Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1919-07-24

il
proper ceremonies at the Arizona state capitol in
Phoenix by Brig. Gen. 81. r. Hlckok, Governor
Campbell and other digntaries. But the main
thing is that the medal was awarded and is HOW
where is belongs. And the fighting men of this
western country are mixed in their feelngs-d-
vided between grief that they longer wish
their pet flyer Happy Landings" and pride that
he SO well represented them that he the first
flying .oficer to get the Congressional Medal Of
Honor.
= Moreover the mystery of Lukes fate that for
many months kept all the fighting men of this
western country on the lookout for news of him
is now solved. And these western fighting
are now doubly proud that their dir hero died
with his boots on'-that his grand finale was At
tingly glorious and as heroic as was his whole
meteoric career
Eighteen Hun planes and balloons in seventeen
days is part of Lukes official record. "And ball
looms .'s Yes, balloons. Don't nuke the mistake
of thinking lightly of aviator destroying
balloonR Regulars marines, national guards, ma
honal afmy, doughboys, artillerists engineers-all
have their heroes. But don't overlook the airnen
when apportioning honors. And If there is amy
war business more dangerous than combating
enemy trplanes 1t is destroying enemy observa-
ton balloons. The quality of the job is indicated
by the German practice of creditng with two vic
tories every pilot who strafed a balloon. And
maybe this is why strafing balloons was. The
chosen business and speciality of Frank Luke.
Here's glimpse Of what Lieut.. Frank Luke's
comrades think of his work: The other day j.
10y Maloney returned to the Chicago Tribune
staff. He had pair of r. M. A. wings and three
gold overseas service chevrons, and his pilot book
shows $50 hours In the air. $50 of which were over
the lines. He was with the famed Oath aero :
squadron-Eddie Rickenbackers own He was
pressed for news" of his exploits.
well, didn't do a darn thing, but can tell
you story about hero-a real hero the bravest
man in the war;" said Maloney.
Ills name was Frank Luke, Jr. he lived in
Phoenix Ariz, before the war and he was prob
ably the most brilliant flyer we had
"He would fly over our balloon officers and
drop note telling them he would knock down
q blimp at certain tilne-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
note saying two German balloons would be crash
ed. They. were, and then his air went bad and
he had to pump by hand, which means handling
the stick, the gas and all the guns with hand.
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 French
men trying to get huge German trplane. Luke Y
got the ship, but shrapnels stopped his motor.
"Down he went. Below was Germany and
German troops. That 20 year old kid dove the
ship over the marching columns of boche troops
and turned his machine gun loose on them, know
ing he would be prisoner.
''But he killed eight men. then set his ship
down on the ground and whipped out his auto
matte. He hit three boches when they up
to capture him-and they bumped him off.
q "When he died he had eighteen victories to
his credit and was keeping Rick humping
This is the Judgment of a trained newspaper
man, used to getting facts, approaching their
value, and sizing up men,
Perhaps nobody is better able to tell the truth
about Luke than the man who commanded his
squadron in the fighting in which he took SO bril-
liant part. That man, Harold g. Hartney, now
a lieutenant colonel and chief of gunnery in the
air service describes his first impression of him
as that Of "a youth keen and aquiline, blue-eyed
and fair, with strong jaw and hair brushed back
from q broad, high forehead"
Luke was 20 years old when he entered the
service He was trained at the University OF