Presentation Date: July 23, 2015
Joe Chan, Colonel (Retired), United States Air Force
A corn-bred Hoosier born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Joe Chan served thirty years in the United States Air Force. He survived 4,700 flying hours piloting the C-141, OV-10, C-5 and KC-10 aircraft, including 247 combat missions in Southeast Asia.
Joe attended Squadron Officers School, Air Command and Staff College, Air War College, and commanded the 30th Military Airlift Squadron.
His staff assignments included:
-- HQ Military Airlift Command
-- Air Staff at the Pentagon
-- HQ Air Force Reserve
-- HQ Combined Forces Command and US Forces Korea
-- Air Attaché at US Embassy Seoul, South Korea
-- Air Liaison Officer at American Consulate Hong Kong.
After moving to Alameda in 1999, Joe:
-- worked as a US Census recruiter and as a secret shopper with Safeway
-- served five years on the Alameda County Airport Land Use Commission
–- served two years with the Technical Advisory Committee on Aeronautics, California Transportation Commission.
Since 2002, he has volunteered as a docent at the US Immigration Station, Angel Island. Joe and his wife, Eliz, have two children and two grandchildren.