CAMERONE
"These are not men....they are devils."
---Mexican Commander attacking Camerone
regarding the French Foreign Legion.
It is a hand.
A wooden hand that once belonged to Captain Jean Danjou. The hand represents the great sacrifice of Danjou and his men. It represents the battle that gave the French Foreign Legion it’s great legacy. It represents the aura of the legionnaires and their willingness to fight to their last breath.
It represents Camerone.
Camerone. A dusty little hamlet in Mexico. It had no value whatsoever yet a battle there claimed nearly 600 casualties...including 65 legionnaires....including Captain Danjou.
65 men, armed with only their bayoneted rifles with little ammunition...no food, no water, and no hope or rescue. They had no chance...their only choices were to surrender or die. They chose death.
They held off an entire Mexican Army which ended up with casualties of over 500 men. And when the legionnaires ran out of bullets, the few remaining men did the unthinkable...
They mounted a charge...with their bayonets.
Camerone. It is the fabled battle that established the Legion as one of the elite fighting forces of the world.
And this is the story.
Brief Description: An accounting of the fabled battle of Camerone which gave the French Foreign Legion its lasting legacy as one of the great fighting forces.
Key elements: Heroism to the ultimate degree, the bonding of a divergent group of men under terrible circumstances, a desperate situation which bred bravery.
Association: The most obvious comparison can be made with the battle of the Alamo although there have been a number of stories of desperate defense such as Zulu.
Format: Developed as a Tome Press comic with script by Steve Jones and Gary Reed and illustrated by noted historical illustrator, Wayne Reid.
Additional: The story will include a look at the entire legion at this critical juncture when the legion was close to disbanding. it was the battle of Camerone that solidified the Legion’s place.