The Balloon Buster, Frank Luke of Arizona

The Balloon Buster, Frank Luke of Arizona
by Norman Shannon Hall
Adopted by
Charles F., Jennifer E., and John U. Sands
in honor of the Luke Family of Arizona.
on February 10, 2017
Balloon Buster: Frank Luke of Arizona

The balloon buster, Frank Luke of Arizona

By Norman Shannon Hall. Garden City, N. Y: Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc, c1928.

This book tells the story of Frank Luke. Luke was born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1897, one of nine children of German-American immigrants. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Aviation Section in 1917 during World War I. He was an agressive pilot who took on the unique challenge of attacking and destroying enemy observation balloons. These balloons were always heavily defended by anti-aircraft guns and enemy aicraft, but 2nd Lt. Luke was adept at the challenge and accounted for 14 enemy balloons destroyed and 4 enemy aircraft shot down. He was the first American flyer to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor (posthumously) in 1918. His father, Frank Luke, Sr., was presented the medal in Phoenix in 1919.

The official citation read, "After having previously destroyed a number of enemy aircraft within 17 days he voluntarily started on a patrol after German observation balloons. Though pursued by 8 German planes which were protecting the enemy balloon line, he unhesitatingly attacked and shot down in flames 3 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 6 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."

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Adoption Type: Build and Access the Collection