William F. Lukes

Infobox Military Person
name=William F. Lukes
born= Birth date|1847|2|19
died= Death date and age|1923|12|13|1847|2|19
placeofbirth=Niderbergdorf, Bohemia (now in the Czech Republic)
placeofdeath=Los Angeles, California
placeofburial=


caption=Landsman William F. Lukes
nickname=
allegiance=flag|United States of America
branch=
serviceyears=
rank=Seaman
commands=
unit=USS "Colorado"
battles=Korean Expedition
awards=Medal of Honor
laterwork=

William F. Lukes (19 February 1847 – 13 December 1923) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the 1871 Korean Expedition.

Biography

William F. Lukes enlisted in the U.S. Navy from Tianjin, China and served as a Landsman onboard USS "Colorado" in Company D as part of the Korean Expedition. On 11 June 1871, during the capture of the Han River forts on Ganghwa Island, the leader of the American attack, Lieutenant Hugh McKee, was mortally wounded. Landsman Lukes and two other sailors, Seth Allen and Thomas Murphy, attempted to rescue Lt. McKee but encountered heavy resistance. In the course of the ensuing hand-to-hand fight, Allen and Murphy were killed. Lukes suffered a severe cut to the head but continued to fight; he survived the engagement. For his actions on that occasion, Lukes was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Before leaving the Navy, William Lukes obtained the rank of Seaman. He died at the age of 76 and is buried in Los Angeles National Cemetery, Los Angeles, California.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Landsman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1846, Bohemia. Enlisted at: Tientsin, China. G.O. No.: 180, 10 October 1872.

Citation:

:Served with Company D during the capture of the Korean forts, 9 and 10 June 1871. Fighting the enemy inside the fort, Lukes received a severe cut over the head.cite web
accessdate=2007-12-11
url = http://www.army.mil/cmh/html/moh/korean1871.html
title = William F. Lukes, Medal of Honor recipient
work = 1871 Korean Campaign
publisher U.S Army Center of Military History
date = July 16, 2007]

ee also

*List of Medal of Honor recipients

Notes

References

:NHC
*findagrave|10119 Retrieved on 2007-11-20
*cite web
publisher = Naval Historical Center
title = US People - Lukes, William F., Seaman
work = Online Library
date = 2006-04-25
url = http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/pers-us/uspers-l/w-lukes.htm
accessdate = 2006-10-30
*cite web
accessdate=2007-12-11
url = http://www.army.mil/cmh/html/moh/korean1871.html
title = William F. Lukes, Medal of Honor recipient
work = 1871 Korean Campaign
publisher U.S Army Center of Military History
date = July 16, 2007

Persondata
NAME= Lukes, William F.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= United States Navy Medal of Honor recipient
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=