Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
Branch: U.S. Army (Air Service)
Unit: 27th Aero Squadron, First Pursuit Group
Military Honors: Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross (2)
Date of Sacrifice: September 29, 1918 - KIA near Murvaux, France
Age: 21 
Conflict: World War I, 1914-1918

Frank Luke Jr. was born on May 19, 1897, in the desert of Phoenix, Arizona Territory—fifteen years before it became a state. His family emigrated from Germany just three years earlier, and Frank was the fifth of nine children. An excellent athlete at Phoenix High School, Frank played basketball and football and was named captain of the track team.

In early 1917, political leaders in the United States were publicly committed to staying out of the war then raging in Europe. That changed on March 1, when the American public was told about the “Zimmermann telegram.” In a secret communication intercepted by the British, Germany sent a proposal for an alliance with Mexico and Japan, should the U.S. enter the war.

The proposal offered that Mexico would recover southwestern states lost to the U.S. in the Mexican-American War (1846-48). That territory includes nearly all of present-day Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.

With anti-German sentiment in the U.S. rising rapidly, and now a potential threat looming from Mexico—just a few hundred miles south of Phoenix—events in Europe were suddenly very close to home for the German immigrant Luke family.

War Declared

On April 6, 1917, the United States formally declared war on Germany and its allies (Mexico had not agreed to Germany’s proposal). Frank Luke Jr. enlisted in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, Aviation Section, in September of that year. After pilot training in California and Texas, Luke was sent to France for additional training.

Coming from a German immigrant family—whose surname was changed from “Luecke” to “Luke” just one generation earlier—young Frank had a strong incentive to prove his allegiance in a war against Germany.

He’d earned his pilot’s wings and was promoted to Second Lieutenant by March of 1918. In July he was assigned to the 27th Aero Squadron, part of the Army’s 1st Pursuit Group, and was trained on the French Spad XIII—a one-engine, single-seat, wood-and-fabric biplane considered to be one of the best dogfighting aircraft of World War I.

Frank Luke Jr. had a reputation for being brash, impulsive, and confident—even arrogant—with his lack of discipline infuriating his commanding officer. Stories abound of Luke disobeying orders and flying off on his own, blaming “engine troubles” for his absences.

Pursuing Fame

By the time Lt. Luke arrived on the battlefield, it seemed clear that the long-anticipated U.S. involvement would bring a fast end to World War I. For the fame-seeking young pilot, that meant he’d have to act fast and take risks to gain a reputation as a war hero.

Using his exceptional piloting skills and a heavy dose of bravado, Lt. Luke wasted no time. Over just 18 days—from September 11-29, 1918—Frank Luke Jr. shot down 18 enemy aircraft: 14 expensive and strategically important observation balloons and 4 fixed-wing planes.

Although the balloons were large and stationary, they were among the war’s most dangerous targets. Because of their high value, observation balloons were heavily protected by planes and anti-aircraft ground batteries. They were also difficult to bring down.

Lt. Luke’s skills earned him the nickname “the Arizona Balloon Buster,” and drew the attention of the famous WWI ace Eddie Rickenbacker, who later said, “He was the most daring aviator and greatest fighter pilot of the entire war.” Luke achieved 18 confirmed kills, second only to Capt. Rickenbacker’s 26. And Luke had done it in just 18 days, at the age of 21.

Final Mission

On that 18th day, Lt. Frank Luke Jr.’s fearlessness caught up with him on September 29, 1918. He became the first U.S. aviator to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor (posthumously). His MOH citation describes that final mission:

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Second Lieutenant (Air Service) Frank Luke, Jr., United States Army Air Service, for extraordinary heroism while serving as Pilot, 27th Aero Squadron, 1st Pursuit Group, Air Service, A.E.F., in action at Murvaux, France, 29 September 1918. After having previously destroyed a number of enemy aircraft within 17 days Second Lieutenant Luke voluntarily started on a patrol after German 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 ground batteries and the hostile planes. Severely wounded, he descended to within 50 meters of the ground, and flying at this low altitude near the town of Murvaux opened fire upon enemy troops, killing six and wounding as many more. Forced to make a landing and surrounded on all sides by the enemy, who called upon him to surrender, he drew his automatic pistol and defended himself gallantly until he fell dead from a wound in the chest.

Although he was a Second Lieutenant at the time of his death, Luke was posthumously promoted to First Lieutenant. Lasting tributes to the daring Arizona pilot include two Air Force bases named in his honor: In 1919, Hawaii’s Ford Island Air Station was renamed Luke Field. In June 1949, the Army Air Base near his hometown of Phoenix, Arizona was named Luke Air Force Base.

At the Arizona state capitol grounds in Phoenix (1700 W. Washington St.), a bronze statue of Lt. Frank Luke Jr. by sculptor Roger Noble Burnham was dedicated on November 15, 1930. Part of the Lt. Frank Luke Jr. Memorial, the statue’s base displays the names of all Arizona service members killed in action during World War I.

Sources
Card Photo: United States Air Force
United States Air Force: Luke Air Force Base – Lt. Frank Luke, Jr.
National WWI Museum and Memorial: Zimmerman Telegram
Air Force Association: Arizona Balloon Buster Frank Luke, Jr.
Congressional Medal of Honor Society: Frank Luke Jr.
Military Times—Hall of Valor Project: Frank Luke
Air & Space Forces Magazine—Namesakes: Frank Luke Jr.
Kiono Smith-Strickland: The Arizona Dragonslayer
Burial Site: Find a Grave