Confrontation between a French Army officer and a U.S. Marine in Bosnia-Unproven!

Sparring Between a U.S. Marine and a French Army Officer in Bosnia-Fiction!

Summary of the eRumor
An alleged first-hand account of a confrontation between a U.S. Marine and a French Army officer in a PX in Bosnia. The two soldiers exchange views and insults about France and the USA 'til the U.S. Marine offers to step outside and settle things between the two of them.
The French officer issues a final insult and walks away.
The story is capped by the fact that the episode involved a female Marine officer.

The Truth
It's a great story, which is why it's being circulated, but there is no evidence that it is true.
Also, Camp Bondsteel is in Kosovo, not Bosnia.

Last updated 3/11/04

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

A funny thing happened to me yesterday at Camp Bondsteel (Bosnia):

A French army officer walked up to me in the PX, and told me he thought
we (Americans) were a bunch
of cowboys and were going to provoke a war. He said if such a thing
happens, we wouldn't be able to count on the support of France. I told
him that it didn't surprise me. Since we had come to France's rescue
in World War I, World War II, Vietnam, and the Cold War, their
ingratitude and jealousy, was due to surface at some point in the near
future anyway. That is why France is a third-rate military power with a
socialist economy and a bunch of wimps for soldiers.

I additionally told him that America, being a nation of deeds and
action, not words, would do whatever it had to do, and France's support
was only for show anyway. Just like in ALL NATO exercises, the US
would shoulder 85% of the burden, as evidenced by the fact that the
French officer was shopping in the American PX, and not the other way
around.

He began to get belligerent at that point, and I told him if he would
like to, I would meet him outside in front of the Burger King and beat
his butt in front of the entire Multi-National Brigade East, thus
demonstrating that even the smallest American had more fight in him
than the average Frenchman.

He called me a barbarian cowboy and walked away in a huff.

With friends like these, who needs enemies?

Mary Beth Johnson LtCol, USMC