After completing a course at a private military institution, he entered
Saint-Cyr promotion « général Aubert Frère » (1948–1950) (). He accordingly commenced his career at the 27th Alpine Chasseur Battalion (). In 1951, he joined the
Foreign Legion. He was assigned to the
13e DBLE engaged in Indochina, a tour during which he was
wounded. He received accordingly the
Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures (2 palms and 2 stars), and upon his return, he was assigned to Morocco at the Corps of the
4th Foreign Infantry Regiment 4e RE in 1955. He served in Algeria, where he was cited three times with
Cross for Military Valour. He commanded notably the
2nd Mounted Saharan Company of the Foreign Legion (). At the beginning of 1960, he was a
captain in the
1st Foreign Regiment 1e RE at Aubagne then followed a course at the Superior War School (), and served thereafter as a
lieutenant-colonel in the general staff headquarters () in
Paris beginning of 1970. In 1974, he received the command of the
13th Demi-Brigade of Foreign Legion 13e DBLE, promoted to rank of
colonel in 1975 and received the
Légion d'honneur in 1976. He left the command of the 13e DBLE in the summer of 1976. He commanded thereafter French elements in Tchad from February until September 1980. He was nominated to the first action of officer generals, at the rank of
Général de brigade in quality of a Commandant of the
Foreign Legion Groupment (1980–1982) and
31st Brigade (1981–1982), a post which he occupied from 1980 to 1982. In 1981, the 150th anniversary of the
French Foreign Legion () and the 50th anniversary of the
Commandement de la Légion Étrangère (), was celebrated during the tenure of général Paul Lardry. He was then accordingly designated to the superior commandment of the
French Area Forces of the
Indian Ocean stationed at the Réunion in 1983. He was accordingly promoted to
général de division the same year. In 1986, he was promoted to
général de corps d'armée. He accordingly commanded the
Force d'Action Rapide FAR and organized the following years several designated manoeuvers in
Germany. In 1988, he was promoted to
général d'armée and accordingly left the command of the
FAR. He was admitted to the second section of officer generals in 1991. == Recognitions and honors ==