C4C Nicholas Bacogiannis
Major Short
History 100
21 September 2015
The Oldest Soul
With the recent innovation of the airplane revolutionizing the battlefields of World War I, American air warriors like 1st Lieutenant Frank Luke Jr. and Captain Eddie Rickenbacker separated themselves through valiant actions that contributed significantly to the American war effort. Yet, the fearless determination to serve and the advances in tactical air warfare influenced by Lt. Luke Jr. greatly outweigh the amount of citations and medals earned by Capt. Rickenbacker setting the prescient for the massive contributions airmen could make in war.
Throughout his infamous career in 1918, Lt. Luke Jr. led the world in what was to become the newest element to combat,
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modifying warfare as we know it. Although his service as an active pilot was limited, Lt. Luke Jr. quickly distinguished himself. For instance, the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force reports that, “in a single week, he scored [thirteen] confirmed victories, including three aircraft and two balloons in one day.” This overall success is accredited to his understanding of the battlefield; as explained by the 944th Fighter Wing, “while balloons sound insignificant, in WWI's trench warfare environment they were critical”. Lt. Luke Jr. focused much of his attention on destroying these lines communication which maximized the efficiency of artillery and were the primary cause for deaths at this time. As reported by the National Aviation Hall Of Fame, “[he] had shot down two balloons and three planes in less than ten minutes, an incredible feat never to be equaled in the history of warfare”. These direct contributions in the sky earned him the nickname, “Arizona Balloon Buster” and additionally made him the first airman to be presented with the Congressional Medal of Honor. Although many believe that Lt. Luke Jr. was a sporadic ace, he alone innovated aerial warfare and set the standard for American aviators to lead the operational success in World War I. Throughout the war, Lt.
Luke Jr. was persistently under the skepticism for his radical behavior on the battlefield making his performance notorious. Being in the U.S. Signal Corps at the time of its inception, many dreaded the thought of being trapped in an aircraft, but Lt. Luke Jr. not only rode into these battles willingly, but he openly welcomed them. During a battle around Dun-Sur-Meuse as reported by the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, “though pursued by eight aircraft and facing heavy ground fire, he destroyed three balloons and killed six enemy soldiers in strafing attacks”. The courage he exhibited during the heat of combat, allowed him to accomplish more than what was expected of him. On September 29, his plane took on high amounts of shrapnel forcing him to land his plane in German territory where he was asked surrender by advancing German troops; instead he drew his pistol and began firing killing seven before taking direct fire instantly killing him. To Lt. Luke Jr., the honor that he’d receive for his actions did not matter, as stated by Arizona Public Broadcasting Service, “simple cross does not boast of his accomplishments. Those speak for themselves.” His determination to serve his nation forced him to take uncommon routes, untraveled by most just for the opportunity to inspire others to contribute the absolute most to the war …show more content…
effort. Unlike Lt. Luke Jr., Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker followed the more commonly traveled route, completely lacking significant contributions to the war effort. Rather than taking the necessary risks to destroy balloons, he spent most of his service chasing after fighter planes which had little impact in the war. As reported by the National Aviation Hall Of Fame, Capt. Rickenbacker stated that “there never has been an aviator who possessed the confidence, ability and courage that Frank Luke had”. Like other aviators, Capt. Rickenbacker was inspired by the success of Lt. Luke Jr. but they lacked the ambition that made him successful; he often contributed nothing more than what was expected of him. Undoubtedly Capt. Rickenbacker was a prominent ace during World War I, but it is men like Lt. Luke Jr. who paved the way for future aviators and ensured America’s operational success. By setting the primary standard for airmen with his innovations to aerial warfare and his inspiring determination to serve, Lt.
Luke Jr.’s actions proved to have contributed to the American operational success during World War I. Without a doubt his direct actions in the air played a major role in saving countless lives and guaranteeing the success of the American war effort during the duration of World War I.
Works Cited
"Arizona Stories." Arizona Stories. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2015.
"Factsheets : Luke Air Force Base - Lt. Frank Luke, Jr." Factsheets : Luke Air Force Base - Lt. Frank Luke, Jr. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2015.
"Factsheets : 2nd Lt Frank Luke Jr." Factsheets : 2nd Lt Frank Luke Jr. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2015.
"Make a Donation." National Aviation Hall of Fame. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2015.
"National Museum of the US Air Force™." Lt. Frank Luke Jr. Display. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.
Rickenbacker, Eddie. Rickenbacker. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall,Inc, 1967.
Print. Documentation C4C Mclaughlin made significant corrections to my report to include: grammar, spelling, format, and content in order to fit within the parameters of the prompt. C4C Rossilon assisted me with proof reading my introductory paragraph in order to maximize its effectiveness on an audience as well as for spelling and grammar. C4C Potts gave his input on what he liked and disliked about my report in order to make last minute corrections on my argument. C4C Lamb assisted me by proof reading my paper for grammar, spelling, content, as well as provided me with his comments on what needed to be removed and what ideas I should be expanded in order to gain a more detailed understanding.
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Unikoski, Ari. “The War in the Air - Summary of the Air War”. First World War.com. 2009. http://www.firstworldwar.com/airwar/summary.htm
Lawson, Robert L., and Barrett Tillman. U.S. Navy Air Combat: 1939-1946. Osceola, WI: MBI Pub., 2000. Print.
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