Marcel Letestu

Marcel Letestu (8 April 1918 – 29 August 2006) was a Général de brigade of the French Army and Commandant of the French Foreign Legion.[1]

Marcel Letestu
Born	8 April 1918 Joué-lès-Tours, France
Died	29 August 2006 (88 years of age) France
Allegiance	France
Service/branch	French Army French Foreign Legion
Years of service	1936 - 1976
Rank	Général de brigade
Commands held	1st Foreign Regiment 1^er RE Operational Group of the Foreign Legion GOLE Foreign Legion Groupment GLE (1972-1973)
Battles/wars	World War II Indochina War Algerian War

Military career

Marcel enlisted in the French Army in 1936 and became a Sergent (Sergeant) in 1938. A Sous-Officiers in the Franc Corps of the 160th Infantry Regiment (French: 160^e Régiment d'Infanterie de Forteresse) in 1939 to 1940 at the front, he was made captive during the Phoney War. He managed to escape a stalag and joined the free zone.

He entered to the École militaire interarmes of Cherchell. He graduated as a Major of his promotion.

At the end of war, he was named as an instructor at the Perfection Officer School (French: école de perfectionnement des officiers) of Achern. In 1950, he was the champion of France for precision shooting and recordman for rapid shooting.

Promoted Captain in 1951, he joined the 5th Foreign Infantry Regiment 5^e REI where he was cited and wounded in 1952.

He then served in Algeria where he commanded a battalion of the 1st Foreign Regiment 1^e RE. He was then assigned to the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr, where he commanded a company prior to assuming the role of an infantry instructor.

Promoted to Chef de bataillon (Commandant -Major) in 1958, he commanded a general staff headquarters Division of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment 3^e REI in the Sud-Oranais. He then commanded the Foreign at Madagascar, prior to becoming the regimental commander of the 1st Foreign Regiment 1^e RE in 1970. During his tenure, the Operational Group of the Foreign Legion G.O.L.E was created, then in 1972, the Foreign Legion Groupment G.L.E at Aubagne and the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment 2^e REI, leading to the formation of the Commandement de la Légion Étrangère which he assumed the first command.[1]

He left the command of the Legion in 1973 to command, in 1974, the 23rd Territorial Military Division. He left active duty service in 1976.

Since 22 October 1977, général Letestu is the Patron of the École militaire interarmes promotion « Lieutenant Chezeau » (E.M.I.A 1977-1978) of the 1st Parachute Hussard Regiment 1^er RHP.

Recognitions and Honors

He was commended 13 times, 8 of which were in the Armed Forces order.

References

"Commandement de la légion étrangère" (in French). Légion étrangère (French Foreign Legion). Retrieved 9 April 2018.

Sources

History and Patrimony Division of the French Foreign Legion (French: Division histoire et patrimoine de la Légion étrangère)

French Foreign Legion

Current
units

General Staff Headquarters	État-major du Commandement de la Légion Étrangère - COMLE
Command Administrative	1st Foreign Regiment 1^er RE 4th Foreign Regiment 4^e RE Foreign Legion Recruiting Group GRLE
Music band	Musique de la Légion étrangère - MLE
Infantry & parachute infantry	1st Foreign Regiment 1^er RE 4th Foreign Regiment 4^e RE 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment 2^e REI 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 2^e REP 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment 3^e REI 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion 13^e DBLE Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte DLME
Cavalry	1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment 1^er REC
Engineers & parachute engineers	1st Foreign Engineer Regiment 1^er REG 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment 2^e REG
Training	4th Foreign Regiment 4^e RE Jungle Training Center Combat Training Center at Arta Beach

Defunct
units

Administrative and training	Communal Depot of the Foreign Regiments DCRE
Parachute	Parachute Company of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment Para Co.3^e REI 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment 1^er REP 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion 1^er BEP 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion 2^e BEP 3rd Foreign Parachute Battalion 3^e BEP Foreign Air Supply Company CERA 3rd Foreign Parachute Regiment 3^e REP 1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company 1^re CEPML
Infantry & marching regiments	Mounted companies CM 1st Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment 1^erRM.1^erRE 2nd Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment 2^eRM.1^erRE 3rd Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment 3^eRM.1^erRE 4th Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment/Garibaldi Legion 4^eRM.1^erRE 1st Marching Regiment of the 2nd Foreign Regiment 1^erRM.2^eRE 2nd Marching Regiment of the 2nd Foreign Regiment 2^eRM.2^eRE Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion RMLE Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion DBLE 5th Foreign Infantry Regiment 5^e REI 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment 6^e REI 11th Foreign Infantry Regiment 11^e REI 12th Foreign Infantry Regiment 12^e REI Marching Regiments of Foreign Volunteers RMVE 1st Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 1^er RMVE 21st Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 21^e RMVE 2nd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 2^e RMVE 22nd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 22^e RMVE 3rd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 3^e RMVE 23rd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 23^e RMVE
Saharan Legion units	1st Saharan Mounted Artillery Battery of the Foreign Legion 1^re BSPL 1st Mounted Saharan Company of the Foreign Legion 1^re CSPL 1st Mounted Saharan Squadron of the Foreign Legion 1^re ESPL 21st Mounted Company of the Foreign Legion 21^e CPLE 22nd Mounted Company of the Foreign Legion 22^e CPLE 23rd Mounted Company of the Foreign Legion 23^e CPLE 2nd Saharan Mounted Artillery Battery of the Foreign Legion 2^e BSPL 2nd Mounted Saharan Company of the Foreign Legion 2^e CSPL 3rd Mounted Saharan Company of the Foreign Legion 3^e CSPL 4th Mounted Saharan Company of the Foreign Legion 4^e CSPL Mounted Saharan Artillery Battery of the Foreign Legion BSPL Mounted Saharan Company of the Foreign Legion CSPL Legion Mounted Companies Groupment of Morocco GCPLEM Legion Mounted Group of Morocco GPLEM
Material units	15 Foreign Legion units
Pionniers & engineers	6th Foreign Engineer Regiment 6^e REG 61st Mixed Engineer Legion Battalion 61^e BMGL 15th Engineer Maintenance Company (15^e CEG) 16th Engineer Maintenance Company type I (16^e CEG -I) 16th Engineer Maintenance Company type II (16^e CEG -II) 1st Legion Engineer Instruction and Service Company (1^re CIGSL) 2nd Company of the 74th Engineer Battalion (2/74^eBG) 21st Company of the 61st Engineer Battalion type I (21/61^eBG - I) 21st Company of the 61st Engineer Battalion type II (21/61^eBG - II) 21st Company of the 71st Engineer Battalion type I (21/71^eBG - I) 21st Company of the 71st Engineer Battalion type II (21/71^eBG - II) 21st Company of the 73rd Engineer Battalion (21/73^eBG) 22nd Legion Engineer Battalion (22^e BGL) 26th Engineer Battalion (26^e BG) Legion Engineer Company n° 76/3 (3/76^e BG) 38th Bennes Truck Company type I (38^eCCB) 39th River Boat Engineer Company (39^e CEFG) 40th Bennes Truck Company type I (40^e CCB-I) 40th Bennes Truck Company type II (40^e CCB-II) Folding Boat Section of the 40th Bennes Truck Company (SBP 40^eCCB) 4th Armored Boat Company of the 71st Engineer Battalion (4^e CBB/ 71^e BG) 76th Legion Engineer Battalion (76^e BGL) Mechanic Platoon Equipment of the Far East (PEM/EO)
Cavalry	2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment 97th Reconnaissance Group of the Infantry Division
Pionniers & various	12th Pionniers Battalion 12^e BP Foreign Legion Battalion of Madagascar BLEM 3rd Marching Battalion of the Foreign Legion 3^e BMLE Mobile Group N°4 MG4
Transport (armored trains & heavy weight)	Armored Train of the Foreign Legion TBLE Passage Company of the Foreign Legion CPLE/EO 5th Heavy Weight Transport Company Foreign Legion Transport Company N° 2/519 Foreign Legion Transport Company N° 3/516 Legionnaire Transport Company N° 2/519
Disciplinary companies	Disciplinary Company of the Foreign Legion (CDLE) Disciplinary Company of the Foreign Regiments in the Far East (CDRE/EO)
Brigades	31st Brigade

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Marcel Letestu

Military career

Recognitions and Honors

See also

References

Sources