Ceremonies

November 11, our Veterans' Day known here as Armistice Day, is celebrated more solemnly than D-Day, June 6. The impact of WWI on France can still be felt today. 

The ceremonies start when the band opens the procession at the Town Hall, followed by the flag bearers, then the Notables and the firemen. We go to the Monument aux Morts where a wreath is laid by the Mayor.

A modest but heartfelt parade on the Cours Colbert.

The Battle of 'Camerone which occurred on 30 April 1863 between the French Foreign Legion and the Mexican army, is regarded as a defining moment in the Foreign Legion's history. A small infantry patrol, led by Captain Jean Danjou, who was born in Chalabre, numbering just 65 men, was attacked and besieged by a force that may have eventually reached 3,000 Mexican infantry and cavalry, and was forced to make a defensive stand at the nearby Hacienda Camarón, in Camarón de Tejeda, Veracruz, Mexico. The conduct of the Legion, who refused to surrender, led to a certain mystique — and the battle of Camarón became synonymous with bravery and a fight-to-the-death attitude. In June 2017, the Warfare History Network declared this battle as one of the 17 greatest last stands in military history.