Second Lieutenant Frank Luke, Jr., Born Phoenix, Arizona, 19 May 1897, Was A Pilot Of The 27th Aero Squadron. Having Previously Destroyed A Number Of Enemy Aircraft Within 17 Days, He Went On A Patrol In His Spad After German Observation Balloons On 29 September 1918. Though Pursued By Eight German Planes And Under Heavy Ground Fire, He Unhesitatingly Attacked And Shot Down Three German Balloons. Severely Wounded, He Descended To Within 50 Meters Of The Ground Near Murvaux, France And Fired 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 On Him To Surrender, He Drew His Pistol And Gallantly Resisted Capture Until Killed By Enemy Fire.Reason For Grounding: Grounded When He Went Awol For A Day When His Best Friend, Lt.. Wanger, Was Killed.
