photo #9027887

September 29, 1918. The 21-year-old cowboy from Arizona climbed into his fighter plane without permission, ignoring direct orders to stay on the ground. His commanding officer had nearly grounded him permanently. Too reckless. Too undisciplined. Too likely to get himself killed chasing glory. But 2nd Lieutenant Frank Luke Jr. didn't care about orders. He cared about hunting. And what he hunted was floating in the sky six miles behind enemy lines: German observation balloons. Frank Luke was born in Phoenix, Arizona Territory—before Arizona was even a state. He grew up working copper mines, fighting in bare-knuckle boxing matches, and dreaming of adventure bigger than the desert could offer. When America entered World War I in 1917, Frank enlisted immediately. He wanted to fly. By March 1918, at age 20, he earned his wings and a commission as second lieutenant. In July, he shipped to France and joined the 27th Aero Squadron. His squadron mates called him arrogant. Cocky. A showboat who flew alone and disobeyed orders. His commanding officer thought he was a discipline problem waiting to happen. But Frank Luke could fly. And more importantly, he was willing to do what other pilots feared: hunt observation balloons. These weren't just balloons. They were massive hydrogen-filled targets called "Drachen"—dragons—tethered 3,000 feet in the air, watching Allied troop movements and directing German artillery. Shooting them down was a suicide mission. Each balloon was protected by a ring of anti-aircraft guns on the ground and fighter planes in the air. The hydrogen made them explode spectacularly when hit—which looked impressive but also marked exactly where the attacking pilot was, making him an easy target. Most pilots avoided balloons. Too dangerous. Not worth it. Frank Luke volunteered for every balloon mission. He found a wingman who matched his fearlessness: Lieutenant Joe Wehner. The two developed a system: Luke attacked the balloons while Wehner flew protective cover, fighting off German planes. Together, they became unstoppable. September 12, 1918. The Meuse-Argonne Offensive begins—the largest American battle of World War I. Frank Luke starts his rampage. In one mission, he destroys two balloons within minutes. Then two more the next day. By September 15, he's shot down eight balloons in four days. His squadron commander awards him the Distinguished Service Cross. Newspapers back home start calling him "the Arizona Balloon Buster." But Luke doesn't slow down. If anything, he gets more aggressive. September 16: Two more balloons destroyed. September 18: Two balloons and two German Fokker fighters shot down in a single mission. But that day, disaster strikes. During the fight, German planes swarm Luke's position. Joe Wehner—his wingman, his friend, his only real ally—is shot down and killed. Luke is devastated. Enraged. Alone. He becomes even more reckless. Over the next eleven days, Luke flies mission after unauthorized mission, hunting balloons with a fury that terrifies his own commanders. He's no longer following tactics or waiting for orders. He's a one-man air force. September 28: He destroys his 14th and 15th balloons. His squadron commander has had enough. Luke is too wild, too undisciplined, too likely to get himself killed. After his latest unauthorized flight, he's told in no uncertain terms: You're grounded. No more flying until you learn to follow orders. Frank Luke has never followed an order he didn't agree with. September 29, 1918. Evening. Luke takes off from Verdun without authorization. He's flying his SPAD XIII fighter—French-made, single-seat, wood and fabric biplane with twin Vickers machine guns. He flies toward the German lines. Alone. His target: three observation balloons near the town of Murvaux, six miles behind enemy lines. He finds the first balloon at dusk. Dives through a storm of anti-aircraft fire. Opens fire. The balloon erupts in flames—a massive orange fireball against the darkening sky. German ground troops are alerted. Every gun in the area swivels toward the sound of his engine. Luke doesn't leave. He hunts the second balloon. Finds it. Attacks. Another explosion. Another burning dragon falling from the sky. By now, eight German fighters are pursuing him. Anti-aircraft shells are bursting all around his plane. Any sane pilot would flee. Luke spots the third balloon. He dives again. Through the fighters. Through the flak. Machine guns hammering. Third balloon explodes. Three balloons in less than 45 minutes. One of the most audacious single missions in World War I history. But Luke's plane is hit. Badly. Engine smoking. Controls damaged. He descends, flying dangerously low—barely 50 meters off the ground—strafing German troops near Murvaux. His guns keep firing even as his plane is falling apart. Then his plane can't fly anymore. He crash-lands in a field near the village. According to witness reports, he climbed out of the wreckage. Wounded. Surrounded by German soldiers who called for him to surrender. Frank Luke drew his service pistol. The exact details of what happened next are lost to history. For decades, legends grew: that he fought ten German planes before being shot down, that he killed eight or eleven Germans in a final gunfight. The truth, revealed through careful research in 2008, is simpler and more tragic: Frank Luke died defending himself against overwhelming odds. The number of enemies he faced, the exact manner of his final moments—these details were exaggerated by well-meaning witnesses and mistranslated testimonies. What we know for certain: Frank Luke Jr. died September 29, 1918, at age 21, in a field in France, having just destroyed three observation balloons in a single unauthorized mission. He had been in combat for exactly 17 days. In those 17 days, he destroyed 14 German observation balloons and shot down 4 enemy aircraft—18 confirmed kills total. No pilot in World War I achieved so many victories in such a short time. Eddie Rickenbacker, America's top ace with 26 kills, called Luke "the most daring aviator and greatest fighter pilot of the entire war." His commanding officer, who had tried to ground him, nominated him for the Medal of Honor. In May 1919, Frank Luke became the first U.S. aviator to receive the Medal of Honor. The medal was presented to his father in Phoenix. Luke Air Force Base in Arizona bears his name. But the real legend isn't the exaggerated stories. It's what actually happened: A 21-year-old cowboy from Arizona became America's second-highest-scoring ace by defying orders, flying solo missions, and hunting targets that terrified other pilots. He did it in 17 days. And he died the way he lived: ignoring orders, attacking impossible odds, refusing to surrender. That's not mythology. That's Frank Luke Jr. The Arizona Balloon Buster who became a legend by being exactly what the military tried to discipline out of him: fearless, reckless, and absolutely unwilling to back down.