RIP Daniel Inouye

Senator Daniel Inouye became a U.S. Representative on the day that Hawaii became a state, on August 21, 1959. He was elected Senator in 1962, and became the longest-serving member of the Senate. But he was already quite accomplished before entering politics. Inouye was a teenager in Honolulu when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and worked five days straight as a volunteer medic. Then he tried to enlist, but it took two years for those of Japanese heritage to be allowed in the military. As a member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a unit of Japanese-American volunteers sent on particularly dangerous missions in Europe, Inouye performed a series of heroic acts that cost him his right arm and gained him the Medal of Honor. You can read a detailed account of his war exploits in colorful language at Badass of the Week. Link

Senator Inouye died yesterday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He was 88. Link
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