Pierre Jeanpierre

Pierre Paul Jeanpierre
Nickname(s)	Soleil - The Sun (code radio indicative) Jardin (resistance alias)
Born	14 March 1912 Belfort, France
Died	29 May 1958(1958-05-29) (aged 46) Mort pour la France, Guelma, French Algeria
Allegiance	France
Service/branch	French Infantry Foreign Infantry Foreign Airborne
Years of service	1930-1958
Rank	Legion French Lieutenant Colonel
Unit	131st Infantry Regiment 131^e RI 1st Foreign Regiment 1^e RE 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment 2^e REI 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment 6^e REI 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion 1^er BEP I Formation 1948 II Formation 1951 III Formation 1954 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment 1^e REP 1955 10th Parachute Division 10^e DP 1956
Commands held	1^er BEP (1948-1955) 1^er REP (1955-1956), (1957-1958) †
Battles/wars	World War II Phoney War Syria–Lebanon Campaign invasion of the free zone First Indochina War Suez Crisis Algerian War
Awards	Grand Officer of the Légion d’honneur Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 Croix de guerre des TOE Cross for Military Valour Resistance Medal w/Rosette Colonial Medal Indochina Campaign commemorative medal North Africa Security and Order Operations Commemorative Medal

Soleil - The Sun (code radio indicative)

29 May 1958(1958-05-29) (aged 46)
Mort pour la France,

I Formation 1948
II Formation 1951
III Formation 1954

1^er BEP
(1948-1955)

Pierre Paul Jeanpierre (14 March 1912 – 29 May 1958) was a Frenchman, a soldier of legend in the French Foreign Legion who initially served in the French Army. He fought during World War II, the First Indochina War, the Suez Crisis and the Algerian War, where he was killed in action. Apart from a short effective time in the French resistance and days in deportation, he served exclusively since 1936 non-stop with Foreign Legion units, most notably along the entire history making of the Foreign Airborne Battalions and Regiments, and more particularly as regimental commander of the 3 time reconstituted 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion becoming the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment (1^er REP) until his demise. Uncomparable prestigious commander, colonel Jeanpierre will always remain the symbol of the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment. Pierre advanced and placed his foreign regiment within the best assault troops amongst the French Armed Forces elite. In French Algeria, the name Jeanpierre surpassed the reputation that of Bigeard, with this nuance however: Pierre never did anything to showcase nor claim the later.