Arizona republican., 1919-01-09
FRANK LUKE WOULD HAVE BEEN WORLDS
 GREATEST AVIATOR

That Frank Luke, Jr., was the great est of American airmen and would, if he had lived, surpassed the records of the greatest of the allied aviators, is the opinion of Captain Alfred A. Grant, commanding the 27th Aero Squadron, in a letter to Frank Luke, ST. Captain Grant writes:
 tS. w. Verdun)
 Rembercourt (Meuse)
 December ], 1918. My Dear Mr. Luke:
 Your letter of November 12. IS, came this morning saying that you had not received a letter I wrote you regard ing the loss of your son. Frank. I sincerely hope hat it has reached you hy this time
 On Nov. i6-lS the chief of air service sent us letter saying that Frank Luke, Jr- 2nd lieutenant had been killed in action. No further details were available, and to date we have been unable to get any more definite Information as to the location of his grave.
 One of our officers. a Lieutenant Elihu kelton who was taken prisoner after Frank went missing is TOW back with us. He had talked to a German officer who said everyone in Germany had heard of Luke" but that he was killed by machine guns from the ground when he swooped to within a few feet of the ground in attacking q balloon. The German would not tell Lieutenant Kelton the location of the grave but he did say that it seemed a T,,I-- l.. *. to affect his better judgment and that all of them were very sorry when they learned that their capture was that 1 of the most famous American air : man.
 We are still endeavorins to locate the grave in the vicinity of Mort Blaineville to Belle Roux where he IS ! believed to have operated that last day. The reasons we do not know anything as to where he went down is that he had been away from the squad ] ron for two days at French aer- drome. The only word he sent us was that there were two balloons that l he wanted to get He got them, too ] that night
 I am very sorry to be compelled tt 1 tell you the bald facts, but even those 1 are sometimes better than despairing 1 doubt.
 Luke was truly the most wonder ful American airmau. Always cool i and keen to be in the air, practicing i combat and gunnery. Everyone ad- mired him and his mechanicians wor- 1 shipped him. He never knew what | fear meant and when he went after l anything nothing could alter his | course Had he lived r1ndOIhte eilv he would have far surpassed the record ! of Captain Richenbacher or even tha1 1 of the French aviator, Fonk. His trunk and personal effects were | sent to you through the Effects Depo A. E. F., ten days after he went miss ing. In case we are able to gain any information as to the location of his grace, we plan to erect a proper cross and to build a protecting fence | about it.
 Again I want to say that words never can eXprecs our sympathy tt you, his father and mother He livet and fought and died for the principle. which make life livable. We all fee honored that he was with us as ( friend and a comrade in arms You may justly feel proud to have beer his parent.
 He cannot be dead for his memory | and achievements live green. I trus that you will write us anything W. may possibly do for you. I shall write again, any further news we hope tt | obtain.
 Sincerely yours, ALFRED A. GRANT.
 Capt. 27th Aero Squadron.