Arizona republican., 1919-01-02
PLANE NEWS TELLS OF DARING FEETS IF LIEUT. FRANk LUXE

There has been received at this cf- flee from Bob Boardmau. q copy of the Plane News. the organ of the aVi- ation service in France. This number is of special interest to Phoenicians because of the following account of the achievements of Frank Luke:
 Luke is gone, but the memory Ot his exploits will remain long after this war is forgotten.
 As balloon strafer he had no equal and he seemed to take 8 keen delight in this most dangerous Of aviation combats. His plan Of attack was sim pie. A German balloon would be To- cated and Luke. with several other pilots, would climb into the clouds, and when at a point above the balloon he would dive out of the clouds followed part way down by the rest of the for nation, whose particular part would be 10 start d dog fight" with the Fokkers protecting the balloon.
 Luke would continue his nose dive regardless of the archies that by this sjtiDe would be sprinklins the air with their shrapnel souvenirs. When within a few hundred feet of the victim he would let go a burst of incendiary bull lets. Immediately there would be a flash of flame skywards; two figures would shoot earthyard and two para chutes would gracefully open up like a lady's fan-the show would he over quicker than it would take to tell it. Luke would immediately Zoom up to join the dog fight" if it still contin- ned. but generally it would be oyer by the time he gained the same altitude one Side or the other having been de- feated.
 'Luke's greatest feat, and one that probably never will be equaled, was on September IS. when he brought down three planes and two balloons in twelve minutes. Most of Luke's victories were shared by pilots in his flight, who held off the Fokkers while Luke got the balloons. The officer who teamed with Luke and who shares the most victories with him, is First Lieutenant Joseph r. Wehner. 27th Aero squadron of Lynn, Mass, who has to his credit seven balloons and two planes. Lieu tenant Wehner has since been shot down, the last seen of him was on Sep temoer 18, fighting five Fokkers while protecting Luke.
 Tn the operations office of the First Pursuit Group. to which Luke belonged is large piece of cardboard fastened on the wall. at the top. printed in one inch letters are the words, Hall ol Fdme, and underneath are the names ef the pilots who have brought dow1 one or more German planes or balloons After each name is a small fac-simile of an iron cross, each cross meaning 2 victory. There are eighteen of these crosses after Lulles name. They were placed there in the short space of + days, another record that will probably never be laqualed.
 ''The last heard of Lieutenant Luke was on September 29th, when he dropped @ note to an American balloon squadron stationed near Nerdun. whicf read: Watch for burning balloons. shortly aiterward two German balloon! were seer to go up in flames. Luke diC . not return; he was entirely alone o1 his last expedition; no one saw him 2, down, and how he came to his end vii probably never be known. The officia record reads as follows:
 'Secord Lieutenant Frank Luke IT,, Phoenix, Ariz- 27th Aero Squadron First Pursuit Group. Record: | balloons, 4 planes. Missing since Sep tember 1s''