Fourragère

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2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment

(2^e REI). The fourragère is the braided cord passing under the medals and around the soldier's side.

The fourragère (French: [fuʁaʒɛʁ]) is a military award, distinguishing military units as a whole, in the form of a braided cord. The award was first adopted by France, followed by other nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, and Luxembourg. Fourragères have been awarded to units of both national and foreign militaries, except for that of Luxembourg, which has not been awarded to any foreign units.

The origin of the award is not entirely certain, but at least two conjectural stories have been posited. The first involves Flemish soldiers serving under the

The other is that to the extent that an

France

History

As a regimental distinction the fourragère should not be confused with the

Napoleon I

and which it closely resembles (the aiguillette is merely a golden fourragère).

The modern fourragère of the French Army is awarded to all members of military units which have been awarded a

.)

It was introduced during the First World War, when the French Ministry of War first awarded the fourragère to units which had been recorded as distinguishing themselves more than once in the Orders of the Army. There were then six fourragères, depending on the numbers of Mentions in dispatches awarded to the unit:

Numbers of mentions	First and Second World Wars	Overseas Wars	Operations since 1952
9,10 or 11	Double, red (color of the légion d'honneur) and green with red stripes (colors of the croix de guerre 14-18 )	not awarded	not awarded
6, 7 or 8	Simple, red (color of the légion d'honneur )	Simple, red, with an olive red and blue (colors of the croix de guerre Overseas)	not awarded
4 or 5	Simple, yellow with green stripes (colors of the médaille militaire)	Simple, yellow with green stripes, with an olive red and blue	not awarded
2 or 3	Simple, green with red stripes (colors of the croix de guerre 14-18)	Simple, red and blue	Simple, red and white (colors of the croix de la Valeur Militaire )

If a unit received this distinction in both the First and Second World Wars, its fourragère bears two olives, one for each conflict it earned mentions. These olives are different:

numbers of mentions	First World War	Second World War
9, 10 or 11	half-red and half-green with red stripes, the two halves separated by a white ring	not awarded
6, 7 or 8	half-red and half-green with red stripes	not awarded
4 or 5	half-yellow with green stripes and half-green with red stripes	half-yellow with green stripes and half-red with green stripes
2 or 3	green with red stripes	red with green stripes

During the

was awarded to the flags of 17 military units, whose members now wear a fourragère since June 18, 1996. This fourragère is considered the top unit award in the French military, as the ordre de la Libération award is seen to be more important than any mention in dispatches.

Certain French military units wear combinations of fourragères, if they were mentioned in orders in both one of the World War and an overseas (colonial) war. For example, the famous Foreign Legion regiment the 3rd Foreign Infantry wears a double fourragère red and green with red stripes (9 mentions during World War I), with an olive red with green stripes (3 mentions during World War II) and a fourragère yellow with green stripes, with an olive red and blue (5 mentions during Overseas Wars).

Fourragères used by the French Foreign Legion are:

• 2e REI (2nd Foreign Legion Infantry) –
  croix de guerre des TOE
• 2e REP (2nd Foreign Legion Paratroops) – Légion d'honneur
• 1er REC (1st Foreign Legion Cavalry) - Croix de Guerre (World War II); croix de guerre des TOE
• 3e REI (3rd Foreign Legion Infantry) – Légion d'honneur, Médaille militaire, Croix de Guerre
• 13e DBLE (13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade) – Ordre de la Libération

Personal wear of the fourragère

The fourragère is normally worn by members of a unit awarded the decoration. When they leave the unit, they have to relinquish the fourragère. However members who took part personally in the actions leading to the award of the fourragère can continue to wear the fourragère, even after leaving the unit. They can only wear a fourragère corresponding to the number of actions they actually took part in. Thus, if a member of a 5-mentions regiment leaves but took part in only two mentioned actions, he can only wear the croix de guerre fourragère and not the médaille militaire fourragère.

Pictures

• 
  Fourragère aux couleurs du ruban de l'Ordre de la Libération
• 
  Fourragère aux couleurs de la Légion d'honneur
• 
  Fourragère aux couleurs de la Médaille militaire
• 
  Fourragère aux couleurs de la croix de guerre 1914-1918
• 
  Fourragère aux couleurs de la croix de guerre des TOE
• 
  The most impressive set of fourragères: double fourragère of Légion d'honneur and Croix de Guerre with olives of both World War I (9 mentions) and World War II (3 mentions) and fourragère of Médaille militaire with olive of TOE (4 mentions). Worn by members of 3 REI.

American Units awarded the fourragère

• The
  6th Marine Regiment, and the 5th Machine Gun Battalion of the United States Marine Corps
  were awarded the fourragère for having earned the Croix de Guerre with palm leaf three times during World War I.
• The 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Division, A.E.F., was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Palm three times, and awarded the French fourragère for service during World War I campaigns at Chateau Thierry, Aisne-Marne, and Meuse-Argonne. In addition, because several U.S. soldiers were present in front-line action during each battle for which the 23rd Infantry was awarded the Croix de Guerre, the French Government and U.S. Army Adjutant General allowed these soldiers to wear the fourragère as an individual decoration regardless of future unit assignment—a very rare honor. In total, 434 A.E.F. officers and men were certified to wear the French fourragère as an individual decoration, per the Final Report of the Secretary of War, 1922.
• During World War I, the 5th S.S.U. was awarded the fourragère aux couleurs du ruban de la médaille militaire.
• During World War II, the
  1st Engineer Battalion and the 1st Signal Company
  were awarded the fourragère aux couleurs du ruban de la médaille militaire.
• 17 French military units wear the fourragère of the
  Ordre de la Libération
  (see article for the list).
• 370th Infantry Regiment (World War I)^[2]
• 82nd Airborne Division during the Battle of Normandy
  in June 1944.
• The 3rd Division (Marne Division) was awarded the Fourragère aux couleurs de la Croix de Guerre for service to France in WW I.
• The 79th Infantry Division was awarded the Fourragère aux couleurs de la Croix de Guerre for its actions in helping liberate Paris from June 1944 through 27 August 1944 and helping liberate Baccarat, Phalsbourg and Saverne from 21–24 November 1944.^[3]
• The
  12th Field Artillery Regiment
  was awarded the French Croix de Guerre in World War I and the Belgian fourragère in World War II.
• The 104th Infantry Regiment was awarded the French Croix de Guerre in World War I and World War II.
• The 121st Cavalry Squadron of the 106th Cavalry Group, XV Corps, was awarded the French Croix de Guerre and French fourragère for actions during World War II.
• The 143rd Infantry Regiment, 36th Division, Texas Army National Guard, was awarded the French Croix de Guerre in connection with its action fought at Meuse-Argonne during World War I.
• The 4th Infantry Division, consisting of the 8th, 12th (both cited twice) and the 22nd Infantry Regiments were awarded the Belgian fourragère for action in the Battle of the Bulge. The 8th Infantry was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for the Beaches of Normandy, the 12th Infantry for Luxembourg (Battle of the Bulge) and the 22nd Infantry received three Presidential Unit Citations for Carentan (France), St. Gillis_Marigny (France), and the Hurtgen Forest (Battle of the Bulge).

World War I

Unit	Service	Year awarded	Campaign or battle	Other notes
6th Marines 5th Machine Gun Battalion	US Marines	1918	Battle of Belleau Wood, Western Front	Awarded the Fourragère aux couleurs de la Croix de guerre with palm leaf three times
9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division	US Army	1919	Meuse-Argonne	French fourragère in the colors of the Croix de Guerre, under General Order No. 156 F, August 29, 1919, GHQ, French Armies of the East.
23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Division	US Army	1918	Meuse-Argonne	434 officers and men were certified to wear the French fourragère as an individual decoration, per the Final Report of the Secretary of War, 1922
370th Infantry Regiment, 93rd Infantry Division	US Army	1918	Third Battle of the Aisne, Western Front	[4]
3rd Division	US Army	1918	Western Front	Awarded the Fourragère aux couleurs de la Croix de guerre

World War II

Unit	Service	Year awarded	Campaign or battle	Other notes
1st Infantry Division	U.S. Army	1944	Normandy	Awarded the Fourragère aux couleurs du ruban de la médaille militaire
30th Infantry Division	U.S. Army	1945	Normandy	Awarded the Fourragère aux couleurs du ruban de la médaille militaire
1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Signal Company, all of the 1st Infantry Division	U.S. Army	1944	Normandy	Awarded the Fourragère aux couleurs du ruban de la médaille militaire
Division and 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division	U.S. Army	1944	Normandy	Also awarded the Order of William by the Kingdom of the Netherlands for gallantry during Operation Market Garden in 1944
478th Amphibious Truck Company Non Divisional	U.S. Army	1944	Operation Overlord	Awarded the Fourragère aux couleurs de la Croix de guerre
79th Infantry Division	U.S. Army	1944	Operation Overlord	Awarded the Fourragère aux couleurs de la Croix de guerre
12th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Armored Division, 99th Infantry Division, 8th Infantry Regiment, 12th Infantry Regiment, 22nd Infantry Regiment , three regiments from the 4th Division	U.S. Army	1944	Battle of the Bulge	Awarded the Belgian Fourragère and Presidential Unit Citation[5][6]
9th Military Police Company, 9th Armored Division	U.S. Army	1944	Rhineland Campaign	Awarded the Belgian fourragère[7][8]
104th Infantry Regiment (United States)	U.S. Army	1944	Hindenburg Line	awarded the Fourragère aux couleurs de la Croix de guerre

Dutch Orange Lanyard

The Military William Order, or often named Military Order of William, is the oldest and highest

but far less awarded, the Military William Order is a chivalry order of merit open to everyone regardless of rank and nobility, and not only to Dutch military but also foreigners. To date the Order is extremely rarely awarded and only for excellent bravery in battle.

The unit's

. The Orange Lanyard is considered a permanent decoration and is worn for the duration of a military member's career.

Belgian fourragère

The Belgian fourragère of 1940 was created by

]

Luxembourg fourragère

The

Portuguese fourragères

Portugal has three fourragères: the

Order of the Tower and Sword

(solid blue).

South Vietnamese fourragère

The

The Vietnam Civil Action is another of the South Vietnamese fourragères. In appearance it resembled the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, but rather than yellow and red, it was green and red. Formations that were awarded the medal or emblem for two or more occasions are authorized to wear a fourragère. Many units and individuals were awarded one award, but few were presented with a second award.[11]

Decorative fourragères

Fourragères are often worn as decorative items to liven up ceremonial uniforms in military, police, and cadet organisations. Members of the United States and Canadian

See also

• Aiguillette

References