Frank Luke
| Frank Luke, Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Medal of Honor recipient Frank Luke, Jr. |
|
| Nickname(s) | "Arizona Balloon Buster" |
| Born |
May 19, 1897 Phoenix, Arizona Territory |
| Died | September 29, 1918 (aged 21) Murvaux, France |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch | Air Service, United States Army |
| Years of service | 1917–1918 |
| Rank | Second Lieutenant (posthumously promoted to First Lieutenant) |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Medal of Honor Distinguished Service Cross (2) Croce al Merito di Guerra (Italian) |
Frank Luke Jr. (May 19, 1897 – September 29, 1918) was an American fighter ace, ranking second among U.S. Army Air Service pilots after Captain Eddie Rickenbacker in number of aerial victories during World War I (Rickenbacker was credited with 26 victories, while Luke's official score was 18). Frank Luke was the first airman to receive the Medal of Honor.Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, a U.S. Air Force pilot training installation since World War II, is named in his honor.
Luke was born May 19, 1897 in Phoenix, Arizona, after his family emigrated from Germany to America in 1874 and settled there. Frank was his family's fifth child, and had eight other brothers and sisters. He grew up excelling in sports, working in copper mines, and participating in bare-knuckle boxing matches. Following America's entry into World War I in April 1917, Frank enlisted in the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps on September 25, 1917, and received pilot training in Texas and California. After being commissioned a Second Lieutenant in March 1918, he deployed to France for further training, and in July was assigned to the 27th Aero Squadron. Although Luke was still a second lieutenant at the time of his death, Stephen Skinner's book The Stand notes that he later received a posthumous promotion to first lieutenant.
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