Bernard Goupil

Bernard Goupil
Born	January 16, 1925 Paris, France
Died	April 3, 2013
Allegiance	France
Service/branch	French Army French Foreign Legion
Years of service	1946 - 1985
Rank	Général de division
Commands held	Cabinet chief of the 1st Army Corps 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 2e REP Foreign Legion Groupment (1976-1980)
Battles/wars	Indochina War

Bernard Goupil was a Général de division of the French Army and Commandant of the French Foreign Legion.^[1]

Military career

On October 1, 1946, he was admitted to the selection entry of Saint-Cyr and subscribed an engagement at the title of the EMIA and joined the 152nd Infantry Battalion (French: 152^e Bataillon d’Infanterie, 15^e BI) at Mutzig in quality of an instructor candidate.

He was promoted to caporal-chef on February 6, 1947, date in which he joined the 31st Chasseur Battalion à Pied (French: 31^e Bataillon de Chasseurs à Pied, 31^e BCP).

He was promoted to the rank of Sergent on May 1, and on the 8, he passed to the 4th Chasseur Battalion à Pied (French: 4^e Bataillon de Chasseurs à Pied, 4^e BCP) where he followed the 9th course series of the ESMIA. On April 16, 1948, he passed to the 29th Chasseur Battalion à Pied (French: 29^e Bataillon de Chasseurs à Pied, 29^e BCP) at Coulommiers, however, remained attached to the ESMIA.

He integrated the promotion of « Général Leclerc » on June 1, the rejoined the EAI at Auvours, on October 1.

He was promoted to the rank of sous-lieutenant before heading to Coetquidan on October 31.

He was detached to the 4th Infantry Regiment from January 5 to February 5, 1949.

After his leave in application, he was assigned to the 1st battalion of the 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment 1^e REI at Saida on June 18. Designated in reinforcement « Extrême-Orient », he disembarked at Saigon on April 19, 1950 to be assigned to the 14th company of the IV/2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment 2^e REI.

He passed to the 16th company on May 1. He was promoted accordingly to the rank of lieutenant on October 1.

On January 22, 1951, he was assigned to the 3rd company of the marching battalion of the 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment 1^er REI. Thus unit became the 11th company of the III/1^er REI on March 1.

During his séjour, he combat engaged at Ben Tam, April 4 and 5 1951; at Vu Nong, on October 27 where was wounded twice by bullets; at Phu Yen, on January 14, 1952.

He received 3 citations with attribution of the croix de guerre des Théâtres d’opérations extérieures, with one at the orders of the armed forces.

Towards the end of the deployment, he disembarked in Marseille and received an assignment at the regional administrative company for his tenure at the end of campaign deployment, on October 1952.

He served then at the 1st Foreign Regiment 1^e RE in quality as a platoon chief of élève gradé, from February 16, 1953.

He was made chevalier of the Légion d’honneur on August 26, 1963, for exceptional war service in the Extrême-Orient (French: « Pour services exceptionnels de guerre en Extrême-Orient »).

Again reassigned to the Extrême-Orient, he disembarked at Saigon, on July 18, 1954 and rejoined the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment 3^e REI. Repatriated with his unit, he disembarked at Bône.

He assumed command of the 8th company of the II/3^e REI stationed in the Aurès, on December 16. He was promoted to the rank of captain on July 1956.

On January 1, 1957, he became of chief of the 2nd bureau of the 1^er RE. Then in 1958, he integrated the general staff headquarters school (French: l’Ecole d’état-major) and conducted his qualification at Philippeville.

Returned to the 1^e RE, he assumed the officer function of psychological action of urban sous-sector of Sidi bel Abbès, starting February 1, 1959.

He was cited twice with attribution of the croix de la Valeur militaire. On July 1, he was a selected candidate at the 20th promotion of the general staff headquarters (French: 20^e promotion de l’Ecole d’état-major).

On March 10, 1960, he was assigned to the command of the 2nd company of the 121st Infantry Regiment in Algeria. He was slightly wounded on October 14, 1960 in Grande Kabylie.

He was cited at the orders of the armed forces for his decisive action. On May 8, 1961, he was assigned to the inter-arm bureau of the 11th Light Infantry Division (French: 11^e Division Légère d’Infanterie, 11^e DLI). The 11^e DLI rejoined the metropolis at Nancy. He was promoted to the rank of chef de bataillon on April 1, 1963.

The 11th Light Infantry Division became the 11th Division of December 1.

On April 6, 1965, he was assigned to the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 2^e REP at Bou Sfer, ion quality of instructor chief of the operation bureau. On August 1, 1967, he commanded the qualification group of sous-officiers at the infantry application school (French: groupe de qualification des sous-officiers à l’Ecole d’application de l’infanterie) at Montpellier. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel on July 1, 1969.

Nominated as chief of the cabinet of the commandant général of the 1st Army Corps (French: Chef de cabinet du général commandant le 1^er Corps d’Armée), he was assigned for administration at the 101st squadron of QG at Nancy on October 1.

On February 15, 1972, he assumed the functions of chief cabinet of the military governor of Metz and commandant of the 6^e RM.

On August 8, 1972, he received the regimental command of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 2^e REP at Calvi. He was promoted to the rank of colonel on October 1, 1973. Following this command tenure, he became the inspector general of general staff headquarters of the French Army (French: Chef d’état-major de l’inspection général de l’Armée de Terre) on August 12, 1974.

He rejoined the 28th session at IHEDN and the 25th sessions of the CHEMM, on September 1, 1975, in quality of an auditor.

On August 1, 1976, he was assigned to the 1st Foreign Regiment for administration and became the Commandant of the Foreign Legion Groupment on October 29.^[1]

He was nominated in the 1st section of officers generals on December 1, 1978. In October 1980, he rejoined the EMAT in quality of mission delegate near the CEMAT, then chief of the cabinet.

On October 1, 1982, he was elevated to the dignity of général de division and received the functions of Governor of Marseille on January 16.

He was admitted to the second section of officers generals, by reaching the age limit, on January 17, 1985.

Général de division Bernard Goupil passed away on April 3, 2013.

Recognitions and Honors

• Grand Officer of the Légion d'honneur
• Grand Officer de l'ordre national du Mérite
• Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures (3 citations)
• Croix de la Valeur militaire (2 citations)
• Médaille colonial with bar « Extrême-Orient »
• Médaille commémorative de la campagne d'Indochine
• Médaille commémorative des opérations de sécurité et de maintien de l'ordre en Afrique du Nord

Wounded 3 times and cited 6 times

See also

• Jacques Lefort, regimental commander 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 2^e REP (1958)
• Pierre Darmuzai, 2^e REP (1960)
• Saharan Méharistes Companies (méharistes sahariennes)
• Paul Arnaud de Foïard, 2^e REP (1965)
• Jeannou Lacaze, 2^e REP (1967)
• Jean Brette, 2^e REP (1974)
• Philippe Erulin, 2^e REP (1976)
• Jean Louis Roué, 2^e REP (1978)
• Bernard Janvier, 2^e REP (1982)
• Bruno Dary, 2^e REP (1994)
• Benoît Puga, 2^e REP (1996)

References

Sources

• Répertoire des chefs de corps
• Centre de documentation de la Légion étrangère
• Répertoire des citations (BCAAM)

Foreign Legion Command French Foreign Legion
Honneur et Fidélité History of the French Foreign Legion Foreign Legion Pioneers (Pionniers) List of French paratrooper units Képi Blanc (publication)
Current Foreign Legion Units	Administrative Communal Depot of the Foreign Regiments 1st Foreign Regiment Foreign Legion Command Foreign Legion Recruiting Group Infantry & Parachute Infantry 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte Cavalry 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment Engineer & Parachute Engineer 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment Training 4th Foreign Regiment Jungle Training Center Combat Training Center at Arta Beach
Defunct Foreign Legion Units	Administrative and Training Communal Depot of the Foreign Regiments Parachute Parachute Company of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion 3rd Foreign Parachute Battalion Foreign Air Supply Company 3rd Foreign Parachute Regiment 1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company Infantry 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment 1st Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment 2nd Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment 3rd Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment 4th Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment/Garibaldi Legion 1st Marching Regiment of the 2nd Foreign Regiment 2nd Marching Regiment of the 2nd Foreign Regiment Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion 5th Foreign Infantry Regiment 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment 11th Foreign Infantry Regiment 12th Foreign Infantry Regiment 21st Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 22nd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 23rd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 1st Mounted Saharan Company of the Legion 2nd Mounted Saharan Company of the Legion 3rd Mounted Saharan Company of the Legion 4th Mounted Saharan Company of the Legion 1st Mounted Saharan Squadron of the Foreign Legion Cavalry 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment 97th Reconnaissance Group of the Infantry Division Transport Armored Train of the Foreign Legion Disciplinary Disciplinary Company of the Foreign Regiments in the Far East Foreign Legion Brigades 31st Brigade (France)