Daniel Inouye dead at 88

[Ogre Mage]

A great man has died.  RIP.

[Zioneer]

One of the finest, most accomplished Senators around. Rest in Peace, Senator Inouye.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Let me change my previous post: RIP and aloha, Senator Inouye.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

And so the door closes on the Greatest Generation's time in public service.

Now all we have are the Vietnamers and the Baby Boom mooches who never served and haven't done anything for their country but demand to be taxed less.

Ralph Hall must be the last WWII veteran in Congress.

Lautenberg is a WWII vet.  Maybe a few others.

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

RIP to an American hero and fine Senator.

[Joe Kakistocracy]

As his squad distracted the third machine gunner, Inouye crawled toward the final bunker, eventually drawing within 10 yards. As he raised himself up and cocked his arm to throw his last grenade into the fighting position, a German inside fired a rifle grenade that struck him on the right elbow, severing most of his arm and leaving his own primed grenade reflexively "clenched in a fist that suddenly didn't belong to me anymore". Inouye's horrified soldiers moved to his aid, but he shouted for them to keep back out of fear his severed fist would involuntarily relax and drop the grenade. As the German inside the bunker reloaded his rifle, Inouye pried the live grenade from his useless right hand and transferred it to his left. As the German aimed his rifle to finish him off, Inouye tossed the grenade off-hand into the bunker and destroyed it. He stumbled to his feet and continued forward, silencing the last German resistance with a one-handed burst from his Thompson before being wounded in the leg and tumbling unconscious to the bottom of the ridge. 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!"


For the first time since it became a state, Hawaii will no longer have Daniel Inouye representing it in Washington.

[nclib]

A good man and a good Senator. RIP Sen. Inouye.

[memphis]

Looking up some stats on wikipedia. Akaka is only four days younger. Interesting. Lautenberg remains the oldest senator at age 88. No member of the Senate is under the age of 40, although Chris Murphy will be 39 for several months of the new Congress.

[Where's the Epstein Client List?]

Looking up some stats on wikipedia. Akaka is only four days younger. Interesting. Lautenberg remains the oldest senator at age 88. No member of the Senate is under the age of 40, although Chris Murphy will be 39 for several months of the new Congress.

Wow...I always assumed Akaka was at least a decade younger than Inouye. He certainly looks younger (unless his official photos are really outdated).

[old timey villain]

Akaka and Lautenberg both served in WWII. But I believe they're the only two left since the passing of Inouye.

This reminds me of an event we had at my high school. The history department invited WWII veterans to our school every Veterans Day to talk about their military service. They would set up little tables where they placed their war memorabilia and all of us would walk from table to table, ask questions and listen to their stories. Every year less and less veterans would be there and I would always take note when a guy who was there the previous year didn't show up. This was usually because he had passed away. 

It's so sad that these men and women of the greatest generation will no longer be with us pretty soon. I think about the biggest problems that I face as a young person in 2012, but it all seems insignificant compared to the amazing acts of heroism, hardship and sacrifice people like Daniel Inouye made 70 years ago. It's so important to talk to those still with us and learn from their experiences while we still can.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

For the first time ever, Daniel Inouye is not representing the state of Hawaii in Congress. RIP.

[Sic Semper Fascistis]

Wow, didn't see that coming.

Rest in peace.

[minionofmidas]

Aloha.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Grauniad obit: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/18/daniel-inouye

[Miles]

A bit of trivia: Inouye served with 412 fellow Senators throughout his career.

[Incipimus iterum]

One of the best Senator's Hawaii and the United States ever had.

[memphis]

One of the best only Senators Hawaii ever had.

[MaxQue]

He was a good person and I agree with most of his votes and all, but I very much do not like the idea of serving in the Senate until death. People deserve representation from somebody who is capable of carrying out his duties.  Just as true for Inouye as for Strom Thurmond.

From what I read, he was still serving very well until this week.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

A bit of trivia: Inouye served with 412 fellow Senators throughout his career.

It has an error in the chart and so the numbers may be wrong.

Wisconsin Robert Kasten Democrat

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/pdf/chronlist.pdf

Inouye is listed as Senator #1614 on that list out of 1931. Of the 317 junior to him, 2 were freshmen senators with less seniority than him, so there would be 97 with more seniority when he joined, making it 414 other senators in all.  (The list does not give a new number to a returnee.  I checked to see if there was one who had served before he served and then came back after, but there were none.)

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Had Biden remained in the Senate, he'd be the Dean (and PPT) now instead of Leahy.

[SPC]

Had Biden remained in the Senate, he'd be the Dean (and PPT) now instead of Leahy.

I think he prefers being President of the Senate rather than President Pro Tem.

[SPQR]

RIP

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Had Biden remained in the Senate, he'd be the Dean (and PPT) now instead of Leahy.

I think he prefers being President of the United States rather than President Pro Tem.

Fixed