General Fulgencio Coll Appointed Member of the French Legion of Honour

As of today the French Republic has a new officer in the Legion of Honour:  Army General Fulgencio Coll Bucher, Chief of the Spanish Army Staff, who has received the distinction from the French ambassador to Spain, Mr. Bruno Delaye at a ceremony held this morning at the French embassy in Madrid.

The Legion of Honour insignia, awarded to the Chief of the Army Staff in the degree of officer, is the highest decoration awarded by France to outstanding civilian or military figures for their extraordinary merits.  In the case of the Spanish general, the diplomat highlighted his “brilliant and enviable” career and his continuous effort to deal in depth with the relations among European armies in order to increase their interoperability.  “He has always promoted this spirit of operational understanding,” he emphasised. 

General Coll, in a gesture of deference, began his speech by addressing the guests —among whom were a considerable number of representatives from the Spanish Army, its Military Disaster Relief Unit, and the French Armed Forces— in French. During his address, he remembered his French ancestors, as he is a descendent of the marquess of Saint-Simon, as well as the French officers with whom he has coincided with throughout his military career, such as during the creation of the Eurocorps.

“I will proudly wear the medal and do everything possible to maintain the fine and close collaboration with the French Armed Forces,” he stated.