Arizona republican., 1919-04-15
HERD MEDAL HAS BEEN AWARDED
 ID FRANK LUXE
War Department Honors Bravery of Phoenix Boy; Particulars of His Last Flight Are Received By Father
WASHINGTON, April t4.-Award of

 trepidty above and beyond the call of duty in action near Merveaux, France, September 29, 1918, was announced to- day by the war department Lleuten ant Luke's home address was 2200 West | Monroe street, Phoenix, Arizona.
 The official recommendation was as follows: |,
 After having destroyed a number ot enemy aircraft within 17 days he vol | untariy started on a patrol after Ger man observation balloons. Though pursued by eight German planes which were protecting the enemy balloon line, he unhesitatingly attacked and shot down in flames three German balloons being himself under heavy fire from around batteries and hostile planes. Severely wounded, he descended to within 50 meters of the ground and tly- ing at this low altitude near the town of Merveaux opened fire upon the ene- { my troops, killing six and wounding as many more. Forced to make landing, and surrounded on all sides by the enemy who called upon him to surren- der. he drew his automatic pistol and defended himself gaIlantly until he fell 1 dead from a wound in the chest" ! Frank Luke yesterday received from 1 Captain F. w. Finn of the Aaerial Ser vice in France, notification that an El- ] gin watch, (No. 20225566) probably be- ! longing to Lieutenant Frank Luke, Jr., who lost his life in the latter part of 1 September had been forwarded ito the Effects Depot at St Nazaire, prob ably the only memento of Lieutenant Luke There was attached a photo I graph of Lieutenant Luke's grave in the | village cemetery of Merveaux and two photographs taken in the village church at the same time.
 It will be recalled that, Lieutenant Luke was missing over the lines Sep tember 29, the last word received from him being a note which he dropped telling the members of the American balloon company to watch for burning German balloons. Three German hal looms were seen to go down in flames, and subsequently word was received through the American Red Cross that Lieutenant Luke had been killed. Since then various reports of the manner Of his death had been made but the iol- lowing account is perhaps the accurate one:
 Overlook Wrist Watch
 "Some considerable time after the cessation of hostilities, Captain Marion D. Cooper, an American bombardment pilot who had been prisoner in Ger many and who had subsequent to his return accompanied Mrs. Clarkson Pot ter on a trip over that area looking for her son who had been shot down there, reported to me by telephone the cir cumstances surrounding the death of an unknown American aviator who was buried at Merveaux. This information a{efr NIafTn Tnf+- mick, grave registration officer in the above area.
 Captain Mccormick was very anx- ious to ascertain the identity of the aviator, and under his direction the body was disinterred, but it was found that the Germans had taken all the identification papers, as well as tho identification tags, the only thing re- maining being the wrist watch attached which had been under the sleeve of his flying suit and had been overlooked by the Germans
 "The unknown aviator had been 5ho down on September 29, and on looking up the records here it was found tha
 only two American pursuit pilots hat been shot down on that date, one O
 whom was Lieutenant Luke. The cir
 cumstances surrounding the death o
 this unknown aviator indicated that h
 was unquestionably Lieutenant Luke. 6 Surrounded By Germans
 Soon after that Captain Finn made Il trip to MerveauX in order to confirm y the Identification and to obtain an af $ fidavit with regard to the circumstanc 9 es in order that a recommendation fo
 a congressional medal might be made Il He interviewed the mayor of Merveau
 and a half dozen civilians who ha seen the officer shot down and foun n from them that the circumstances wer
 briefly as follows:
 "The unknown American aviator ha ' first been seen flying fairly high, sur \ rounded by some eight or ten Germa \ planes. He was seen to make a sudde \ dive almost straight down. Very nea \ the ground he strengthened out an | flew very low until he reached the frs | of a. series of three German balloon | which he shot down in flames. He the ' Attacked a second one which he ais | shot down, but here he was met by \ very heavy anti-aircraft fire and
 believed to have been mortally wounde \ in the chest. He continued, howeve | and attacked and sent down a thir
 balloon in flames. After that he swun \ off over the town of MerveauX and fly | ing very low, machine gunned a court | yard between two German barracks be
 hind the town, killing six Germans an | wounding some eight or ten nor II After that he landed in a meadow nes \ a little stream and was seen to get ol
 and start toward the stream. Whe
 the German soldiers from the barracl approached he drew an automat \ pistol and stood them afr till he fe over dead"
 Confirm Identification
 Captain Finn adds 'The oriGin \ story as l received it from Captai | Cooper was slightly at variance wit
 the above, but think this-variation "; due to the fact that Captain McCormiC who had received it from civilians q not speak French and misunderstood some of the statements All the civi ians who witnessed it are very sure tn no shots were fired after the aviat, \ landed, either by him or the German
 'The Identification was based on u | fact that the three German balloon shot down by the unknown America | aviator, buried at Merveaux, were u
 same three that were reported from ol observation posts. as having been sh down by Lieutenant Luke. Other fac confirmed the identification. The il scription on the cross when I found
 was Unknown American Aviator b arrangements were made in the villa II tn