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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Prayers for snow in year's second Mount Ashland blessing Kiwanis club invites fifth-graders to write flag essay AHS club helps fill Ashland Emergency Food Bank Ashland High School: Students get schooled in interviewing Crater Lake Park proposes huge fee increase Education Kiwanis club invites fifth-graders to write flag essay AHS club helps fill Ashland Emergency Food Bank Ashland High School: Students get schooled in interviewing The future of SOU's McNeal Pavilion doesn't include a pool AuCoin named to SOU Board of Trustees Environment Don't like weather where you are? Move a mile or two Salmon: A force of nature can be restored Students nurturing nature SOU eyes burning biomass instead of gas Navickas ordered to pay court filing fees Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Honda CR-V Dear Monty: Violation of HOA rules creates conflict Standing Stone stands up for Emergency Food Bank Find your holiday spirit in Ashland’s Season of Celebration Oregon gained 9,900 jobs in October Politics and elections Granlund cartoon: GOP wrecking balls Oregon voters narrowly reject GMO labeling measure Kitzhaber wins fourth term Merkley wins re-election by wide margin Elected without opposition State News Resent ballots, late results likely to trigger GMO recount Nation - World Obituaries Death Notices Death Notices Robert E. Johnson Death Notices In Loving Memory of Sports Latest Stories Raiders rout Pioneers, to play Carroll in QFs Southern Oregon men place second at nationals; women 18th Atanda's 16 kills powers SOU to first-round rout SOU men, women win Empire Classic openers SOU cross country teams aim to make splash at nationals High school Six Grizzlies voted MWL first-teamers Grizzlies roughed up at Silverton Upset-minded Grizzlies brace for undefeated Foxes Georgia Williams commits to Columbia Gabe Lehrburger, Grizzlies clean house in MWL all-star voting Southern Oregon University Raiders rout Pioneers, to play Carroll in QFs Southern Oregon men place second at nationals; women 18th Atanda's 16 kills powers SOU to first-round rout SOU men, women win Empire Classic openers SOU cross country teams aim to make splash at nationals Opinion Latest Stories Herb Rothschild Jr.: Greed, love and the Shmoo Frank Mulligan: They say fame is fleeting Granlund cartoon: Buffalo snow Kent Bush: Obama challenges GOP on immigration Maddocks: Voters’ approval of voters falls to record low Editorial Our view: Keep it simple in OSF courtyard Our view: Expanding the season Our View: Our view: Generating a good idea Our View: Looking beyond the snow Letters Letters to the Editor, Nov. 15 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 11 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 10 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 3 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 28 Guest opinions Herb Rothschild Jr.: Greed, love and the Shmoo Guest Opinion: Save the SOU swimming pool Chris Honoré: Was the midterm election a mandate? Herb Rothschild: TPP agreement draws opposition from all sides Guest Opinion: A meaningful step toward political bipartisanship Revels Latest Stories Community blog: Oregon Poetry Association's fall contest winners Movie listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Best Bets: Nov. 20-28 Caleb Klauder Band and The Steel Wheels play the Unitarian Stewart crafts a fine film in 'Rosewater' Theater New design for Bricks takes shape Hard to keep a straight face with 'Red Noses' 'Red Noses' is a romp through slapstick and pathos 'The Drunken City': Bachelorettes meet bar-crawlers Music Peter Chianca: Top 40 songs even a dad could love The Farr Side: Different artists, common songs Longtime area musician Steve Read, 64, dies The Farr Side: CMA telecast was a disappointment Bass Clarinet Takeover Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Movies Movie review: ‘Dumb and Dumber To’ stays true to form Interview: Jennifer Aniston continues to shed good-girl image Movie listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Stewart crafts a fine film in 'Rosewater' Interview: Steve Carell gets grim Food and Drink Blue bows out of Granite Street site, Agave moving in Chef count up at feast for the senses Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Barry Lewis: No purchasing poinsettias before the Pilgrims and the parade Looking Up: Looking for the Double Cluster Ride & Drive: 2015 Honda CR-V Quills & Queues: Cocktail books give guidance on holiday mixology Suzette Martinez Standring: Thanksgiving, when you’ve suffered loss Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs NEWS NOW AHS club helps fill Ashland Emergency Food Bank ... Ashland Calendar ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: Greed, love and the Shmoo ... AHS club helps fill Ashland Emergency Food Bank ... Ashland Calendar ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: Greed, love and the Shmoo ... Korean War vet: Veterans Day meaning often overlooked Value is in honoring those who served, not just having a day off, American Legion commander says By Greg Stiles For the Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By Greg Stiles For the Daily Tidings Posted Nov. 11, 2014 @ 7:07 pm Updated Nov 12, 2014 at 9:49 AM Ashland American Legion Post No. 14 hosted a Veterans Day breakfast to honor those who served in the military. By Greg Stiles For the Daily Tidings Posted Nov. 11, 2014 @ 7:07 pm Updated Nov 12, 2014 at 9:49 AM » RELATED CONTENT • Seen on Scene - Ashland Veterans Day pancake breakfast. » Social News Ted Sockman admits Veterans Day and its predecessor, Armistice Day, were not major events on the family calendar when he was growing up.  Today, the 86-year-old Korean War veteran has a vastly different perspective, one he fervently desires for present and future generations to understand.  "I just was simply not aware of these things when I was growing up," Sockman said. "I obviously became very aware and dedicated to the cause of trying to inform people. Now it's extremely important. I look at pictures of young men who lost their lives — 22-, 23-year-olds — and you wonder, was it all worth it? Did we need to go through this? It is a dedication on my part, and I feel obligated to do everything possible to get the word out of how important these holidays are."  On Tuesday, the commander of American Legion Post 14 in Ashland took part in an annual pancake breakfast at Pioneer Hall on Winburn Way. The event drew both aging veterans and schoolchildren. Sockman said he's concerned neither schools nor students put enough emphasis on Veterans Day and what it means to servicemen and servicewomen and their families.  "The schools really don't know, and for the most part haven't any idea why they are getting the day off," Sockman said. "They just take it. They get no instruction to my knowledge, and it's a very sad situation when these young men and women are not told of the sacrifices made by so many, whether they were killed or not."  He understands, however, how easy it is to be indifferent to such matters, and how easily all that can change. Sockman's father was too young to participate in World War I service and too old for World War II, but Sockman's own scenario proved much different.  "I was in UCLA when the Korean War broke out," he said. "In 1948, Harry S. Truman said that all you fellas who are between 18 and 25 will register for the draft or take a chance of being actually drafted. In order to stay in college, some of my buddies and I did that very thing."  Hoping to thwart an early exit from his studies, Sockman joined up with a National Guard unit in nearby Santa Monica. His goal was to stay in college until he had his degree.  "I didn't object to going in," Sockman said. "I just wanted to finish."  Then on June 25, 1950, the conflict broke out and his National Guard unit was activated. He was ordered to report for duty on Sept. 1, 1950, at Camp Cooke, now Vandenberg Air Force Base. In October 1951, he was on a troop ship headed to Japan. From there he was deployed to Korea, where he waded ashore at Inchon. During his six months on the peninsula, Sockman never fired a shot in anger, nor was he targeted during his mostly nighttime ammunition supply missions to artillery batteries flanked by Turkish and South Korean allies.   "Even though I was in a combat zone, all I did was take target practice," said Sockman, who rose to the rank of staff sergeant.  On his way home, he returned to Japan. His train passed through Nagasaki, which seven years earlier had been leveled by the "Fat Man" nuclear bomb. "I could not believe the disaster of Nagasaki," he said. "The part the train went through was devastated, just flat. I was awe-stricken by the incredible destruction the atomic bomb had, it was unbelievable."   Such haunting elements of war, nonetheless, failed to dissuade him from performing his mission alongside his fellow soldiers.  "I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever for serving my country," Sockman said.  Another war in another era divided the country, something that still troubles Mike Bakke, a 64-year-old Ashland certified public accountant. He grew up in Albany, which for decades has staged one of the region's largest Veterans Day celebrations.   "I grew up and followed in my brother's footsteps and went into the Air Force. I served during the Vietnam era. I didn't have to go to Vietnam, but I served during that era. We are very proud of our veterans now, they get a lot more deserved recognition than we did."  Bakke, who was in the Air Force from 1964 until 1969, recalled perplexing attitudes and actions of the period.  "I would get negative input from friends that it wasn't the right thing. I don't know how you would argue that now," he said. "The means of communication is better now. All you had during Vietnam was what you saw on TV. You didn't get real good feedback as to what our young men and women were going through. During these last several wars we've been involved in, our guys are being more and more appreciated."   By Greg Stiles For the Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By Greg Stiles For the Daily Tidings Posted Nov. 11, 2014 @ 7:07 pm Updated Nov 12, 2014 at 9:49 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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