Hawaii's Daniel Inouye dies

Sen. Daniel Inouye, a World War II hero, pioneer for the state of Hawaii and the second-longest serving senator in American history, died Monday at the Walter Reed Medical Center after fighting emphysema and respiratory complications. He was 88.

( PHOTOS: Daniel Inouye's career)


First elected to the Senate in 1962, Inouye was the dean of the upper chamber — his tenure in the Senate surpassed only by the late Sen. Robert Byrd. He lost his arm during a 1945 fire fight in Italy, became the first congressman from the Aloha State and eventually became chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

His time in Congress spanned the entire life of Hawaii’s statehood. He said he had planned to run for a 10th term in 2016 but his health had deteriorated in recent months.

According to a statement from his office, “When asked in recent days how he wanted to be remembered, Dan said, very simply, “I represented the people of Hawaii and this nation honestly and to the best of my ability. I think I did OK.”

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His last word was “Aloha.”

He leaves behind his wife, Irene Hirano, his son, Ken, daughter-in-law Jessica Carroll and a granddaughter, Mary Margaret “Maggie” Inouye. Inouye’s first wife of 57 years, Margaret Awamur Inouye, passed away in 2006.

With a “real heavy heart,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced Inouye’s passing on the Senate floor shortly after 5:45 p.m., calling him a man who was “certainly one of the giants of the Senate.”

“The kindness he has shown me from my time here in the Senate is something I will cherish always,” Reid said, taking several pauses during his remarks.

Reid noted that he and Inouye had a private, hourlong meeting last week, and the two decided that they needed to meet up again.

“No one has been a better American than Sen. Inouye,” Reid added, noting that Inouye “believed in me more than I believed in myself.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also paid tribute to Inouye, calling him one of history’s “finest” senators.

“He was a man who had every reason to call attention to himself, but who never did,” McConnell said. “He was the kind of man … that America has always been grateful to have, especially in her darkest hours: men who lead by example and who expect nothing in return.”

An emotional Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), who is retiring this year, took to the Senate floor to speak of Inouye’s legacy. He called him “the man who changed the islands forever.”

“It is very difficult for me to rise today with a heavy heart and bid aloha to my good friend, colleague and brother Dan Inouye,” he said. “It is hard for me to believe the terrible news I received is true. Sen. Inouye was a true patriot and an American hero in every sense.”

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) said he was “in shock” to learn of Inouye’s passing. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he did not know Inouye had been sick.

As senators learned of the news, they praised Inouye’s ability to get along with his colleagues and quiet, but strong, approach to politics.

“He was a great American and a great hero and of the greatest generation,” Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) “He’s of the passing generation of American heroes that inspired all of us.”

“It’s just so sad for the Senate family, for the country, for the people of Hawaii,” said Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.). “He was such a phenomenal leader. Quiet, soft-spoken but absolutely just wielded tremendous power and influence among veteran members as well as newcomers to the Senate and he’s going to be sorely missed.”

Sen. Frank Lautenberg will be the only senator to serve in World War II in the next Congress.

Inouye became a congressman-at-large after Hawaii became a state in 1959 and went to the Senate after Sen. Oren Long decided against running. Over the course of his long career, Inouye served as the first chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence as well as the Committee on Indian Affairs. Inouye became the president pro tempore of the Senate in 2010 after the death of Byrd. The position is the third in line to the presidency, after the vice president and the speaker of the House, making Inouye the highest-ranking Asian-American politician in U.S. history.

The Senate paved the way for Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) to be the new president pro tempore by unanimous consent on Monday night.

President Barack Obama praised Inouye in a statement.

“[I]t was his incredible bravery during World War II — including one heroic effort that cost him his arm but earned him the Medal of Honor — that made Danny not just a colleague and a mentor but someone revered by all of us lucky enough to know him,” the president said.

Inouye was working as a medical volunteer during the attack on Pearl Harbor. He then joined the Japanese American 442 Regimental Combat Team in 1943. He was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2000 by former President Bill Clinton, upgrading his Distinguished Service Cross as part of a move to honor Asian-American war heroes who were perceived as not receiving due recognition at the time.

Inouye led an attack during fighting in Italy that killed 25 enemy soldiers and captured eight more, according to the accommodation that accompanied his Medal of Honor.

“By his gallant, aggressive tactics and by his indomitable leadership, Second Lieutenant Inouye enabled his platoon to advance through formidable resistance, and was instrumental in the capture of the ridge,” the accommodation with his medal read. “Second Lieutenant Inouye’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.”

On April 21, 1945, Inouye, then holding the rank of second lieutenant, was directing a platoon near San Terenzo, Italy. According to his accommodation, the platoon was attacking a ridge at an important junction in the road.

Inouye led the platoon through gunfire from automatic weapons and other small arms, capturing an artillery and mortar post and getting within 40 yards of the enemy. In bunkers, the enemy continued to operate three machine guns.

Inouye climbed a ridge to get within five yards of one of the machine guns and threw two grenades at them, taking out the nest. He then stood up to attack another machine gunner. While attacking, he was hit by a sniper. As he continued to fight, a grenade shattered his right arm. Despite being injured, Inouye refused to evacuate and continued to lead his platoon to destroy the remaining enemy holdings.

His right forearm was amputated and while he was recovering at a Michigan hospital, Inouye famously met two other veterans who would become his lifelong friends: Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.) and the late Sen. Philip Hart (D-Mich). The building was later named the Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal Center in honor of the three men.

Inouye gave the keynote speech at the 1968 Democratic National Convention where he spoke of the country’s struggles with racism and bias while the country was struggling with civil rights and the Vietnam War.

“This is my country,” Inouye said then. “Many of us have fought hard for the right to say that. Many are now struggling today from Harlem to Da Nang that they may say this with conviction.”

He called for Americans to reject violent protests but continue to speak out against discrimination calling for a “new era of politics.”

“Let us build not only new buildings but new neighborhoods — and then let us live in them, all as full citizens and all as brothers,” he said.

“In closing I wish to share with you a most scared word of Hawaii. It is aloha. To some you who visited us, it may have meant hello. To others, aloha may have meant goodbye. But to those of us who have been privileged to live in Hawaii, aloha means I love you. So to all of you, my fellow Americans, aloha.”

Seung Min Kim and Ginger Gibson contributed to this report.