tomder55
Dec 18, 2012, 04:54 AM
Daniel Inouye, 88, died Monday of respiratory complications.
He volunteered into the US military after the Pearl Harbor attack ,and distinguished himself with his bravery earning many recognitions including the Medal of Honor. The account of his action is amazing :
Inouye’s platoon came under fire and Inouye was shot in the stomach as he tried to draw a grenade. He didn’t stop, crawling up a hillside, taking out two machine gun emplacements and grabbing a grenade to throw at a third.
That’s when an enemy rifle grenade exploded near his right elbow, shot by a German roughly 10 yards away.
He searched for the grenade, then found it clenched in his right hand, his arm shredded and dangling from his body.
“The fingers somehow froze over the grenade, so I just had to pry it out,” Inouye said in recounting the moment in the 2004 book “Beyond Glory: Meal of Honor Heroes in Their Own Words” by Larry Smith.
“When I pulled it out, the lever snapped open and I knew I had five seconds, so I flipped it into the German’s face as he was trying to reload,” he said. “And it hit the target.”
Democrat Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye Dies | TIME.com (http://swampland.time.com/2012/12/17/sen-daniel-inouye-dies-of-respiratory-complications/)
His service cost him an arm and a dream to become a surgeon. So he turned to politics.
Here is his Medal of Honor citation :
Medal of Honor Citation:
“Second Lieutenant Daniel K. Inouye distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 21 April 1945, in the vicinity of San Terenzo, Italy. While attacking a defended ridge guarding an important road junction, Second Lieutenant Inouye skillfully directed his platoon through a hail of automatic weapon and small arms fire, in a swift enveloping movement that resulted in the capture of an artillery and mortar post and brought his men to within 40 yards of the hostile force. Emplaced in bunkers and rock formations, the enemy halted the advance with crossfire from three machine guns. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Second Lieutenant Inouye crawled up the treacherous slope to within five yards of the nearest machine gun and hurled two grenades, destroying the emplacement. Before the enemy could retaliate, he stood up and neutralized a second machine gun nest. Although wounded by a sniper’s bullet, he continued to engage other hostile positions at close range until an exploding grenade shattered his right arm. Despite the intense pain, he refused evacuation and continued to direct his platoon until enemy resistance was broken and his men were again deployed in defensive positions. In the attack, 25 enemy soldiers were killed and eight others captured. 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. 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.”
As a senator from Hawaii , he became one of the most influential politicians in the country. Although he was a classic case for term limits ,serving 50 years(the second-longest-serving senator in U.S. history) ;he did serve his state well since it entered the Union. He became president pro tempore of the Senate in 2010 following the death of Robert Byrd of West Virginia which means he was third in the line of presidential succession.(with his passing the torch gets passed to Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont... uggh )
He volunteered into the US military after the Pearl Harbor attack ,and distinguished himself with his bravery earning many recognitions including the Medal of Honor. The account of his action is amazing :
Inouye’s platoon came under fire and Inouye was shot in the stomach as he tried to draw a grenade. He didn’t stop, crawling up a hillside, taking out two machine gun emplacements and grabbing a grenade to throw at a third.
That’s when an enemy rifle grenade exploded near his right elbow, shot by a German roughly 10 yards away.
He searched for the grenade, then found it clenched in his right hand, his arm shredded and dangling from his body.
“The fingers somehow froze over the grenade, so I just had to pry it out,” Inouye said in recounting the moment in the 2004 book “Beyond Glory: Meal of Honor Heroes in Their Own Words” by Larry Smith.
“When I pulled it out, the lever snapped open and I knew I had five seconds, so I flipped it into the German’s face as he was trying to reload,” he said. “And it hit the target.”
Democrat Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye Dies | TIME.com (http://swampland.time.com/2012/12/17/sen-daniel-inouye-dies-of-respiratory-complications/)
His service cost him an arm and a dream to become a surgeon. So he turned to politics.
Here is his Medal of Honor citation :
Medal of Honor Citation:
“Second Lieutenant Daniel K. Inouye distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 21 April 1945, in the vicinity of San Terenzo, Italy. While attacking a defended ridge guarding an important road junction, Second Lieutenant Inouye skillfully directed his platoon through a hail of automatic weapon and small arms fire, in a swift enveloping movement that resulted in the capture of an artillery and mortar post and brought his men to within 40 yards of the hostile force. Emplaced in bunkers and rock formations, the enemy halted the advance with crossfire from three machine guns. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Second Lieutenant Inouye crawled up the treacherous slope to within five yards of the nearest machine gun and hurled two grenades, destroying the emplacement. Before the enemy could retaliate, he stood up and neutralized a second machine gun nest. Although wounded by a sniper’s bullet, he continued to engage other hostile positions at close range until an exploding grenade shattered his right arm. Despite the intense pain, he refused evacuation and continued to direct his platoon until enemy resistance was broken and his men were again deployed in defensive positions. In the attack, 25 enemy soldiers were killed and eight others captured. 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. 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.”
As a senator from Hawaii , he became one of the most influential politicians in the country. Although he was a classic case for term limits ,serving 50 years(the second-longest-serving senator in U.S. history) ;he did serve his state well since it entered the Union. He became president pro tempore of the Senate in 2010 following the death of Robert Byrd of West Virginia which means he was third in the line of presidential succession.(with his passing the torch gets passed to Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont... uggh )