Jean-Maurice 'Lucas' Muthular was born on May 10, 1911, at 62 Rue Monsieur-le-Prince in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France. He was married to Edith d'Errecalde. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on October 13, 1942. Through a special provision that facilitated the naturalization of foreign-born members of the U.S. Armed Forces, he became a naturalized American citizen on July 15, 1943, in Columbus. He later joined resistance operations in southern France conducted by the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).

Muthular was assigned to an Allied mission in preparation for the invasion of southern France and was parachuted into the Vaucluse near Beaumont-de-Pertuis on the night of June 13, 1944. While carrying out an operation to establish contact with resistance groups in Saint-Tropez, he was discovered and arrested by the Gestapo.

On August 12, 1944, Muthular was executed by the Gestapo at Signes. His body was initially buried with eight other victims in what became known as the "second pit." His remains were recovered and transported on September 17, 1944, to the mortuary at Saint-Pierre Cemetery in Marseille, where they were recorded under coffin number 692. He was among the first 32 victims whose remains were identified.

DSC Citation:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to First Lieutenant (Infantry) Jean M. Muthular d'Errecalde (ASN: 0-323201), United States Army, for The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to First Lieutenant (Infantry) Jean M. Muthular d'Errecalde (ASN: 0-323201), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with the Special Reconnaissance Regiment (Company B), Office of Strategic Services, in action against enemy forces in France, from 13 June 1944 to 13 August 1944. Assigned by Allied Force Headquarters, to an inter-allied mission in Southern France, to organize the French Marquis for guerrilla attacks on enemy lines of communications in France, First Lieutenant d'Errecalde parachuted into the department of Vauchause, on the night of 13 June 1944, and proceeded with the details of his mission. Under the conditions prevailing in that particular area, his mission involved enormous tasks over and beyond those normally connected with such work. Numerous arrests had disorganized resistance groups so that it was impossible to know, when approaching a contact, whether or not it was a safe one. On 18 June, a station specializing in airborne landings in the Saint Tropez area transmitted a message from First Lieutenant d'Errecalde, requesting that he be allowed to come to Algeria with important reports on his activities. However the station never received the approval of this request from Allied Force Headquarters, and a few days later, several reports indicated that First Lieutenant d'Errecalde had been arrested in the Saint Tropez area, but that he had, however, managed to protect the papers which he was about to bring to Algiers. These documents indicated how effectively and efficiently Lieutenant d'Errecalde worked to achieve the objective of his mission, to accomplish a practicable union of opposing factors among the resistance forces in the area, and the organization of the disruption of enemy communications, at the time of the Allied landings in Southern France. On 13 August 1944, First Lieutenant d'Errecalde was executed by German Gestapo for his refusal to divulge his connection with the Armed Forces of the Allied Nations. His outstanding courage, efficiency and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service.

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