Lt. Marvin E. Schlossberg ( born Marwin Eliot Schlossberg, also known as "Sonny Eliot") was a B-24 bomber pilot in the US Army's 8th Air Force. His plane was shot down over Gotha, Germany on Feb. 24, 1944. He was captured and spent the remainder of the war as a POW in Stalagluft 1, near Barth, Germany.

From his entry in the Detroit Historical Society's "Encyclopedia of Detroit":

Hailed on the WWJ-AM (950) website as the station’s “Wonder of Wit and Weather,” Sonny Eliot introduced his rollicking, inimitable style of forecasting to Detroit on WWJ in 1950.

A Detroit native and graduate of Central High and Wayne State University, Eliot began his broadcasting career in college, appearing on such made-in-Detroit network radio shows as The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet and Challenge of the Yukon. He also performed in numerous area stage productions, once appearing opposite fellow Detroiter George C. Scott. His natural gift for entertaining would prove invaluable under harsh circumstances when, as a B-24 bomber pilot during World War II, Eliot was shot down over Germany and spent 18 months as a prisoner of war. While in captivity, he helped keep the morale of his fellow prisoners intact by staging original skits in the barracks.

Returning to Detroit, Eliot was asked to do a bit part on a variety show produced by WWJ-TV (now WDIV). He never again left the media spotlight, working for the next five decades on Detroit television and radio. His weather broadcasts evolved into a breezy mix of rapid-fire one-liners, silly similes, fractured descriptions (“Snowy and breezy…’sneezy’ kind of weather) and, most importantly, easy-to-understand forecasts.

While his greatest celebrity came on television as weatherman for Channels 2 and 4 and host of the 17-year series At the Zoo, Sonny Eliot was above all a citizen of Detroit. Whether at Tigers Opening Day, America’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Auto Show or the Detroit Zoo, Eliot was one of the familiar personages that bonded our community together. He has been inducted into both the Michigan Broadcasting and Michigan Aviation Halls of Fame.

Sonny Eliot passed away on November 16, 2012 at the age of 91.

Marvin E Schlossberg