Senator Inouye passed away today

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/20366609/sen-inouyes-office-releases-statement-on-his-passing

Senator Daniel Inouye was Hawaii's longest-serving senator and the most prominent democrat in the Senate.

He served with the 442nd regimental combat team in WWII, and earned military honors ranging from the purple heart to the medal of honor.


Daniel Inouye watched the gray planes fly overhead as Pearl Harbor was destroyed, and promptly went to the recruiting office to enlist into the Army.
Initially denied enlistment because of his current government employment as an EMT, he left the recruiting office, went to his workplace, quit, and came back.

On April 21, 1945, the 442nd was in Italy, trying to break through the Gothic Line
His platoon was in the middle of a flanking maneuver when a group of three German machine gun nests opened fire, causing the men to scramble for cover.
Inouye stood through the hail of fire and was hit in the stomach; ignoring the wound he charged the first nest and destroyed it with grenades and fire from his tommy gun.
Still ignoring the wound, he went back to his platoon and rallied his men for an attack on the 2nd nest.

After destroying the 2nd nest, he collapsed from a loss of blood.

Regaining consciousness, his platoon drew fire from the 3rd nest as he crawled towards it. Within 10 yards he readied a grenade and was about to throw it as a German rifle grenade hit him in the elbow; blasting his arm off.

In pain, he ordered his men to leave him where he was; fearing his hand, which still held the grenade, would relax and release the live grenade.

He crawled over to his blown-off arm, unclenched his own fingers from the grenade, and threw it with his still functioning arm. Picking up his Thompson, he charged the last nest one-armed; firing as he went.

He was then hit in the leg and lost consciousness.

When he awoke to see the concerned men of his platoon hovering over him, his only comment before being carried away was to gruffly order them to return to their positions, since, as he pointed out, "nobody called off the war!"


Senator Inouye served as a Hawaii senator since Hawaii became a state in 1959.

Though I may have disagreed with some of his politics, and am in no way a democrat I respected this man very much. He represents the great men and women that made the U.S what it is today; a fire in the soul that I fear is fading in my generation.



His last word was "Aloha"


Hawaii and the U.S. has lost a great man.




Go for broke sir, thank you for your service.

 

"Go For Broke" Senator. Daniel Inouye

 

Great courage and a stern man. He will be missed! ...Takes some BIG BALLZ to crawl to your blown off arm , pry open YOUR fingers, using the arm thats still connected to your body, grab the gernade and throw it into the enemy bunker...

 

RIP

 

RIP

 

RIP

 

There aren't many men like him around anymore

 

WOW! What a story! I had no idea about any of that, men like him are few and far between anymore, but his legacy gives us all hope.

 

He was very selfless. Not selfish one bit. He did it for Hawaii and his fellow soldiers.

 

That's my gf great uncle, good man though i never met him I heard some great stories about him.

 

RIP

 

Aloha Sen. Inouye!

 

We cant forget what the Japanese had to go thru. To think your own family was being sent to internment camps, yet fight for that same country?

Yes, RIP Inouye.