Frank Luke - The final cut

Greetings all,
I'm about to catch a plane so I need to make this quick and concise. These are the final "rulings" on certain elements of the script which have been debated with unbridled enthusiasm by ye good folk here at the forum.
(1) The "first kill" scene will take place: one-on-one engagment between Luke's Spad XIII and a Fokker D-VII(pilot's identity unknown...of course.)
(a) The credits will address the "controversy" surrounding its confirmation but will reaffirm its authenticity based upon Hartney's support & Luke's further credentials.
(B) It is an official victory.
(2) Luke's "final stand" at Murvaux will play out as follows:
(a) Luke downs the 3 balloons + 2 planes.
(B) He is wounded by a rapid fire cannon from a ground battery.
© The wound is serious but he is not at death's door.
(d) He strafes main street and kills 6 wounding several others.
(e) Luke sets down hard outside town near the "stream".
(f) He staggers from the cockpit and walks toward the stream.
(g) German infantry come running from the town and an adjacent battery.
(h) Frank looks up at them and strolls back to the crippled Spad as a small group of Germans approach to within 50 yards.
(i) A German Sgt orders him to surr. Luke at him and draws his Model 1911 .45 semi-auto pistol from a snap holster in the cockpit, levels it at the awe-struck leader, and pulls the trigger, hitting the Sgt in the chest, He proceeds to empty his magazine selectively at the troops firing and hitting the deck. Luke hits 2 more and then takes a Mauser slug in the chest, slides down his faithful plane and hits the ground dead.

[Reinout]

Well Mutley,

It is not totally what I had hoped for but it is probably more than I should have expected. It is too late to change anything anyway. I also won't go into the discussion - we've filled enough pages with it to write a small book and besides, it is currently debated elsewhere.

Good luck to you Mutley, make a movie that history can be proud of (despite some differences).

Kind regards,

Reinout

[stephen]

YOU GO, MAN!

It's about friggin' time we made a movie about somebody who actually accomplished something with their life. And I'm putting that stupid plaque back up if it's the last thing I ever do. For those of you who give a flying poop, I'm waiting on word from the US Battle Monuments Commission in Washington and Paris.

My, that was rather empassioned, no?

[stephen]

Mutley: You are probably airborne now, but when you can, please answer the following questions-

1) Will the Murveaux scene still be shot on the actual location at Murveaux? PLEASE say yes!!

2) Will it be shot on the north or south side of the stream, and based on what research?

Whose directing, starring, ect...?

I, too, applaud the fact that therewill finally be a film about my hero, Lt. Luke.
I think it is sad that the final will be Frank dying by his faithful Spad, firing his .45 at the Germans. I really think that honest research would tend to show him dying on the ground next to the "stream" after firing one round from the .45 to get attention and help. Yeah, I know--not as dramatic...

John

[stephen]

John: did you read barrett's "earwitness" account testimonial? I've never been a faithful proponent of the shootout theory, but after some (mild and unoriginal) research lately, I've found that it's far more possible than I used to think. It just might have really happened that way after all. The book's not closed on this one.

[Billy_Bishop]

I don't mean to pick on anyone, BUT, I don't see how Luke's first claim can be an "official" victory if it wasn't confirmed.

IF, by some miracle of USAF red tape it WAS finally confirmed, fine. But to my knowledge, just because Hartney said he believed him, doesn't mean it's status was changed from unconfirmed to confirmed.

In any event, I've not seen ANY OFFICIAL USAF/USAS documents that state his score to be other than 18, prior to USAFHS 133, which downgraded it to 15.83.

Sorry, just my .02 worth. (USD)

VBR to all,

Al Lowe
"On the edge of destiny, you must test your strength."
- Billy Bishop

[Barrett]

For the benefit of more recent visitors who didn't see the posting to which Stephen refers, I'll summarize.
Doug Champlin owns the Champlin Fighter Museum in Mesa, Arizona. Some years ago he met the grandson of a Murvaux citizen who was an 'earwitness' to Luke's Last Stand. According to Doug's source, the French gentleman heard pistol shots followed by a volley of what he believed to be automatic weapons--almost certainly staggered rifle fire. In any case, as the grandson said, "It didn't last long." No details as to how many pistol or other rounds were fired, but it lends additional credence to the shootout version.
Related matter: strictly speaking, Al is correct that it ain't official until the Office of Air Force History at Bolling AFB amends the record. The world's leading authority on aerial victory credits, Dr. Frank Olynyk in Ohio, publishes an excruciatingly detailed series of lists that cover various nations from WW I to the present. Because of the depth of his scholarship, some official organizations and agencies defer to him, and it's possible that if Frank's convinced Luke was ever credited with 19 or 20 or 21, USAF might follow.
Submitted for your consideration.

[Ira_Silverman]

Barrett, Al, et al:

I've justed checked my copy of Frank Olynyk's Victory list #9 (October, 1991), and he shows the following regarding Frank Luke:

(1) First victory 8/16/18, "aircraft probably OOC," and Luke was flying a Nieuport 28.

(2) Total CLAIMS: 15.833+2 probables. (WW1 Score 18+2 probables)

(3) On 9/29/18, he credits Luke with only the 3 balloons (2 at 1705 and 1 at 1712) and no aircraft.

Food for thought?

VBR,

Ira