William was born on the 19th of February, 1847 in Niderbergdorf, Bohemia, which is now the Czech Republic. When he enlisted in the US Navy, he was in Tianjin, China and he then served on board the USS Colorado when he displayed actions that would earn him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:

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.

After the battle, William was found unconscious with 18 bayonet wounds and on top of the body of the Lieutenant Hugh McKee. He remained unconscious for 39 days and he did suffer from convulsions for the rest of his life. William F Lukes died on the 13th of December, 1923 at the age of 76 and is buried in the Los Angeles National Cemetery; Section 7, Row F.