10 Incredible Ways People Faced Up To Their Own Death

6. Lieutenant Frank Luke (1918)... Shot Down Three German Zeppelins Singlehandedly Before Crash-Landing And Continuing The Onslaught With A Hand Pistol

United States Army Air Service Lieutenant Frank Luke was an extremely adept fighter, shooting down enemy Zeppelins and planes for much of World War I.

However, he met his untimely death while fighting the enemy above Murvaux in France in 1918 - after finding himself completely alone, deep behind German lines.

Instead of attempting to turn back though, Luke decided to try and down as many German aircraft and balloons as he could - so he flew his plane low, just above the tree tops, and destroyed two enemy Zeppelins.

At this point, a squadron of eight German fighter planes attacked him from behind and pursued him across the countryside - but Luke then turned around and headed straight for the third and final Zeppelin, intent on grounding it too.

Shot down after taking out six further enemy fighters, Luke crash-landed in a field but escaped from the wreckage and continued to shoot at the Germans with merely a hand pistol rather than surrendering. As a result of his fearlessness, Luke became the first USAS member to receive the Medal of Honor.

That is one brave and patriotic human being right there.