Feature Stories

A Hero's Story

World War l ace, Lieutenant Frank Luke Jr., has been called "The Arizona Balloon Buster." His portrait is on exhibit at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. Born in Arizona to German immigrants, Luke joined the U.S. Army following America's entry into World War l. He became a pilot for the 27th Aero Squadron, stationed in France. His superiors regarded him as reckless and undisciplined, but he was admired for his aggressive tendencies in battle.

Luke went after the toughest targets--heavily defended German observation balloons. A U.S. Air Force web site describes the missions against the ballons: "They were protected by a ring of anti-aircraft for planes attacking above the balloon, and then there was a ring of machine guns for low flying aircraft. 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. His exploits ranged only a scant 17 days, but in this time, as records 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."

On his last mission he crash landed near Murvaux, France and instead of surrendering to German soldiers, Lieutenant Luke drew his pistols and fired at the enemy. That was his last stand; he was killed in the gun battle. Luke was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Flying Cross, among other medals. Luke Air Force Base, in Phoenix, is named in his honor.

Author Stephen Skinner is about to release his book on Luke's final flight titled, "The STAND: The Final Flight of Lt. Frank Luke, Jr." There is also a new documentary on the subject. To view a video clip go to this link: The Stand - Video