The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1919-07-26
4 GE2114W 0AlERNqnQY AALk00Y G0lYG w

Jr Oh YES it was presented WIN
ceremonies at the Arizona state capitol in
pboeniv by Brig. Gen. II. R. Hlckok, Governor
co,rhcl and other dignitarieS. But the mann
+binc is that the medal was AWARDED ana Is no"
rbora s belongs. And the fighting men OF TINS
western country are mixed in their teehhgS--W-
4idpd between grief that they can no longer WISH
their net flyer Happy Landings" and PRIDE that
he so well represented them that he was the nrSt
Ayinp officer to get the Congressional Mccall OIL
HOn0l.
Moreover, the mystery of Luke's fate tnat Ior
many months kept all the fighting men OF IulS
western country on the lookout FOR news OIL l'iln
is now solved. And these western hghthg iuen
are now dOuby proud that their air nero u!eu
with his boots on"--that his grand finale was ut
tngly glorious and as heroic as was MS Whole
mpteOFie career.
Eighteen Hun planes and balloons In seventeen
davis is part of Lukes official record. "And bal
lOonsm Yes, balloons Don't make the mistake
Of thinking lightly of an aviator destroying
balloon. Regulars marines, national guards, ma
tOnal army, doughboys, artillerists, engneers-al
have their heroes. But don't overlook the airnen
when apportloning honOrs. And if there IS any
war business more dangerous than combating
enemy airplanes 1t IS destroying enemy oDsHrVa-
ton balloons. The quality of the job Is Indicated
by the German practice of crediting with two VIC
tories every pilot who strafed a balloon. Ana
mavbe this is why strafing balloons was me
chosen business and speciality of Frank Luke.
Here's glimpse of what Lieut. Frank Lukes
comrades think of his work: The other day ).
10y MaOney returned to the Chicago tribune
staff He had pair of r. NJ. A. wings and three
gold overseas service chevrOns, and his pilot DOCK
shows $50 hours In the air. $50 OF which were over
the lines. He was with the famed Gath aero
Squadron-Eddie Rickenbacker's own. de was
pressed for news" of his exploits.
"Well I didn't do darn thing, but can tell
you story about herO--a real hero, the oraVest
man In the war" said Maloney
"EIs name was Frank Luke, Jr., he lived IN
Phoenix Arz., before the war and he was prop
ably the most brilliant flyer we had
'He would fly over our balloon officers ana
drop note telling them he would knock down
blimp at certain time-and at that time DOWN
would come the bag.
ION Lukes last trip up he made the most
sensational flight in history. He had dropped d
note saying two German balloons would be crash
ed. They were. and then his air went bad ana
he had to pump by hand, which means hahdlhs
the stick the gas and all the guns with one manu.
He saw two FOkkerS knock down an American
scout, so he went up and knocked down the
bOcheS. On his way back he saw seven Frehch-
men trying to get a huge German triplane Luxe
got the ship, but shrapnel stopped his motor.
'Down he went Below was Germany aho
German troops That 20 year old kid dove the
ship over the marching columns of boone troops
and turned his machine gun loose on them' know
Ing he would be prisoner
"But he killed eight men, then set MS si'l
down on the ground and whipped out his auto
matte. He hit three boches when they came VI
to capture him-and they bumped him OIL
when he died he had eighteen victories
his credit and was keeping Rick humping
This is the judgment of trained neWspape
man, used to getting facts, approaching 'hei
value, and sizing up men,
Perhaps nobody is better able to tell the truo
about Luke than the man who commanded III
squadron in the fighting in which he took 80 pri
gant a part. That man, Harold &. Harthey' NOV
lieutenant colonel and chief of gunnery III IN
air service describes his first impression Oh Ill
as that of "a youth keen and aquiline, Diue-e'e
aud fair, With a strong jaw and hair brushed oac
from a broad, high forehead"
Luke was 90 years old when he entered IN
Service, He was trained at the University