Jean Thurel, or Jean Theurel (; 6 September 169810 March 1807), was a fusilier of the French Army and a centenarian with an extraordinarily long career that spanned over 75 years of service in the Touraine Regiment. Born in the reign of Louis XIV and dying during that of Napoleon I, Thurel lived in three different centuries. Military career Thurel was born in Orain, Burgundy in 1698. He enlisted on 17 September 1716 in the Régiment de Touraine at the age of 18 and served there for 75 years altogether, under Louis XV and Louis XVI, until 29 January 1792. Thurel was severely wounded in battle on two occasions. In 1733, during the Siege of Kehl, he was shot in the chest with a musket, and at the Battle of Minden in 1759, he received seven sword slashes, including six to the head. Three of his brothers were killed in the Battle of Fontenoy in 1745. One of Thurel's sons was a corporal and a veteran in the same company; he died at the Battle of the Saintes, a naval battle that occurred on 12 April 1782 off the coast of Dominica, West Indies during the American Revolutionary War. A well-disciplined soldier of the line infantry, Thurel was admonished only once during his entire career, during the 1747 Siege of Bergen as the French troops occupied the citadel. He was admonished because, the doors of the fortress being shut, he scaled its walls to gain entry so that he would not miss muster. Another example of Thurel's discipline and physical fitness occurred in 1787. When his regiment was ordered to march to the coast to embark on ships of the French Navy, he was given the opportunity to travel in a carriage due to his advanced age. The 88-year-old Thurel refused the offer and marched the entire distance on foot, stating that he had never before traveled by carriage and had no intention of doing so at that time. His humility is evident in his steadfast refusal to accept any promotions; he remained a low-ranking fusilier for his entire military career. Honors and awards In hopes of improving re-enlistment rates, Louis XV established the Médaillon Des Deux Épées ('Medal of the Two Swords') by royal decree in 1771. This was the first military decoration in France for which an enlisted man could be eligible. This medal was initially awarded to