I remember in a lot of old cartoons, movies, etc. there was the running joke about somebody joining the French Foreign Legion to forget a girl. I always wondered how that idea came about.

I don't know but one thing i do know is that the Foreign Legion still has some bases in Djibouti which is the hottest place on earth, and used to have plenty of bases in south Maroc and Algeria which are hard desertic places.
Actually those bases sound and feel like places where no man would like to go willingly

this is a good start

Andy

If you can find it, check out "Beau Geste" , an old movie starring Gary Cooper.

My wife, who sorta speaks French, in a way, says it literally means "handsome gesture', or in the context of the movie, "Gallant gesture".