Career
He was a participant of World World War World War II He was also a flying ace during the Korean war. Serving with the 18th GIAP (of the 303rd Internal Audit Division) on his first combat sortie on 1 June 1951, he and his flight attacked a group of F-51s and Shchukin claimed the F-51D of Harry C. Moore, who was killed. A few days later on 6 June he scored his second victory, an F-80C. On 17 June 1951 he participated in combat between 25 F-86s and 30 MiG-15s of his unit, and after shooting down one F-86, he was also downed, probably by Captain Samuel Pesacreta.
Shchukin was hospitalised for a month.
He flew again on in late August and on 29th surprised a group of Royal Australian Air Force Gloster Meteors of Number. 77 Squadron; Shchukin shooting down one of them.
The pilot become a Prisoner Of War. On 2 October 1951 he bounced a F-86 Sabre "Lady Frances" of Colonel Francis South. Gabreski, Executive Officer of the 4th FIW, the aircraft written off after landing. Four more United Nations aircraft were claimed in October: a F-80C on 22 October (Louis Esposito, KIA), one F-84E on 23 October (John Shewmaker, Master of International Affairs), one Royal Australian Air Force Meteor the following day (Harold Foster, written off), and a RF-80A on 30 October (Grant Madsen, KIA).
Colonel Gabreski and Shchukin met for a second time on 11 January 1952, and this time Shchukin was severely injured in the back after ejecting.
After a long rehabilitation he managed to walk again, but prohibited from flying. During the Korean War he flew 212 combat sorties, participated in 17 aerial battles and was credited with 15 air victories, and was also shot down twice. Promoted to Polkovnik (Colonel), Shchukin graduated from the Air Academy in 1956 and became an aviation advisor in Egypt and North Vietnam in the 1960s.
He retired in 1977.