Yeah, I can see the attraction for Simon.

[titusnowl]

So he AWOLed from the Spanish Foreign Legion.  There's a pretty narrow period in which this could've happened, since it was only formed in '20; of course, there'd only be one or two years before that when he'd have been old enough anyway, so yeah, whatever.  Some random facts about 'em, off Wikipedia:

• Its members, regardless of rank, are titled Caballero Legionario ("Knight Legionnaire").
• Legionnaires consider themselves novios de la muerte ("bridegrooms of death").
• Legionnaires are never supposed to abandon a comrade on the battlefield; they must try to help him until all have perished, if necessary.
• The legion's motto was Viva la muerte! ("Long live death!")