Jean Olié (24 March 1904 - 2003) was a

Général is the French word for general. There are two main categories of generals: the general officers (), which are the highest-ranking commanding officers in the armed forces, and the specialist officers with flag rank (), which are high-level offic ...

of the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...

and the 1st Inspector of the Autonomous Group of the Foreign Legion serving primarily in the Foreign Legion from 1924 to 1961.

Military career

Jean entered the École spéciale militaire in 1924, and was a commissioned a

Sous-lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until 19 ...

in 1926 (Rif promotion). Jean was assigned to the 28th Chasseur Battalion à Pied (french: 28^e Battaillon de Chasseur à Pied) on 2 October 1926. Promoted to the rank of

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

on 1 October 1928, Jean served in the

4th Foreign Regiment The 4th Foreign Regiment (french: 4e Régiment étranger, 4e RE) is a training regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. Prior to assuming the main responsibility of training Legion recruits, it was an infantry unit which participated ...

4^e R.E. on 10 July 1931 and with the Goums (french: Les Goums; light

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

units of the Army of Africa) where he acquired a great deal of cultural knowledge and was an expert connaisseur around

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

affairs. Placed hors cadre, on 20 October 1933, at the title of special services of North Africa. He was placed at the disposition resident commissioner general in Morocco. He was promoted to

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on 25 December 1935. Jean-Olie

Assigned on 7 December 1936, to the directorate of political affairs at Rabat. He joined the 46th Infantry Regiment (french: 46^e Régiment d'Infanterie) on 1 September 1939. On 1 November 1940, he was assigned to the mobilization of the general staff headquarters of the 41st Division (french: 41^e Division). On 25 December 1941, he was promoted to the rank of Chef de battaillon (

Commandant Commandant ( or ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ran ...

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

). In armistice leave on 9 April 1942, he was recruited at the corps of the indigenous affairs controllers of Morocco. Reintegrated in the armistice army on 16 August 1942, he was placed hors cadres at the general staff headquarters of the 15th Military Division. Detached on 1 December 1942 to the 1^e RCA, he then was designated as the general secretariat of the region of Rabat, on 24 March 1943. On 25 September 1943, he was nominated as a

Lieutenant-colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

. Detached again, on 23 January 1944, to the 1^e RCA. He was assigned to the general staff headquarters of the 3rd Army Corps (french: 3^e Corps d'Armee) of 7 February 1944, then at the general staff headquarters of Army B, on 14 September 1944, as chief of the 3rd bureau of the 1st French Army. In 1944, he took command of the

Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion The Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion (RMLE) (french: link=no, Régiment de marche de la Légion étrangère) was a French military unit that fought in World War I and World War II. Initially composed of marching regiments from the 1st Fo ...

RMLE (french: Régiment de marche de la Légion étrangère, R.M.L.E) towards the end of the

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

, succeeding regimental commander

Louis-Antoine Gaultier Louis-Antoine Gaultier (1898–1970) was a général of the French Army who served mainly in the French Foreign Legion. Military career World War I Louis-Antoine prepared the admission entrance of École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr wh ...

. He was chief of the cabinet of general commandant of the 1st French Army (french: 1^re Armée Française), from 24 November 1944, then chief of the general staff headquarters of the 3rd Armored Division (french: 3^e Division Blindée), on 18 January 1945. He was promoted to the rank of

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

on 25 January 1945. He entered to general cabinet, Inspector General of the Army, on 10 May 1946. Commandment of the territories of Agadir-Confins, on 31 May 1947, then, general secretariat of the region of Rabat, on 31 December 1947 and director of indigenous affairs course, on 30 August 1950. He assumed command of the Autonomous Group of the Foreign Legion in 1950, and was succeeded by his second in command, général

Paul Gardy Paul Gardy was Général de brigade of the French Army and Commandant of the Foreign Legion in 1951 and 1958. Military career Saint-Cyrien of the 108th promotion ("du Souvenir" - "of Memory" promotion), sous-lieutenant Gardy, graduated Saint- ...

. Admitted to the 1st section of officer generals on 1 January 1953. Military cabinet of the general, commissioner general resident of France in Morocco, on 31 August 1954. He was designated as the Commandant the École spéciale militaire and

École militaire interarmes The ''Combined Arms School'' or ''Joint warfare, Joint military school'', known as École Militaire Interarmes or EMIA, is a military school of the French Army intended to train officers who have risen from the ranks. It was founded in 1942 and ba ...

of Saint-Cyr from 1954 to 1956. He was then nominated as the civilian and military governor of grand

Kabylie Kabylia ('' Kabyle: Tamurt n Leqbayel'' or ''Iqbayliyen'', meaning "Land of Kabyles", '','' meaning "Land of the Tribes") is a cultural, natural and historical region in northern Algeria and the homeland of the Kabyle people. It is part of the ...

on 28 August 1956. He was promoted to

Général de division Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French (Revolutionary) System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corps ...

on 1 March 1957. On 9 August 1958, Jean Olié was put at the disposition of general director of the institute of high studies of national defense (french: institut des hautes études de la défense nationale) and center of high military studies (french: centres des hautes études militaires). Elevated to the rank and designation of

Général de corps d'armée An army corps general or corps general is a rank held by a General officer who commands an army corps. The rank originates from the French (Revolutionary) System, and is used by a number of countries. Normally, the rank is above the divisional ge ...

on 1 January 1959. He assumed command of the army corps of

Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I *Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine given name ...

on 30 March 1960. Elevated to the rank and designation of

Général d'armée Army general (french: Général d'armée) is the highest active military rank of the French Army and the National Gendarmerie. It is also used in the Air and Space Force, where it is called . Officially, it is not a rank but a position and styl ...

on 8 September 1960. In 1961, he served simultaneously as

Chief of the Military Staff of the President of the Republic The Chief of the Military Staff of the President of the Republic (''Chef d'état-major particulier du président de la République'') is a role in the military of France, military and Cabinet of France, government of France, heading the president of ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

(french: État-major particulier du président de la République Française), as well as the Secretariat-General for National Defence and Security (french: Secrétariat général de la défense et de la sécurité nationale). Jean Olié ended his service as of 1 November 1961. He was admitted by anticipation in the 2nd section of officer generals. On 30 April 1975, he was the ceremonial chief of the

Legion Legion may refer to: Military * Roman legion, the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army * Spanish Legion, an elite military unit within the Spanish Army * Legion of the United States, a reorganization of the United States Army from 179 ...

's commemoration of Camarón.

Recognitions and Honors

Grand Croix de la Légion d'honneur * Croix de Guerre 1939-1945 ribbon

Croix de guerre 1939-1945 Croix (French for "cross") may refer to: Belgium * Croix-lez-Rouveroy, a village in municipality of Estinnes in the province of Hainaut France * Croix, Nord, in the Nord department * Croix, Territoire de Belfort, in the Territoire de Belfort depa ...

(4 palms) * Croix de Guerre des Theatres d'Operations Exterieurs ribbon

Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures The ''Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieurs'' (War Cross for foreign operational theatres), also called the ''Croix de Guerre TOE'' for short, is a French military award denoting citations earned in combat in foreign countri ...

(3 palms) * Croix de la Valeur Militaire ribbon

Croix de la Valeur militaire The Cross for Military Valour (french: Croix de la Valeur Militaire) is a military decoration of France. It recognises an individual bestowed a Mention in Dispatches earned for showing valour in presence of an enemy, in theatres of operations wh ...

(3 palms) * Médaille du sauvetage * Ordre du Merite agricole Chevalier 1999 ribbon

Chevalier de l'ordre du Mérite agricole * Medaille des Evades ribbon

Médaille des évadés The Escapees' Medal (french: Médaille des Évadés) is a military award bestowed by the government of France to individuals who were prisoners of war and who successfully escaped internment or died as a result of their escape attempt. The "Esca ...

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typ ...

(U.K) *

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

(U.S.) * Honorary Battlefield Badge (french: Honneur du champ de bataille) (U.S.) * Mérite Militaire Chérifien He totalized 14 citations and is a ''Caporal-Chef d'Honneur'' (Honorary Senior Corporal) of the

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, Armoured Cavalry Arm, cavalry, Military engineering, engineers, Airborne forces, airborne troops. It was created ...

Military career

Recognitions and Honors

See also