- Joined
- Oct 11, 2010
- Messages
- 12,706
- Reaction score
- 7,459
- Age
- 61
For several months, the grave was marked with a wooden cross that read, "Unknown American Aviator." To the French people of Murvaux, France, who were eyewitnesses to his last flight, and who buried him with what honors the Germans would permit, this unknown was the hero of the war.
These bits of evidence from various sources, when pieced together led to the identification of this aviator. The cross over his grave now bears the inscription "2nd Lieut. Frank Luke, Jr. 27th Aero Squadron; Arizona Sept. 29, 1918."
His story starts in Phoenix May 19, 1897. Luke grew up in the desert and was known as one of the best athletes at Phoenix High School. He was captain of the track team and a member of the basketball and football teams.
Soon after the U.S. entered WW1, the 20-year old Luke enlisted as a private in the Signal Corps. From there he entered pilot training and entered combat in France as a new member of the 1st Pursuit Group, 27th Aero Squadron.
His exploits ranged only a scant 17 days, but in this time, as records now reflect, he destroyed 14 German balloons and four aircraft, earning him the title of the "Arizona Balloon Buster."
Luke's commander, Maj. H.E. Hartney, said of him, "No one had the sheer contemptuous courage that boy possessed. He was an excellent pilot and probably the best flying marksman on the Western Front. We had any number of expert pilots and there was no shortage of good shots, but the perfect combination, like the perfect specimen of anything in the world, was scarce. Frank Luke was the perfect combination."
While balloons sound insignificant, in WWI's trench warfare environment they were critical. They served as observation posts and enabled both armies to look deep behind one another's lines.
The hydrogen-filled balloons were expensive and of great military value. Normally protected by heavy anti-aircraft gun batteries, there was usually a flight of pursuit planes stationed nearby. To attack a balloon was practically suicide.
But for whatever reason, these were Luke's voluntary objectives. Some surmised it was because of the easy confirmation as the fireball fell from the sky with a plume of smoke. On Sept. 12, 1918, Luke shot down his first balloon.
His last flight was Sept. 29, 1918. At least 13 people in the village of Murvaux, France, watched his final blaze of glory. That little group later made a sworn affidavit of his actions that day..
They said they saw an American aviator with a squadron of Germans pursuing and shooting at him. He descended suddenly and vertically toward the earth, then straightened out and flew toward Briers Farm where he found a German balloon, which he shot up and burned in spite of incessant enemy fire. He destroyed two other balloons while still flying through hostile fire both from troops on the ground and the German fighters.
He did not escape unscathed. Even though already wounded, he attacked one more observation balloon and the Frenchmen saw it burst into flames and plummet to the ground.
Luke descended to within 50 meters of the ground and opened fire on enemy troops, killing six and wounding as many more. But his time was limited. His wounds and the damage to his aircraft forced him to land. As German soldiers surrounded him on all sides, he drew his .45 caliber pistol and defended himself until he fell, mortally wounded from a bullet in his chest.
His courage in combat not only earned him his nickname, but also the Medal of Honor. His awards included the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Italian War Cross and the Aero Club Medal for Bravery. In 1930, the American Society for the Promotion of Aviation named him the nation's greatest air hero.
These bits of evidence from various sources, when pieced together led to the identification of this aviator. The cross over his grave now bears the inscription "2nd Lieut. Frank Luke, Jr. 27th Aero Squadron; Arizona Sept. 29, 1918."
His story starts in Phoenix May 19, 1897. Luke grew up in the desert and was known as one of the best athletes at Phoenix High School. He was captain of the track team and a member of the basketball and football teams.
Soon after the U.S. entered WW1, the 20-year old Luke enlisted as a private in the Signal Corps. From there he entered pilot training and entered combat in France as a new member of the 1st Pursuit Group, 27th Aero Squadron.
His exploits ranged only a scant 17 days, but in this time, as records now reflect, he destroyed 14 German balloons and four aircraft, earning him the title of the "Arizona Balloon Buster."
Luke's commander, Maj. H.E. Hartney, said of him, "No one had the sheer contemptuous courage that boy possessed. He was an excellent pilot and probably the best flying marksman on the Western Front. We had any number of expert pilots and there was no shortage of good shots, but the perfect combination, like the perfect specimen of anything in the world, was scarce. Frank Luke was the perfect combination."
While balloons sound insignificant, in WWI's trench warfare environment they were critical. They served as observation posts and enabled both armies to look deep behind one another's lines.
The hydrogen-filled balloons were expensive and of great military value. Normally protected by heavy anti-aircraft gun batteries, there was usually a flight of pursuit planes stationed nearby. To attack a balloon was practically suicide.
But for whatever reason, these were Luke's voluntary objectives. Some surmised it was because of the easy confirmation as the fireball fell from the sky with a plume of smoke. On Sept. 12, 1918, Luke shot down his first balloon.
His last flight was Sept. 29, 1918. At least 13 people in the village of Murvaux, France, watched his final blaze of glory. That little group later made a sworn affidavit of his actions that day..
They said they saw an American aviator with a squadron of Germans pursuing and shooting at him. He descended suddenly and vertically toward the earth, then straightened out and flew toward Briers Farm where he found a German balloon, which he shot up and burned in spite of incessant enemy fire. He destroyed two other balloons while still flying through hostile fire both from troops on the ground and the German fighters.
He did not escape unscathed. Even though already wounded, he attacked one more observation balloon and the Frenchmen saw it burst into flames and plummet to the ground.
Luke descended to within 50 meters of the ground and opened fire on enemy troops, killing six and wounding as many more. But his time was limited. His wounds and the damage to his aircraft forced him to land. As German soldiers surrounded him on all sides, he drew his .45 caliber pistol and defended himself until he fell, mortally wounded from a bullet in his chest.
His courage in combat not only earned him his nickname, but also the Medal of Honor. His awards included the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Italian War Cross and the Aero Club Medal for Bravery. In 1930, the American Society for the Promotion of Aviation named him the nation's greatest air hero.