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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Sponsor

Honored by:
David Channin

Our father, Elihu Channin, enrolled in Aviation Cadet Training in January, 1951 before joining the Air Force in February 1953. He flew the F-84 Thunderjet (#456) in Korea in the 429th Fighter-Bomber Squadron. In February, 1954, while stationed at Taegu AB (K-2), his plane was in for service. Marilyn Monroe visited the base and needed an aircraft on which to pose. He offered up his plane and she posed for several pictures on it. Later that day, he was invited to eat dinner with Ms. Monroe and the base leadership. The pictures of Ms. Monroe on our father's plane have been immortalized in a movie quality poster, and in a French artist's pinup style painting, all of which we have copies of. When he returned to the States, later in 1954, he served as a fighter pilot instructor before separating from the Air Force in February 1956. He earned the Korean Service medal, The UN Nations Service Medal and The National Defense Service Medal.

After leaving the Air Force, he used the GI Bill to go to medical school. He did research for ten years and then was in solo private practice of cardio-pulmonary medicine for 25 years. He passed away in 2018, father of three, grandfather of 4, at the age of 89. He was always very proud of his service in the Air Force.