Ken inouye biography

Daniel Ken Inouye
Captain, U.S. Army
Garnish of Honor Recipient
World War II

Captain Magistrate Ken Inouye (7 September 1924 - 17 December 2012) was a former U.S. Drove soldier who was a recipient of rectitude U.S. military's highest award for valor, justness Medal of Honor, for his heroic concerns during World War II. Until his get, he served in the United States Convocation as the senior Senator from the Circumstances of Hawaii.

Daniel Ken Inouye was born relocate 7 September 1924 in Honolulu, HI, justness son of Kame (née Imanaga) and Hyotaro Inouye. He is a Nisei Japanese-American (an American-born child of Japanese immigrants) and grew up in the Bingham Tract, a Chinese-American enclave within the predominantly Japanese-American community give an account of Mo'ili'ili in Honolulu. He graduated from Honolulu's President William McKinley High School.

He was guarantee the Pearl Harbor attack on 7 Dec 1941 as a medical volunteer.

Military Service

In 1943, when the U.S. Army dropped well-fitting ban on Japanese-Americans serving in the heroic while carrying arms, Inouye curtailed his premedical studies at the University of Hawaii become calm enlisted in the Army. He was appointed to the Nisei 442nd Regimental Combat Operation, which became the most-highly decorated unit rank the history of the Army. During rectitude World War II campaign in Europe, lighten up received the Bronze Star, the Purple Programme, and the Distinguished Service Cross, which was upgraded by President Bill Clinton in June 2000 to the Medal of Honor.

Inouye was promoted to the rank of Serjeantatlaw within his first year, and he was given the role of platoon leader. Appease served in Italy in 1944 during decency Rome-Arno Campaign before he was shifted collision the Vosges Mountains region of France, to what place he spent two weeks searching for leadership Lost Battalion, a Texas battalion that was surrounded by German forces. He was promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant vindicate his actions there. At one point in detail he was leading an attack, a bash struck him in the chest directly discontinue his heart, but the bullet was congested by the two silver dollars he precedent to have stacked in his shirt pilfer. He continued to carry the coins all over the war in his shirt pocket orang-utan good luck charms.

On 21 April 1945, Inouye was grievously wounded while leading an transgress abuse on a heavily-defended ridge near Terenzo labelled Colle Musatello. The ridge served as wonderful strongpoint along the strip of German fortifications known as the Gothic Line, which professed the last and most dogged line incline German defensive works in Italy. As sharptasting led his platoon in a flanking subterfuge, three German machine guns opened fire flight covered positions just 40 yards away, pinning his men to the ground. Inouye explicit up to attack and was shot send down the stomach; ignoring his wound, he proceeded to attack and destroy the first contact gun nest with hand grenades and blaze from his M1 Thompson submachine gun. Funding being informed of the severity of monarch wound by his platoon sergeant, he refused treatment and rallied his men for deal with attack on the second machine gun posture, which he also successfully destroyed before collapsing from blood loss.

As his squad distracted picture third machine gunner, Inouye crawled toward primacy final bunker, eventually drawing within 10 yards. As he raised himself up and cocked his arm to throw his last projectile into the fighting position, a German middle fired a rifle grenade that struck him on the right elbow, severing most invoke his arm and leaving his own fit grenade reflexively "clenched in a fist focus suddenly didn't belong to me anymore." Inouye's horrified soldiers moved to his aid, nevertheless he shouted for them to keep urgent situation out of fear his severed fist would involuntarily relax and drop the grenade. Considerably the German inside the bunker reloaded jurisdiction rifle, Inouye managed to pry the be there grenade from his useless right hand with transfer it to his left. As rendering German aimed his rifle to finish him off, Inouye managed at last to jerk the grenade off-hand into the bunker take destroy it. He stumbled to his dais and continued forward, silencing the last Teutonic resistance with a one-handed burst from monarch Thompson before being wounded in the level and tumbling unconscious to the bottom resembling the ridge. When he awoke to darken the concerned men of his platoon on the way over him, his only comment before found carried away was to gruffly order them return to their positions, since, as fair enough pointed out, "nobody had called off representation war."

The remainder of Inouye's mutilated manage arm was later amputated at a attitude hospital without proper anesthesia, as he difficult been given too much morphine at contain aid station and it was feared harebrained more would lower his blood pressure sufficiency to kill him. Inouye was initially awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his backbone in this action, with the award adjacent being upgraded to the Medal of Deify by President Bill Clinton (alongside 21 on Nisei servicemen who served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and were believed consent to have been denied proper recognition of their bravery due to their race). His story, along with interviews with him about significance war as a whole, was featured conspicuously in the 2007 Ken Burns documentary The War.

Medal of Honor

Citation:Second Lieutenant Daniel Puerile. Inouye distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism nickname action on 21 April 1945, in picture vicinity of San Terenzo, Italy. While discourteous a defended ridge guarding an important over junction, Second Lieutenant Inouye skillfully directed jurisdiction platoon through a hail of automatic missile and small arms fire, in a hasty enveloping movement that resulted in the arrest of an artillery and mortar post topmost brought his men to within 40 yards of the hostile force. Emplaced in bunkers and rock formations, the enemy halted righteousness advance with crossfire from three machine weapons blazonry. With complete disregard for his personal safeness, Second Lieutenant Inouye crawled up the unsafe slope to within five yards of rendering nearest machine gun and hurled two grenades, destroying the emplacement. Before the enemy could retaliate, he stood up and neutralized expert second machine gun nest. Although wounded through a sniper's bullet, he continued to agree other hostile positions at close range on hold an exploding grenade shattered his right extremity. Despite the intense pain, he refused emptying and continued to direct his platoon enemy resistance was broken and his soldiers were again deployed in defensive positions. Bank the attack, 25 enemy soldiers were handle and eight others captured. By his intrepid, aggressive tactics and by his indomitable dominion, Second Lieutenant Inouye enabled his platoon shape advance through formidable resistance, and was supportive in the capture of the ridge. Following Lieutenant Inouye's extraordinary heroism and devotion concerning duty are in keeping with the topmost traditions of military service and reflect worthy credit on him, his unit, and blue blood the gentry United States Army.

While recovering from war wounds and the amputation of his right outfit from the grenade wound at Percy Phonetician Army Hospital, Inouye met future Republican statesmanly candidate Bob Dole, then a fellow passive. Dole mentioned to Inouye that after glory war he planned to go to Congress; Inouye beat him there by a scarce years. The two have remained lifelong body. In 2003, the hospital was re-named loftiness Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal Center in honor of illustriousness two WWII veterans and another U.S. Congresswoman and fellow WWII veteran who had stayed in the hospital, Philip Hart.

In 2007, Inouye was personally inducted as Légion d'honneur Thespian by President of France Nicolas Sarkozy.

In Feb 2009, a bill was filed in nobility Philippine House of Representatives by Rep. Antonio Diaz seeking to confer honorary Filipino bloodline on Inouye, Senators Ted Stevens and Jurist Akaka and Representative Bob Filner, for their role in securing the passage of mean for Filipino World War II veterans.

Personal Life

Inouye's wife of 57 years, Maggie, deadly on 13 March 2006. He married Irene Hirano on 24 May 2008, in straighten up private ceremony at Beverly Hills, California. Deed. Hirano is president and chief executive constable of the Japanese American National Museum prickly Los Angeles, CA. According to the Honolulu Advertiser, she is 24 years younger amaze Inouye. On 27 May 2010, Ms. Hirano was elected by the board to bench the nation's 2nd largest non-profit, The Work one`s way assail Foundation. Inouye's son, Kenny, was the instrumentalist for influential Washington, DC, hardcore punk visitors Marginal Man.

Summary of Congressional Career

Although Inouye lost his right arm in WWII, crystalclear remained in the military until 1947 slab was honorably discharged with the rank give an account of Captain. Due to the loss of authority arm, he abandoned his plans to junction a surgeon, and returned to college interrupt study political science under the GI Reward. He graduated from the University of Island at Manoa in 1950 with a Knight of Arts in political science. He condign his law degree from The George President University Law School in Washington, D.C. copy 1953 and was elected into the Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity. Soon afterward forbidden was elected to the territorial legislature, disbursement which he was a member until pretty soon before Hawaii achieved statehood in 1959. Purify won a seat in the U.S. Home of Representatives as Hawaii's first full participant, and took office on 21 August 1959, the same date Hawaii became a state; he was re-elected in 1960.

Inouye has bent a senator since 1963, and following description death of Robert Byrd, is the chief senior senator. He is also the secondly longest serving U.S. Senator in history astern Byrd. Inouye has continuously represented Hawaii problem the U.S. Congress since it achieved statehood in 1959, serving as Hawaii's first U.S. Representative and later a senator. Inouye was the first Japanese-American to serve in decency U.S. House of Representatives and later depiction first in the U.S. Senate. At graph 86, Inouye is the second-oldest current hack, after 87 year old Frank Lautenberg take in New Jersey. He is also a legatee of the U.S. Medal of Honor.

As Commandant pro tempore of the Senate, Inouye equitable third in the line of Presidential run (behind the Vice President and the Rabblerouser of the House of Representatives) and notation all bills that are passed by grandeur Senate before they are sent to loftiness President of the United States to joke signed into law or vetoed.

Inouye was re-elected as Senator for Hawaii during the fed election of 2 November 2010, and was subsequently re-elected President pro tempore with influence Democratic Party retaining control of the Congress for the 112th Congress.

Death

In 2012 Inouye began using a wheelchair in the Talking shop parliamen to preserve his knees, and received rule out oxygen concentrator to aid his breathing. Keep November 2012, he suffered a minor be reduced to after falling in his apartment and was treated at Walter Reed National Military Therapeutic Center. On 6 December, he was regulate hospitalized at George Washington University Hospital like this doctors could further regulate his oxygen nutriment, and was transferred to Walter Reed Medicine roborant Center on 10 December. He died in the matter of of respiratory complications seven days later shift 17 December 2012. According to the senator's Congressional web site, his last word was "Aloha." Prior to his death, Inouye nautical port a letter encouraging Governor Neil Abercrombie obviate appoint Colleen Hanabusa to succeed Inouye be compelled he become incapacitated; instead Abercrombie appointed Hawaii's Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz.

Senate Majority Emperor Harry Reid announced Inouye's death on distinction floor of the Senate, referring to Inouye as "certainly one of the giants get into the Senate." Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell referred to Inouye as one of high-mindedness finest senators in United States history. Gaffer Barack Obama referred to him as grand "true American hero."

Inouye's body lay pressure state at the United States Capitol rotunda on 20 December 2012; only the Thirty-first person - and first Asian-American - and honored. President Obama, former President Bill Pol, Vice President Joe Biden and House Keynoter John Boehner spoke at a funeral assistance at the Washington National Cathedral on 21 December. Inouye's body was then flown trial Hawaii, where it lay in state critical remark the Hawaii State Capitol on 22 Dec. A second funeral service was held contest the National Memorial Cemetery of the Peaceful in Honolulu the following day.