Who can deny that
Frank Luke, Jr. was not a true Hero of America? Rarely is one endowed with a warrior spirit such as his.
If you don't know about Frank Luke, Jr., I say this about him because on his final mission, he was shot down doing the most dangerous attack a fighter pilot could do, balloon busting. Wounded, he managed to crash-land his plane (I believe it was an Se5-a at the time). He was surrounded by German troops, ordering him to surrender. Instead, he pulled out his sidearm and shot at the soldiers. Regardless of how futile an effort, he knew it wouldn't work but he didn't want to surrender; he opted for the warriors way out. He was shot dead, his sidearm emptied.
All during his career, he was a loner and a daredevil. Some say that is foolishnhess. Whether it is or isn't, it served him well. He was the most succesfull balloon buster, and for a time in extremely close compitition with Rickenbacker as America's leading ace, leading him for a time. He was extremely devoted to his only close friend in his squad (I'm not sure but I think it was the 90th or 92nd), and when his friend was killed, Luke Jr. went on a rampage, trying to beat his own record of balloons burned to avenge is friend (His friend's surname was Wehrner [how ironic, eh!?], though I think my spelling is off).
Frank Luke, Jr. didn't accomplish this so he set out again. On this final attempt he met his warrior's end. He was a true Knight of the Sky.