Daniel K. Inouye

Daniel K. Inouye
Name	Daniel K. Inouye
Caption	Official Senate portrait
State	Hawaii
Term start	January 3, 1963
Term end	December 17, 2012
Predecessor	Oren E. Long
Successor	Brian Schatz
Office1	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii's at-large congressional district
Term start1	August 21, 1959
Term end1	January 3, 1963
Predecessor1	District established
Successor1	Thomas Gill
Office2	Member of the Hawaii Territorial House of Representatives
Term start2	1954
Term end2	1958
Birth date	7 September 1924
Birth place	Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii
Death date	17 December 2012
Death place	Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.
Party	Democratic
Spouse	Irene Hirano, 2008
Alma mater	University of Hawaii at Manoa, George Washington University Law School
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Army
Serviceyears	1943–1947
Rank	Captain
Unit	442nd Infantry Regiment
Battles	World War II, • Italian Campaign
Awards	Medal of Honor, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Distinguished Service Cross

Daniel K. Inouye was an American soldier and politician who served as a United States Senator from Hawaii from 1963 until his death in 2012. A Democratic icon, he was the first Japanese American to serve in both chambers of the United States Congress and played a pivotal role in shaping modern Hawaii and national policy. Inouye's career was defined by his heroic service in World War II and his decades of influential leadership on key Senate committees.

Early life and education

Daniel Ken Inouye was born in Honolulu to parents who were immigrants from Japan. He was raised in the Bingham Tract community and attended President William McKinley High School, where the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred during his senior year. Initially enrolling at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, his studies were interrupted when the United States Army lifted its ban on enlisting Japanese Americans. He later earned his law degree from the George Washington University Law School after the war.

World War II service

Inouye enlisted in the United States Army in 1943 and was assigned to the famed 442nd Infantry Regiment, a unit composed almost entirely of Japanese American soldiers. He served as a platoon leader during the intense Italian Campaign, including the brutal Battle of Monte Cassino. During a fierce assault on a heavily defended ridge near San Terenzo in 1945, Inouye was gravely wounded while destroying three German machine gun nests, an act that cost him his right arm. For his "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity," he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, which was later upgraded to the Medal of Honor by President Bill Clinton in 2000.

Political career

After the war and completing his legal education, Inouye entered politics in the Territory of Hawaii. He was elected to the Territorial House of Representatives in 1954 as part of the transformative "Democratic Revolution of 1954." When Hawaii achieved statehood in 1959, he was elected as its first U.S. Representative. In 1962, he successfully ran for the United States Senate, succeeding Senator Oren E. Long.

U.S. Senate tenure

Inouye served in the United States Senate for nearly fifty years, becoming one of the most respected and powerful legislators in American history. He was a key figure on the Senate Appropriations Committee, which he eventually chaired, directing federal funding to critical projects in Hawaii and nationwide. He served on the Senate Watergate Committee in the 1970s and chaired the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Indian Affairs Committee. As President pro tempore of the Senate from 2010, he was third in the presidential line of succession.

Personal life and death

Inouye married Margaret Shinobu Awamura in 1949; the couple had one son, Daniel K. Inouye Jr., and remained together until her death in 2006. He later married Irene Hirano in 2008. His life was permanently shaped by his combat injuries, which required him to learn to write with his left hand. Inouye died of respiratory complications at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland on December 17, 2012. His body lay in state in the United States Capitol rotunda, a high honor reserved for eminent citizens.

Legacy and honors

Inouye's legacy is marked by monumental honors and lasting institutions. Honolulu International Airport was renamed the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in his honor. The United States Senate commissioned a portrait of him for its collection, and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History displays his wartime uniform. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawaii and the USNS ''Daniel Inouye''], a United States Navy vessel, bear his name, cementing his impact on science, the military, and the history of Hawaii.

Category:American military personnel Category:United States senators from Hawaii Category:Medal of Honor recipients