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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Emergency services, Oct. 16 ... Since You Asked: Park resurfacing delayed during winter ... SOU training gives tips on what to do if there's an active shooter ... Emergency services, Oct. 16 ... Since You Asked: Park resurfacing delayed during winter ... SOU training gives tips on what to do if there's an active shooter ... MEDFORD Former Medford mayor honored for 100th birthday WWII vet Lou Hannum credited with improving city's air, accessibility Former Medford mayor and WWII veteran Lou Hannum celebrated his 100th birthday among friends and family Sunday. Comment By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted May. 31, 2015 at 7:32 PM Updated May 31, 2015 at 9:20 PM By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted May. 31, 2015 at 7:32 PM Updated May 31, 2015 at 9:20 PM » RELATED CONTENT • Seen on Scene: Lou Hannum turns 100 » Social News In decades of service to his country and community, former Medford Mayor Lou Hannum has done everything from saving the lives of his comrades during WWII battles to providing books for children who have nothing to read at home. Dozens of civic leaders, friends and family members gathered at the Medford Carnegie Library building Sunday in Medford to celebrate Hannum's 100th birthday and offer tributes to his years of service. Hannum signed up to be a U.S. Navy officer during WWII and was tasked with the logistically challenging job of making sure soldiers had the supplies and ammunition they needed during battles to take Iwo Jima and Okinawa — key Pacific islands needed for the Allied fight against Japan. For years, he couldn't speak of his time during the war, but finally wrote a 44-page memoir of his experiences in 1992, former Mail Tribune reporter and Vietnam veteran Allen Hallmark said during the birthday celebration. When his flotilla was ordered to receive wounded Marines, many of them still in their teens, Hannum helped identify them and administer blood plasma. Japanese pilots constantly flew suicide missions into the boats and ships, which were also under fire from machine guns. Hannum was in charge of an anti-aircraft gun crew working to shoot down the planes before they could strike. A bomb hit their ship, battering Hannum and causing him to temporarily lose his hearing. Later, he blistered his feet helping to rescue the crew of a burning destroyer. He and two other officers devised a strategy to use radar to identify Japanese boats filled with explosives speeding toward Allied ships. They were able to destroy many of the boats and warn ships of impending attacks. Hannum received a Navy Commendation medal for his actions in combat and for his work as a supply and logistics officer during the amphibious assaults on the islands. "This man's a hero," Hallmark said. Those attending the birthday celebration gave Hannum a standing ovation. His service continued long after the war and into his retirement years when he moved to Medford. Hannum served as mayor from 1982-86. He also served on the Medford Water Commission and the Medford City Council, in addition to taking on other service roles in the community. Former Medford mayor, city councilor and state legislator Al Densmore credited Hannum with making Medford more accessible to those with disabilities through initiatives such as sidewalk curb cuts that allow people in wheelchairs to navigate streets and sidewalks. Hannum played an important part in efforts to clean up Medford's air, which was so polluted in the 1970s that asthma and heart patients were being rushed to emergency rooms, said Jackson County Library District Board member and former Jackson County Commissioner Carol Doty. Others described him as brilliant, fair, compassionate, honest and honorable. Rep. Greg Walden, in a letter read at the celebration, called Hannum a role model who served during America's greatest and most difficult years. Asked about the secret to his long life, Hannum help aloft a turtle sculpture he received while on a visit to China with his wife, Carolyn Hannum, who died in 2013, five months shy of her own 100th birthday. The turtle is a symbol of longevity. "I've always carried this turtle around. Maybe that's part of the answer," he said, also crediting the help of doctors for his long life. After his wife passed away, Hannum set up a fund in her honor that is used to bring bags full of library books to children at daycare sites around the county. The money also helps put prize books in the hands of kids, who can take their rewards home to keep. "You would be amazed at how many families don't have books at home. The kids just beam when they get their books," said Nancy Peterson, outreach coordinator for Jackson County Library Services. Staff reporter Vickie Aldous can be reached at 541-776-4486 or [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous . By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted May. 31, 2015 at 7:32 PM Updated May 31, 2015 at 9:20 PM » 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. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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