will see the difference between Marines and Legionaires. The Marines would have never taken that pledge.

Lorsque la Légion défile, on " ferme sa gueule" et on écoute madame et monsieur les commentateurs.

Wish the commentators would shut up.

they have some kick ass beards

@torstvillinger "merci par excellence de la monde assui au la fete de grande mere!"

OOOuuuhh confondre un piccolo et un fifre, absolument impardonnable comme erreur....

lol, well I'm American, so I have mixed feelings about France. I see guys like this and the GIGN and I think AWESOME, BAD ASS, etc...but it's not always that way.

the dude with the beards looks so badass.

the leather aprons and axes are because those are the pioneers (engineers?)

j’avoue j'ai bien ris x-)

Yes of course they are not heart children. But the majority of french people enjoy the Legion. As the british people like their ghurkas units.

Fuck all the arguements, these guys are professional soldiers and bloody good ones, no matter where they come from !!!!

Look at those beards. Badass.

how are the pioneers different? More training ? More time in the Legion ?

une pioche .....c'est une hache ! on voit bien la citadine !

Si tu as été condamné, tu peux t'engager. Tout dépend de ce pour quoi tu as été condamné : si tu es recherché pour un crime de sexe ou de sang, tu es refusé, d'office. Et peut-être même arrêté, puis "passé" à la police. Maintenant, si tu as été condamné pour ce genre de crime et que tu as purgé l'intégralité de ta peine, c'est autre chose. Mais ça serait étonnant qu'ils acceptent.

@MaxRWF I know some kick-ass jarheads, but yeah I agree.

@nulos00 ok, no era, me equivoque

Waiii on sort les chars ciré a l'huile d'olive etc .. puis sur le terrain ces RESTRICTION ! Economise les balles sa coute chere a l 'etat xD

@MaxRWF Royal Marines step on the Legion.

Quite right, standards have to be maintained old boy.

i wouldnt clap if they marched through my town...

marching axe on the shoulder….

@willkc8088 Have another look at them, by their very name they aint frogs La Légion Étrangère, the legion of strangers made up of foreign nationals who can take French nationality on completion of service, this information brought to you courtesy of The Royal Engineers. UBIQUE. God Bless all service men and women everywhere and keep their families safe.

L'animatrice se trompe sur plusieurs points concernant la légion. ( la barbe, la hache et non le piolet, leur rôle dans la légion ) Dommage qu'elle ne prépare pas son dossier avant !...

Comment la Drucker peut continuer a commenter le 14 juillet! Elle n'apporte rien et ses commentaires sont vides.

3:05 Lazare Ponticelli

형제야

Je rêve où elle a dit qu'ils avaient une pioche ???

regarde bien aux 3m 5 s. Les vieus soldats a pied. seaulemant aprés le generals fait le même.

@atrenium : C'est comparer des pays forts à un pays faible...

in africa, fighting

Are the pioneers allowed to have beards always or only for ceremonies?

"mon honneur s'appelle fidélité "

NO...Legionnaires would not stop to waste time with a marine, they can go without. Legio Patria Nostra