His name was Danny and he was ready to show the world what a Japanese-American kid from Hawaii could do, He sure did that, more than even he could imagine.
Some of his gumption stemmed from the fact he was in high school when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Asian kids were heckled and put down.
Then and there, Danny swore to show everyone that he was a true American. What better way to do that than to join the Army and fight for his country.
That’s when the boy out of high school put on a uniform and marched off to fight the war and become a hero.
Being a hero means that your life would make a great movie. A movie of Danny’s life would make you cheer in the aisles.
The movie would begin with him as a sergeant in World War II sitting with his platoon one morning. He showed his men the two silver dollars he kept in his shirt pocket for luck.
The next day he and his men were in a battle with the Germans in the mountains of Italy. Danny was hit in the chest with a bullet, it hit him above his heart. He was lying dazed on the ground, but alive. He looked down in amazement.
The two silver dollars in his shirt pocket had save his life. Some movie,eh?
Later on, Danny, the luckiest man alive, was leading his men men along a snow-covered ridge in Italy when they were hit with a spray of gunfire. Three Nazi machine gun nests were pinning them down with bursts of machine gun bullets. Hang onto your popcorn for what happened next.
Danny charged the first machine gun nest and was hit in the stomach but kept charging and took it out with his rifle fire. He staggered to his feet and rallied his men to take out the second gunner.
This hero then pulled out a hand grenade and was standing to hurl it at the last machine gun when a bullet hit his elbow, the grenade was clutched in his limp right hand, he transferred it to his left and and tossed it and blew up the last gun.
With a bullet wound, and a limp right arm he kept charging up the hill firing all the way.
He had proved he was a true American, no one would heckle him again.
He eventually received the Medal of Honor. He also received the Bronze Star and a Purple Heart, as well as the Distinguished Service Cross.
After the war, a weary Dan returned to his home town in Hawaii to give more to his state and country.
He went into politics and in 1953 was elected to the Territorial House if Representatives, then into the senate. He stayed at it as a congressman and never lost an election for the next 58 years. He was the first Japanese-American to serve in the U.S. Senate. He was friends with U.S. presidents. The Asian-American kid had come a long way.
He went on to give billions to his beloved Hawaii. He built roads and buildings and poured much aloha to Hawaii.
Danny was, of course, the honorable Daniel K. Inouye.
We named highways, a battle ship and an airport after him, all in gratitude for a true American hero. Incidentally, I had the honor of shaking his hand at my UH graduation.
He passed away nine years ago this next week, on Dec. 17, 2012.
Thank you, Daniel Inouye, for all you gave. Aloha Nui Loa.
Dennis Gregory writes a bi-monthly column for West Hawaii Today and welcomes your comments at makewavess@yahoo.com
