Compare And Contrast Rickenbacker And Frank Luke Jr

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The Greater Aviator World War one saw many great airmen, but there were two that stood out among the rest; Captain Edward Rickenbacker and 2nd Lieutenant Frank Luke, Jr. These men both demonstrated courage and bravery that ultimately asked them for their life. Both men received the Congressional Medal of Honor for their deeds of bravery, as well as earning the title of Ace. An Ace is someone that has shot down at least five enemy planes. Rickenbacker was nicknamed “Ace of the Aces”, while Luke was the first of only two men to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. Luke honored his country through his actions. Frank Luke Jr demonstrated superior characteristics that lead him to make a valuable contribution to World War I through bravery, skilled flying skills, and selflessness. …show more content…

Captain Luke was only 21 years old when he was shot down by German troops. In World War I, “having previously destroyed a number of enemy aircraft within 17 days he voluntarily started on a patrol after German observation balloons” (Writing Assignment #1: Guidance). He specialized in attacking observation balloons, “possibly the toughest target any WWI pilot could face”( Toliver, Constable). This was due to the artillery, fighter squadrons, and new to WWI, machine guns. Captain Luke stared death in the face and continued to fly and fire into enemy lines. He shot down 2 balloons and 3 aircraft on September 18th alone (Toliver, Constable). Captain Luke destroyed 13 enemy airborne targets in a mere 5 days. His contributions would not have been so great if he had not had the qualities of bravery that he did. He also exhibited Skilled

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