[Atlantic Friend]

If this picture is from Salan's period as commander-in-chief of the Expeditionary Corps, then the picture is around 1953, after De Lattre's death.

Before De Lattre, in 1948-49 if I'm not mistaken, the French troops launched a combined operation with Marines, Legion and Paratroops. Because the operation couldn't be done secretly, the communists were warned and the airborne troops missed Ho-Chi-Minh by 30 goddamn minutes. Many things would have been quite different in Southeast Asia had uncle Ho not escaped.

[risk]

French Indochina history bump