Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 181, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 August 1919 — Lieut Frank Luke: American Air Hero PASSING OF A HERO [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Lieut Frank Luke: American Air Hero

PASSING OF A HERO

ALL Arizona, not to say Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and Southern California—it would be safer to include Wyoming, Montana and Idaho also —is feeling a certain sort of grim - j satisfaction these days. For Frank I !Zgn] Luke, Sr., of Phoenix has got the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumtrj' ously awarded to Lieut. Frank Luke, Jr. Oh, yes, it was presented \\Jth proper ceremonies nt the Arizona state capitol in Phoenix by Brig. Gen. IL R. Hickok. Governor Campbell and other dignitaries. But (he main tiling is that the medal was awarded juid Is uow where is belongs. And the fighting men of this western country are mixed in their' feelings divided between grief that they can no longer wish their pot flyer “Happy Landings” and pride that he so well represented them that he was the first flying officer to get the Congressional Medal of Honot. Moreover, the mystery of latke’s fate that for many months kept all the fighting men of this western country on the lookout for news of film is now solved. And these western fighting men are now doubly proud that their air hero “died with his boots on" —that his grand finale was flt- ■ tingly glorious and as heroic as was his whole meteoric career. Eighteen Hun planes and balloons In seventeen days is part of Luke’s official record. “And balloons!’’ Yes, balloons. Don’t make the mistake of thinking lightly of an aviator destroying a balloon. Regulars, marines, national guards, national army, doughboys, artillerists, engineers—all have’their heroes. But don’t overlook the airmen when apportioning honors. And if there is any war business more dangerous than combating enemy airplanes it is destroying enemy observation balloons. The quality of the job is indicated by the German practice of crediting with two victories every pilot who strafed a balloon. And maybe this is why strafing balloons was the chosen business and specialty of Frank Luke. Here’s a glimpse of what Lieut. Frank Luke’s comrades think-of his work: The other day J. Loy Maloney returned to the Chicago Tribune staff. He had a pair of R. M. A. wings and three gold overseas service chevrons, and his pilot book shows 350 hours in the air, 150 of which were over the lines. He was with the famed 94th aero squadron—-Eddie Rickenbacker’s own. He was pressed for “news" of his exploits. “Well, I didn't do a darn thing, but I can tell you a story about a hero—a real hero, the bravest man In the war,” said Maloney. “His name was Frank Luke, Jr., he lived in Phoenix Ariz.„ before the war and he was probably the most brilliant flyer we had. ‘He would fly over our balloon officers and drop a note telling them he would knock down a blimp at a certain time —and at that time down would come the bag. “On Luke’s last trip up he made the most • sens..tior>ai flight in history. He had dropped a note saying two German balloons would be crashed. They were, and then his air went bad and he had to pump by hand, which means handling the stick, the gas and all the guns with one hand. He saw two Fokkers knock down an American scout, so he went up and knocked down the boches. On his way back he saw seven Frenchmen trying to get a huge German triplane. Luke got the ship, but Shrapnel stopped his motor. “Down he went. Below was Germany and German troops. That 20 year old kid dove the ship over the marching color ?of boche troops and turned his machine gun loose on them, knowing he would be a prisoner. “But he killed eight men. then set his ship down on the ground and whipped out his automatic. He hit three boches when they came up to capture him —and they bumped him off. “When he died he had eighteen victories to his credit and was keeping Rick humping." This is the Judgment of a trained newspaper man, ufeed to getting facts, appreciating their value, and sizing up men. Perhaps nobody is better able to tell the truth about Luke than the man who commanded his squadron in the fighting In which he took so brilliant a part. That man. Harold E. Hartney, now a lieutenant colonel and chief of gunnery in the air service, describes his first Impression of him as that of “a youth keert and aquiline, blue-eyed and fair, with a strong jaw and hair brushed back from a broad, high forehead," , Luke was 20 years old when he th ® aervice. He wm trained at the University of

Texas, at Rockwell Field, at Issoudun and at Cazeaux, in France; joined the 27th aero squadron near Chateau-Thierry late in July. 1918; had an insatiable appetite for flying, defied all rules of formation and safety 1 in the air. “If .any layman or landsman reading the history of Luke’s career is inclined to fancy that balloon strafing is au easy trick, no experienced pilot shares that illusion,” says Colonel Hartney. “In reality it is the knost dangerous exploit any man in any branch or the service ean undertake. The concentration of anti-aircraft fire from the ground makes it much more hazardous than other fighting. On every occasion of such attempts Luke’s machine was literally riddled with bullets and twice he was compelled to abandon his airplane and break In a new one. “Here is a sample of the work Luke did: September 15, 1918, the enemy succeeded in getting another balloon up at B&inville, and a second at Bois d’Hingry. Luke had been watching like a hawk this area, and the moment a balloon ascended he spotted it and returned to his own aerodrome with data and an appeal to be allowed to destroy it. * „• “Before Luke went out on that afternoon, therefore. new tactics were decided upon. Three friendly escorting patrols of five machines were to dart to Luke's rescue, timed to arrive at the objective 60 seconds after Luke. Our balloons were advised by courier that at 5 :05 that afternoon Luke would shoot down the Boinville balloon and asked to be on the lookout. Almost to the second Luke was perceived diving homeward, with a formation of five enemy Fokkers sitting on his tail and a burning balloon falling, in the background. He managed to dodge tbe fire of the er my and landed on his own side of the line and no, tar from the most advanced American troops. Those on the ground thought that he was lost. He had. in fact. landed to get his own bearings and those of the second balloon, which he had seen at a distance. / “Without getting out of his machine, without even stopping his motor, careful only of hidden shell holes which might smash his undercarriage, he took off skillfully from ground which was never Intended” afe a taking-off place /or airplanes and made straight for the balloon at Bois d’Hingry. “Without escort and with no companion, at exactly 20 minutes after shooting down his first balloon, the second fell actually under the noses of the enemy formations near by. “Later observing north of Verdun and east of the Meufle an attempt to send up another balloon.

January 3, 1919. Fromi Graven Registration Officer, Neutchateau, Area No. 1. Toi Chief Air Service, A. E. F. Subject: Grave, Unknown American Aviator. 1. Unita of this service have located the grave of an unknown aviator, killed on Sunday, September 28, 1918, in the village of Murrain (Meuse). 2. From the inspection of the grave and interview held with inhabitants of the town the following information was learned in regard to the heroism of this aviator. Any assistance you can furnish Us that will enable us to properly identify Uiis body will be jjreatty appreciated. The following might assist you in gaining for us this information: Reported having light hair, young, of medium height and heavy Mtature. Reported by the Inhabitants that previous to being killed this man brought down three German balloons, two German pin nep, and dropped hand bombs, killed elev cn German soldiers nnd wounded a number" of others. He was wounded himself in the shoulder, and evidently had to make a forced landing, and upon landing opened Are with his automatic and fought until he was killed. It is also reported that the Germans took his shoes: leggins, and money, leaving his grave unmarked. CHESTER E. STATEN, Capt. of Infantry, G. R. S. Officer. AFFIDAVIT. The undersigned, living in the town of Murvaux, department of the Meuse, certify to have seen, on the 29th day of September, 1918, toward evening, an American aviator, followed by an escadriile of Germans, in the direction of Liny, near (Meuse), descend suddenly and vertically toward the earth, then straighten out close to the ground, and flew In the direction of the Briers Farm, n*. ar Don Icon, where he found a German captive balloon, which he burned. Following this he flew toward Milly (Meuse), where he found another balloon) which he also burned, in spite of an incessant Are directed against his machine. There he was “9" taarently wounded by a shot bred from rapld-Are cannon. From there he came back over Murvaux, and still with his machine gun killed six German soldiers and wounded many more. ‘ Following this he landed and got out of his machine. undoubtedly to quench his thU-st at a nearby Stream. He had gone some Afty yards, when, seeing the Germans come toward him, still had the strength to draw his revolver'to defend himself, and a moment after fell dend, following a serious wound received in the chest. Certify equally to have seen the German commandant of the village refuse to have straw placed In the cart carrying the dead aviator to the village cemetery. This same officer drove away some women bringing a sheet to serve as a shroud for the hero, and said, kicking the body: “Get that out of my way as quick as possible.” ft. . The next day the Germans took awßy the airnlane. nnd the inhabitants also*saw another American aviator. Ay very low over the town, appnrently looking for the disappeared aviator. Signatures of the following inhabitants: Perlon, Rene Colin, Auguste Cuny, Henry Gustave. Eugene Coline. Odile Pntoche, Richard Victor. Valentin Ghrra, Gustave Garra. Leon Henry. Cortlae Delbart, Gabriel Didier, Catnille The h undersigned themselves placed the body of the aviator on the wagon and conducted it to the DELBART. VOLINER NICHOLAS. Seen for legalisation of signatures placed above) Marvaux, January 15, 1919. THE MAYOR, (Seal of Marvaux.l . Auguate Garre.

he hurried back to his squadron and begged to be ordered to go out tn the dusk of the evening, surprise and destroy it “It was found that his machine was not in condition for this flight. Luke got another airplane, and though he was unfamiliar with this machine and uncertain of the reliability of its motor, he determined to risk it for night flying. “With express instructions not to attempt to go down on the balloon untif 7 :50, Ltike left his home field at Rembercourt, accompanied by Wehner. As before, and precisely at 7:50 in the dusk of the evening, his comrades on the aerodrome watched the balloon fall in flames, giving Luke his third official victory of the day." “I have all the details of his meteoric career. For his glorious work on September 29, 1918, the dav of his death', he was awarded the medal. He started out to destroy three Hun observation balloons. When nearly overhead he was attacked by ten enemy machines. He engaged all of tfesm single-handed and crashed two of rhe ten. Then he dropped—out of control, as it seemed, but most likely only pretending te be so. When he reached the level of the balloons he shot them down one after another in flames- —all three of them. The anti-aircraft guns were very busy about the second balloon. After that he disappeared.” The Americans made every effort to solve the mystery of Luke's disappearance. The report of Captain Staten and the affi»davit of citizens of Murvaux given herewith, show the situation of. one stage of the proceedings. The remains of the Intrepid air fighter were buried close by in a grave marked as that of an “Unknown American aviator." It, was stripped, as the Germans thought, of everything that wonld identify it, but they overlooked a wrist watch, which -was found later and sent to the identification bureau at Paris. Then Captain F. W. Zinn of the air service went to Murvaux and made an investigation which seemed to prove conclusively that the bodj was that of Lieutenant Luke.