Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1919-02-28
AN ARIZONA HERO.

Paris-llis name was Luke of Ar
izona, and he swatted the sausage
balloons like we kill Summer flies at
home. He lived and died in forty
three blazing days of glory, and in
his brief arc he wrote his name for
ever among the stars of aviation.
They have just found his unmark-
ed grave near Murvaux, where he fell
behind the German lines. On its way
to Washington il the record of his
valor and his hunkies will lay you
ten TO one that he gets Il cross from
Congress.
One of them told in Il little French
cafe, where fighting men often gath
er, of Luke, the sausage killer. With
elbows touching elbows we crowded
closer in. Let Il dapper little Captain
tell the story rs it runs:
Observation balloons just natu-
rally were pie for that boy. He picked
the eyes from the enemy faster than
they could blow them up
"On the rolls they call him Lieu
tenant Luke from Arizona. His full
name was Frank Luke, jr. On the
ground the boy WIS violet, but when
he gave her gas and went cunning
for balloons he was sure cyclone.
"Whcn he came to US last August
we wondered who let him into the
service. In four weeks he was show
ing the old timers new system for
cleaning the skies of gas bags. In
seventeen days more he knocked down
fourteen flaming sausages in the YER
dun and Toul areas.
Here was his system: In, the ola
days we would go after boche bal
loon when he was riding over some
| field surrounded by every anti-air-
craft gun the Germans ever invented.
So it was just like going against ma
chine guns clad in pajamas.
Luke hit upon the idea Of track
ing the balloons TO their lair at sun
down, when they were being lowered,
and put to bed in the uncertain light.
He would ride beh.:d The clouds all
day and then follow them home nj
night.
"The next afternoon just at dusk,
out swept Luke, flying low. Zamm!
From right over the boche heads
came torrents of ineendiary bullets,
and he was gone in the tarkcning
shadows.
Zone night near Buy they tried to
gang him with eight Fokkcrs and he
burned the balloon right under their
very noses. The next time he caught
flock Of aerial guards near Labeau-
villo, and he touched OFF two balloons
and shot down three planes, all in
ten minutes.
They got Luke OH Sept 20, but not
until he had plunged right into a
cluster of sausages at Avecourt and
burned up three. They Nturned an
ammunition dump on him. He got
away again, and came back and let
go his bombs, just to give the bochc
Il raZZ.
"a luck shot caught him in the
shoulder. He made his landing and
fought it out with an automatic. The
next morning they rushed his little
bush to find Luke cold The box score
Of that raid was three balloons de-
stroyed, eleven Germans killed and
one Yank.
"Now, listen to this" said the Cap
tain, as he drew forth q fold of car
bon copies. "'The undersigned tcs-
tify to having see the German COM
mandant of the village of Murvaux
refuse to let him stay placed in the
cart which was carrying the dead av-
intor to the cemetery. The same of
ficer drove away women, who came
! with n sheet for n Shroud He kick
ed the body and told them to get it
away from his sight. The Germans
took his boots, leggings, and money.
Then followed the signatures of fif-
teen village Witnesses of Luke's last
and glorious fight.
eve found his grave" continued