Allies for ever
The example of French troops in the UN peacekeeping operation in Lebanon shows how to keep the memory of wartime comrades. During the multinational exercise "Common Effort", which is held in this country, members of the French contingent expressly asked to be on par with Serbian soldiers.
The reason for this somewhat unusual move is the medal which King Aleksandar Karadjordjevic awarded to them back in 1930. The French did not forget either the Serbian Army or the honour offered by the king. Their 93rd Mountain Artillery Regiment, among numerous French decorations and awards, is particularly proud of the Yugoslav war memorial to the liberation and unification war of 1914-1918 by which the Yugoslav king showed gratitude for the wartime alliance.
Gramata with Alexander's signature still stands at the honour place in the barracks in Vars near Grenoble, and French gunners proudly show it to the guests of their garrison.- It is no small thing when a ruler of a state decorates a unit. It is an honour that cannot be forgotten – the French explained their desire to share the burden of the exercise in the far away Lebanon with the officers and soldiers of the Serbian Armed Forces.
It is no coincidence that the Yugoslav King paid compliment to the 93rd Mountain Artillery Regiment. The unit, whose motto is "Rock and Fire", played one of the key roles in the Battle of Kajmakcalan. On wings of fire of French guns, Serbian soldiers broke through the Salonika front and stormed to liberate Serbia. Doors of victory opened at Dobro Polje – a place that has gold letters inscribed on the list of the victories of French artillerymen and the 93rd Regiment.
Memories of joint warfare in the Great War are still living in the French army. Grandchildren of their brothers-in-arms from Kajmakcalan, Dobro Polje, Veternik and Djurkov kamen, merged in the distant Mediterranean. Wartime comradeship between the French and men from Morava, Sumadija, Drina and Timok entered the annals of the Regiment, which is today one of the prime forces of the French army. A chance and military fortune made that the commander of the group, a French lieutenant, spent some time on studies in Belgrade. Learning the officers' craft, he spent four months in 2010 at the Military Academy in Belgrade, where he stayed under the student exchange programme.
- We are moved by the gesture of the French soldiers. The desire to be together with members of the Serbian Armed Forces showed that they respect our common history, but also that they appreciate the Serbian Armed Forces. This is all the more significant because this year we are marking 100 years since the start of the First World War in which our states and armies fought together – Colonel Milivoje Pajovic, Chief of the Peacekeeping Operations Centre of the Serbian Armed Forces says and points out that we have excellent cooperation with the French in international missions, where we get the best evaluations.
French mountain artillerymen and members of the Serbian Armed Forces in Lebanon are connected under the flag of the United Nations. Together with other members of the UNIFIL mission they are responsible for the control of the territory along the "blue line" that separates Lebanon from the Metulla area in northern Israel. The task of our infantry company, which has 130 people, and 13 staff officers, is organizing and conducting motorized patrols with combat and off-road vehicles. The first rotation of our company is finalizing a six-month shift in the mission, and according to the plan they are to return to Serbia on 26th May, when the new company of the Serbian peacekeepers will be deployed to the positions in Lebanon.
