Faces of the Free: 2nd Lt. Frank Luke, Jr.

Lieutenant Frank Luke Stares Death in the Face and Laughs Back - September 1918

Two weeks ago, while walking the grounds of the Arizona Capitol, I passed a statue of Frank Luke, Jr.  While I am generally well-versed when it comes to namesakes and heroes, I must admit Luke was one I had not studied with any great detail – even though I knew of nearby Luke Air Force Base, and Lukeville, Arizona, a border town plagued with major cartel-related troubles.

Luke’s statue is shown above, shot by yours truly.  It was completed in 1930, when Arizona was still in statehood infancy, by an artist named Roger Noble Burnham.  Luke, the son of a German immigrant, was born in 1897 in a much smaller version of today’s urban monstrosity that we call Phoenix – then part of the old Arizona Territory.  I must admit, I am often left scratching my head at memorials and other works depicting individuals who are often not noteworthy, or worse, are celebrated for all the wrong, culturally motivated reasons.

That is not the case for 2^nd Lieutenant Frank Luke, Jr.  Although he is overshadowed by the winningest and most famous American ace of the Great War, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, Luke was the original fighter pilot, complete with the big swag and buzz the tower attitude that creates legends.  The “Arizona Balloon Buster,” as he was called for downing 14 German observation balloons in just seven flying days in September 1918 (along with four enemy planes) in his SPAD XIII aircraft, possessed those traits in abundance.

Luke, as with many who find sudden success, drew the ire of many of his fellow aviators for his brash style, bravado, and regular defiance of orders, which in at least one instance consisted of Luke detaching from formation to chase German planes on his own accord.  In another instance, he evaded potential arrest at the hands of his irate commanding officer, Captain Alfred Grant, and flew off to another base, where he was given permission to continue hunting observation balloons – a daunting task that required an aviator to account for heavy anti-aircraft fire coming from stationary ground positions and maintain enough focus to engage his targets.  From Air and Space Forces Magazine’s article:

Attacking tethered balloons may sound like shooting fish in a barrel. In actuality, it was more dangerous and difficult than attacking airplanes or targets on the ground. The Drachen were heavily defended with anti-aircraft cannons, machine guns, and infantry small arms. The German guns, with an effective range of 12,000 to 14,000 feet, were lethal against approaching airplanes. Phosphorus AA rounds, called “flaming onions,” burned as they rose in the air, and could set airplanes afire. The Spad, built of wood and doped fabric, offered no protection even against small-arms fire. The balloons were filled with hydrogen but they were not easily destroyed. A pilot might have to attack several times before setting the balloon afire.

Luke took off for the last time on September 29, 1918, and crossed into German airspace in northeastern France.  He incinerated the three enemy balloons in front of him and, in a sudden stroke of misfortune, was hit by a single machine gun bullet, nearly center mass, fired by a German machine gun fired from a hill, Cote St. Germain, above him.  Accounts of Luke’s final moments vary, but it is widely believed that as he attempted an emergency landing to save his own life, he strafed a German patrol and caused enemy fatalities (this account is part of his Medal of Honor citation – ironically written by the aforementioned Captain Grant, whom Luke spurned).

Let’s get that straight – Luke, with minutes to live, had the presence of mind to continue to inflict himself upon the enemy and stay on mission. 

Lieutenant Luke landed near Murvaux and attempted to crawl for cover but didn’t get far.  He was confronted by a German patrol and drew his pistol rather than surrendering; his remains were not discovered for months after the armistice, signed six weeks later, went into effect.   Rickenbacker would later go on to say Luke was greater than Germany’s Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen, and was the greatest fighter pilot of the entire war.

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…Frank Luke was the perfect combination. - Major Harold Hartney

Four for the Free

I.                             A Bad Start Doesn’t Guarantee a Bad Ending

Luke was despised by fellow aviators until he started destroying enemy observation balloons and planes.  He had even been known as “The Arizona Boaster” and was denied his first claimed kill for lack of witnesses until he found his groove.

II.                         Success Has No Generic Timeline

The glory ascribed to Luke was all achieved in the second half of September 1918. Just one week removed from obscurity, he was featured on the front page of the New York Times and given a permanent green light to pursue the enemy at his leisure.

III.                      Dreaming Big Goes Hand in Hand with Success

Luke went to war seeking to be the best in his field and had to fight back his youthful brashness with great difficulty.  He had written his family members that he would make a name for himself or go out the way most pilots did (die a forgotten death). His success was deliberate.

IV.                     Attitudes Determine Altitude

Lieutenant Luke, while mortally wounded, stayed on mission and continued to take the fight to the enemy, strafing them first and refusing any opportunity to surrender and perhaps receive quarter.  His attitude toward standing out, refusing to be average, distinguished him from his fellow aviators and has set a standard for American airmen that has lasted for more than a century since his untimely demise.

Author’s Note: This is my first entry into this journal, my non-political archive of pursuing life to the fullest freedom of the human experience.  I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed researching it and writing it.  This is open for all so you can see what it is I plan to produce from these everyday encounters or deliberate adventures in this game called life, which we must stop and take in from time to time even though we may be engaged in other battles.  For less than the cost of a cup of coffee per month, you will have access to all following entries.  Thank you!