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Congressional Record—Senate S8109 December 18, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S8109 little attention then and is even less the Hispanic community and shared Mahalo, my friend, until we meet remembered now. the community’s hopes and aspira- again. My colleagues, DANNY’S speech tions. In recent conversations, I know f should be required reading today given from his comments that he understood RECESS the recent tragedies. It was just last the growing importance of the Hispanic week that I was asked to speak on Sen- community and the benefit of advanc- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under ator INOUYE’s behalf at an event con- ing their interests within American so- the previous order, the Senate stands cerning the proposed Eisenhower Me- ciety. He lived it, he understood it, he in recess until 2:15 p.m. morial. It is a joint bipartisan effort knew. Thereupon, the Senate, at 12:33 p.m., that has taken far too long to bring to We worked together on the recogni- recessed until 2:15 p.m. and reassem- fruition. In the cloakroom the day be- tion of Filipino veterans—something bled when called to order by the Pre- fore we had one of our many discus- he was very passionate about—and he siding Officer (Mr. WEBB). sions where he grabbed my hand and thanked me most graciously, as al- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- looked me in the eye and said: You and ways, for my interest and for my com- ator from Maryland. I probably vote differently 80 percent of mitment to working with him on an f the time, but in all of our mutual ef- issue so dear to his heart. EXTENSION OF MORNING These are just a few stories of a man forts and all of our travels, I have con- BUSINESS sidered you a brother. who led a quintessentially American I didn’t know what to do. I responded life. I know there are thousands more Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask with a tear in my eye, and I said: I love stories to be told, some of which have unanimous consent to extend morning you, DANNY INOUYE. already been told on the Senate floor, business until 3 p.m., with Senators And he said: I love you too. but the real story is that this was a permitted to speak therein for up to 10 What a wonderful thing to hear from man who sacrificed for his country, minutes each. a true American hero in every respect. met the challenges it presented, but ul- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without It has been a privilege and an honor to timately, because of a kind heart and objection, it is so ordered. serve with such a remarkable and truly loyalty to the ideals we profess as The Senator from Texas. humble man. Americans, he became one of the most f I also want to thank his wonderful important, yet most humble, leaders in REMEMBERING DANIEL K. INOUYE staff in working with my staff on so the U.S. Senate. many mutual projects. Senator INOUYE and his life and deeds Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I Aloha, my dear friend. I will miss remind us what it means to be an rise this sad day to comment on the you every day. American hero, a war hero who carried passing of a great patriot, Senator I yield back the remainder of my the burden of his service with him all DANIEL INOUYE. He fought for his coun- time. of his life. His courage, his patriotism, try as part of the Greatest Generation The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- and his respect for the values he fought and served his State with distinction ator from New Jersey. for informed his views and his votes in for more than 50 years. Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask this Chamber. We were all honored to know him and unanimous consent to speak for 5 min- The Senate is sadly diminished today blessed by his sacrifice in defense of utes. with the passing of one of our most re- American freedom. We served together The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without spected and iconic leaders—a hero, a on the Armed Services Committee and objection, it is so ordered. powerful voice for reason, rationality, later on the Appropriations Committee Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, and common sense when reason, ra- as well. DANNY’S insight was invaluable there are few times in the history of tionality, and common sense are too to our Nation’s defense and military this institution when one Senator, a often in short supply. He will be missed policy. He did make America stronger. singularly iconic leader, comes along not only by all of us who had the privi- I had the pleasure of working with and reminds us of what it means to be lege to serve with him but by a nation him when we traveled together to Bos- a U.S. Senator and what it means to that needs more leaders like him. nia to visit our troops in the very early represent the very best of what this We, all of us, remember his lasting stages of that conflict. We later went Nation stands for and to do it, as he al- influence, his way of making us look to the Middle East on a CODEL with ways did, with the utmost dignity, into the heart of the matter without Senator Stevens as well. One of the pic- honor, pride, and integrity. prejudice or preconceived political im- tures in my office is of Senator Ste- I am deeply saddened to have to pressions. He knew how to get to the vens, Senator INOUYE, Senator SNOWE, speak to the passing of a true Amer- crux of an issue, and he led the way so and myself in our helmets and flak ican hero. He was someone who in- many times for the rest of us. We fol- jackets the first time we flew into Sa- spired so many of us in the Senate. His lowed his lead, and the Nation is better rajevo in the early 1990s, when the ideals and sense of justice were always for it. Serbs had still been shooting from the on display. All of us who worked with him as hills into the airport. The passing of Senator INOUYE leaves chairman of the Appropriations Com- In 1995, on the 50th anniversary of the a painful void in the leadership of this mittee respected his word and his com- end of World War II, Senator INOUYE body. In so many ways, the life and mitment to fairness. He was always and a number of other World War II sacrifice of Senator INOUYE embodies willing to listen, always willing to hear veterans gathered at the Smithsonian the essence of the ‘‘greatest genera- your side, always willing to reach out to reminisce about their time in battle. tion.’’ across the aisle for what he believed Senator INOUYE recalled the morning Even when faced with the suffering, was right. of December 7 at Pearl Harbor, when he indignity, and humiliation of an in- Most recently, he was the voice of recognized that the men in the Japa- ternment camp, he did not allow his support and wisdom in our efforts to nese planes looked like him, and he heart to be turned or his love and com- secure disaster relief for my home said he knew then his life would never mitment to his country to be dimin- State of New Jersey. He empathized be the same. ished. Justice was a constant theme in with the needs of New Jerseyans, just As soon as the Army permitted Japa- his life. He represented the challenges as he addressed the needs of Hawaiians nese Americans to volunteer, he signed faced by his Hawaiian people since for decades. There is no more gracious up and ventured to the mainland of the statehood, when he became its first man than DAN INOUYE, no one who was United States for the first time in his representative in the U.S. Congress. as dignified and respectful than the life. He and his fellow Hawaiians of We had a close bond when it came to senior Senator from Hawaii. Japanese descent worried about how our concern for minorities in our coun- Our thoughts and prayers go out to they would be treated in the United try. Because of the struggles in his life, his wife and his family and to the peo- States but, as he recalled it, they en- he understood the struggles in both of ple of Hawaii today. We have lost an countered kindness and respect at our communities. He felt a kinship to incredibly great man. every stop their train made. VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:52 Dec 19, 2012 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18DE6.021 S18DEPT1 tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with S8110 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 18, 2012 By the time he finished his training Medal of Honor for their heroism dur- more accomplished as a public servant, and prepared to depart for Europe, he ing World War II. more dedicated to family and country said he had learned this was truly a Following World War II, Senator and humanity than DANIEL K. INOUYE. country worth dying for and certainly INOUYE finished his undergraduate Yet he was also one of the most humble one worth sacrificing an arm in order studies at the University of Hawaii and and self-effacing people. What a tre- to preserve our freedom and our way of then earned a law degree from George mendous example of a life well lived he life.
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