Lavage des Drapeaux dans l’Euphrate – 21 mars 1991 Washing Flags in the Euphrates – 21 March 1991
On 21 March 1991, French and American troops of the French-led Division Daguet helicoptered behind enemy lines to wash their battle flags in the Euphrates, a traditional ritual of victory in the French Army. This ceremony was movingly described by Dr. James J. Cooke, a U.S. Liaison Officer with the Division Daguet, in his book 100 Miles from Baghdad : With the French in Desert Storm (at 183-185) :
« There remained one thing for the French to do before we left Iraq. On 20 March, [French LTCs] Bourgain and Dureau informed me that on the morrow we were going to the Euphrates river, and they asked if I had a large American flag. I didn’t, but I found one among the Americans in camp. What Bourgain described to me was a ceremony whereby the French washed their battle flags in a victory celebration in a river near the field of battle. It was an old ceremony that would not be ignored here in Iraq, even though the Euphrates was behind enemy lines.
I decided that it was best that [XVIII Airborne] Corps not be informed about this ; however. Colonel Lesquer just smiled about it and said simply that it was good for soldiers to have a little panache. I agreed with him and made preparation to depart with the French in the morning. But by this time, several American units, the civil affairs and the signals, wanted to take their guidons and join our French allies. I told Bourgain about this, and he just rolled his eyes and said, “Oh, you Americans, you are — you want to be everywhere. But we’ll find room.” We also had our American flag, carried by a young sandy-haired private first class. It was his father’s flag. This banner had been with the soldier’s father in Vietnam, and now it would see, or perhaps touch, the Euphrates river in Iraq in victory.
The plan to get there was basically simple. With two companies of helicopter-borne Legion infantry to act as security and an attack helicopter regiment in support, about eight of the large Puma choppers would carry us to the banks of the river just west of Sawammah. It sounded simple indeed. At noon on 21 March the helicopters lifted off for the Euphrates to conduct the ceremony in which both French and Americans would participate. I was in the chopper with Colonel Lesquer and other officers, including a French combat camera crew. The Pumas flew low and fast, and we saw our first few Iraqi troops north of the marine positions near As-Salman. They just watched as the air armada flew over, and some waved at us as we went by. In about 25 minutes we could see the broad blue expanse of the Euphrates river and spotted the small inlet off the river where we would land. The ground was wet, and we were not engulfed in a cloud of dust as our choppers touched down.
[ * * * ]
Very quickly Bourgain organized us into two ranks facing the river, and buglers from the Legion and [French] marines sounded a call that reverberated across the expanse of blue water. Once the calls were finished, there was a minute of silence while each man reflected on what we had been through and endured to be on that spot of Mesopotamian soil. I looked at the Stars and Stripes and was seized with emotion as I realized that this flag, which had been carried in an American soldier’s kit in Vietnam, would soon be damp with waters of victory. At Bourgain’s command the first rank containing the guidons and fanions of the regiments, many pinned with the Croix de Guerre several times over, and the Tricolor and Old Glory went forward and were slowly dipped into them river. The first lines finished, and then the second line, containing a number of U.S. guidons as well as French regimental colors, came forward, and the process was repeated.
[ * * * ]
The ceremony was over, and we dashed back to the Pumas, passed two or three contented Iraqi [POWs] soldiers munching on mouton haricot or riz poulet ratatouille [French MREs, much coveted by U.S. soldiers], and flew back to our PC at As-Salman. Once we were back we found out that the order had come for the French and American forces to vacate the town on 22 March and that the Daguet, except for the helicopter regiments, would vacate Iraq on 23 March. »
Lavage des Drapeaux dans l’Euphrate – 21 mars 1991 Washing Flags in the Euphrates – 21 March 1991
On 21 March 1991, French and American troops of the French-led Division Daguet helicoptered behind enemy lines to wash their battle flags in the Euphrates, a traditional ritual of victory in the French Army. This ceremony was movingly described by Dr. James J. Cooke, a U.S. Liaison Officer with the Division Daguet, in his book 100 Miles from Baghdad : With the French in Desert Storm (at 183-185) :
« There remained one thing for the French to do before we left Iraq. On 20 March, [French LTCs] Bourgain and Dureau informed me that on the morrow we were going to the Euphrates river, and they asked if I had a large American flag. I didn’t, but I found one among the Americans in camp. What Bourgain described to me was a ceremony whereby the French washed their battle flags in a victory celebration in a river near the field of battle. It was an old ceremony that would not be ignored here in Iraq, even though the Euphrates was behind enemy lines.
I decided that it was best that [XVIII Airborne] Corps not be informed about this ; however. Colonel Lesquer just smiled about it and said simply that it was good for soldiers to have a little panache. I agreed with him and made preparation to depart with the French in the morning. But by this time, several American units, the civil affairs and the signals, wanted to take their guidons and join our French allies. I told Bourgain about this, and he just rolled his eyes and said, “Oh, you Americans, you are — you want to be everywhere. But we’ll find room.” We also had our American flag, carried by a young sandy-haired private first class. It was his father’s flag. This banner had been with the soldier’s father in Vietnam, and now it would see, or perhaps touch, the Euphrates river in Iraq in victory.
The plan to get there was basically simple. With two companies of helicopter-borne Legion infantry to act as security and an attack helicopter regiment in support, about eight of the large Puma choppers would carry us to the banks of the river just west of Sawammah. It sounded simple indeed. At noon on 21 March the helicopters lifted off for the Euphrates to conduct the ceremony in which both French and Americans would participate. I was in the chopper with Colonel Lesquer and other officers, including a French combat camera crew. The Pumas flew low and fast, and we saw our first few Iraqi troops north of the marine positions near As-Salman. They just watched as the air armada flew over, and some waved at us as we went by. In about 25 minutes we could see the broad blue expanse of the Euphrates river and spotted the small inlet off the river where we would land. The ground was wet, and we were not engulfed in a cloud of dust as our choppers touched down.
[ * * * ]
Very quickly Bourgain organized us into two ranks facing the river, and buglers from the Legion and [French] marines sounded a call that reverberated across the expanse of blue water. Once the calls were finished, there was a minute of silence while each man reflected on what we had been through and endured to be on that spot of Mesopotamian soil. I looked at the Stars and Stripes and was seized with emotion as I realized that this flag, which had been carried in an American soldier’s kit in Vietnam, would soon be damp with waters of victory. At Bourgain’s command the first rank containing the guidons and fanions of the regiments, many pinned with the Croix de Guerre several times over, and the Tricolor and Old Glory went forward and were slowly dipped into them river. The first lines finished, and then the second line, containing a number of U.S. guidons as well as French regimental colors, came forward, and the process was repeated.
[ * * * ]
The ceremony was over, and we dashed back to the Pumas, passed two or three contented Iraqi [POWs] soldiers munching on mouton haricot or riz poulet ratatouille [French MREs, much coveted by U.S. soldiers], and flew back to our PC at As-Salman. Once we were back we found out that the order had come for the French and American forces to vacate the town on 22 March and that the Daguet, except for the helicopter regiments, would vacate Iraq on 23 March. »