[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 80 (Thursday, June 22, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5584-S5586]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        TRIBUTE TO ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN MEDAL OF HONOR WINNERS

  Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I stand here today to pay tribute to the 22 
men who received the Medal of Honor yesterday. As has been indicated by 
a number of my colleagues, one of those recipients is my dear friend 
and colleague from Hawaii, Senator Daniel K. Inouye. I extend my 
heartfelt congratulations to:
  Senator Daniel K. Inouye, Second Lieutenant, 442nd Regimental Combat 
Team;
  Rudolph Davila, Staff Sergeant, 3rd Army;
  Barney Hajiro, Private First Class, 442nd RCT;
  Mikio Hasemoto, Private, 100th Battalion;
  Joe Hayashi, Private First Class, 442nd RCT;
  Shizuya Hayashi, Private, 100th Battalion;
  Yeiki Kobashigawa, Technical Sergeant, 100th Battalion;
  Robert Kuroda, Staff Sergeant, 442nd RCT;
  Kaoru Moto, Private First Class, 100th Battalion;
  Kiyoshi Muranaga, Private First Class, 442nd RCT;
  Masato Nakae, Private First Class, 100th Battalion;
  Sinyei Nakamine, Private, 100th Battalion;
  William Nakamura, Private First Class, 442nd RCT;
  Joe Nishimoto, Private, 442nd RCT;
  Allan Ohata, Staff Sergeant, 100th Battalion;
  James Okubo, Technical Sergeant, 442nd RCT;
  Yukio Okutsu, Technical Sergeant, 442nd RCT;
  Frank Ono, Private First Class, 442nd RCT;
  Kazuo Otani, Staff Sergeant, 442nd RCT;
  George Sakato, Private, 442nd RCT;
  Ted Tanouye, Technical Sergeant, 442nd RCT;
  Francis Wai, Captain, 34th Division.
  Mr. President, these 22 Medal of Honor recipients have joined an 
elite group of soldiers honored for exceptional valor in service to our 
country. It may have taken half a century, but the passage of time has 
not diminished the magnificence of their courage. These 22 men truly 
represent the best that America has to offer. They answered the call to 
duty and proved that patriotism is solely a circumstance of the heart. 
These men answered the call of duty with conviction and courage, at a 
time when these virtues were most in demand by a needy Nation. In the 
face of discrimination and injustice at home, these men set aside 
personal consideration to defend our great Nation on foreign 
battlefields. By their actions, these 22 men proved that patriotism is 
not based on the color of one's skin, but on the courage and strength 
of one's convictions.
  I am pleased to have contributed to the process that finally led to 
the appropriate recognition of these soldiers. Legislation initiated by 
the Senate required the military to review the records of all Asian 
Pacific American recipients of the Navy Cross or Distinguished Service 
Cross during World War II to determine if any merit upgrade to the 
Medal of Honor.
  Many times I have been asked why I thought review was necessary. The 
review provision was offered and adopted out of concern that Asian 
Pacific American veterans have never been fully recognized for their 
military contributions during the Second World War.
  Many in Hawaii know of the exploits of the 100th Infantry Battalion, 
442nd Regimental Combat Team. It came as a surprise that few on the 
mainland were familiar with the service of this famous all-Nisei, 
second generation Japanese unit, or of the secret Military Intelligence 
Service whose members served in the Pacific.
  Twenty of the twenty two Medal of Honor recipients honored yesterday 
and today are from the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental 
Combat Team. Of the remaining two recipients, Sergeant Francis Davila 
served with the 7th Infantry and Captain Francis Wai served with the 
34th Division.
  Few people realize the history of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. 
On December 7, 1941, during the attack on Pearl Harbor, a call went out 
for all University of Hawaii ROTC members to report for duty. These 
students, most of whom were Americans of Japanese ancestry, responded 
to the call and were fully prepared to defend the United States. 370 of 
the Japanese American ROTC cadets were sworn into the Hawaii 
Territorial Guard and guarded the most sensitive and important 
installations in Hawaii.
  Due to the shock at the attack on Pearl Harbor and an unfortunate 
ignorance by some of the culture and racial makeup of the citizens of 
Hawaii, there were individuals who opposed Japanese Americans serving 
in the Territorial Guard. The 370 Japanese Americans who had served 
faithfully, willingly, and patriotically during the weeks following 
Pearl Harbor, were dismissed from the Territorial Guard because of 
their ancestry. Instead of rebelling, resigning, or protesting, these 
men wrote to the Commanding General of the Hawaiian Department and 
stated their ``willingness to do their part as loyal Americans in every 
way'' and offered themselves for ``whatever you may see fit to use 
us.''
  These men formed the Varsity Victory Volunteers and worked at the 
quarries, constructed roads, helped construct warehouses, renovated 
quarters, strung barbed wire, and built chairs, tables, and lamps. They 
even donated blood and bought bonds. We cannot forget that these men 
were students and could have been making money in white collar jobs.
  Instead, they devoted their time to doing what they could to help the 
military. It was this group of Japanese American volunteers, the 
Varsity Victory Volunteers, who were eventually given the authorization 
by the War Department to form the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which 
would earn the distinction as the ``most decorated unit for its size 
and length of service in the history of the United States.''
  Their motto, ``Go for Broke,'' is a perfect description of their 
spirit and character as men and as a fighting unit. The 442nd and 100th 
Battalion captured enemy positions and rescued comrades. They completed 
missions that seemed impossible. Ignoring danger, they repeatedly 
placed themselves in harm's way, gaining a reputation for fearless and 
fierce fighting. Throughout the Army their bravery earned them the 
nickname the ``Purple Heart Battalion.''
  In 1943, when the War Department decided to accept Nisei volunteers, 
over 1,000 Hawaii Nisei volunteered on the first day. The spirit and 
attitude of these volunteers is captured in the senior Senator from 
Hawaii's memoir, ``Journey to Washington.''
  I want to read an excerpt from the book describing an exchange 
between young Dan Inouye and his father as he left to report for 
induction.

       After a long period of silence between us, he said 
     unexpectedly, ``You know what `on' means?''
       ``Yes,'' I replied. On is at the very heart of Japanese 
     culture. On requires that when one man is aided by another, 
     he incurs a debt that is never canceled, one that must be 
     repaid at every opportunity.
       ``The Inouyes have great on for America,'' my father said. 
     ``It has been good to us. And now it is you who must try to 
     return the goodness. You are my first son, and you are very 
     precious to your mother and me, but you must do what must be 
     done.''

  Mr. President, for over 60 years, my friend and colleague, the senior 
Senator from Hawaii, has returned to

[[Page S5585]]

America the goodness and service to honor his father's admonition. On 
the field of battle in Italy, in the territorial legislature, and for 
over 40 years in Congress, Dan Inouye has served his country with 
distinction and courage. His leadership on national defense, civil 
rights, and a host of other issues have made America a stronger and 
better country. I am proud to serve with him in the United States 
Senate.
  Mr. President, the people of Hawaii are also very proud that 12 of 
the 22 men awarded the Medal of Honor are from Hawaii.
  My Honolulu office received a call the other day from a constituent 
in Waianae, a small community on the leeward coast of Oahu, who wanted 
to make sure that people knew that three Medal of Honor recipients were 
from Waianae.
  Indeed, the people of Hawaii are proud and grateful for all the local 
boys who have served in defense of our nation. They are well aware of 
the sacrifice and hardship endured by our men in uniform during World 
War II and subsequent conflicts.
  Out of the 22 men honored, 10 were killed in battle. Five of the 
recipients survived World War II, but have passed on prior to knowing 
that their medals were upgraded. That leaves us with seven living 
recipients, five of whom, I am proud to say, are from the State of 
Hawaii.
  I see this as an opportunity to inform the American public about the 
degree and level of participation of Asian Pacific Americans in the war 
effort. I thank President Clinton, Secretary of Defense William Cohen, 
and Secretary of the Army Louis Caldera for the painstaking and 
thorough manner in which the review and nomination process was 
conducted. I commend Secretary Caldera and all the Army personnel who 
conducted this review in a thorough and professional manner. They 
carried out the difficult task of identifying the records of more than 
one hundred veterans.
  I would also like to acknowledge the 442nd Veterans Club, and Club 
100 for their unwavering support and assistance in the review process. 
I want to thank Ed Ichiyama, Sakae Takahashi, and Iwao Yokooji for 
their tremendous work in recognizing the contributions of Asian Pacific 
Americans in military intelligence and the frontlines of battle. The 
accounts documented for each of the 104 Distinguished Service Cross 
recipients underscore our faith in a Nation that produces such heroes 
and are a wonderful legacy for our children and grandchildren.
  I would also like to pay tribute to the Military Intelligence 
Service, whose unit citation was signed by Secretary Caldera last 
night, because in a profound way, my interest in this area began with 
the MIS.
  About 10 years ago, I heard of the late Colonel Richard Sakakida's 
remarkable experiences as an Army undercover agent in the Philippines 
during World War II. His MIS colleagues worked to have his 
extraordinary service honored by our Government and the Government of 
the Philippines.
  While working to have Colonel Sakakida's service acknowledged with 
appropriate decoration, I realized that there were many war heroes 
whose valiant service had been overlooked. I recalled that only two 
Asian Pacific Americans received the Medal of Honor for service during 
World War II. The number seemed too low when you consider the high-
intensity combat experienced by the 100th and 442nd, the service of 
12,000 Filipino Americans in the U.S. Army, and the dangerous 
assignments taken by the 6,000 members of the MIS.
  President Truman recognized it for what it was on a rain-drenched day 
in 1945, when during a White House ceremony honoring the 100th and 
442nd, he observed, ``you fought not only the enemy, you fought 
prejudice, and you have won.''
  Mr. President, these men are not being awarded the Medal of Honor 
because of their race. They are being given their due recognition for 
their exceptional acts of valor. Fifty-five years ago, our country 
refused to appropriately recognize that these men distinguished 
themselves by gallantry and audacious courage, risking their lives in 
service above and beyond the call of duty.
  This is a great day to be an American, and I am honored to stand 
before the Senate to pay tribute to these 22 men who fought to defend 
our great Nation. In their memory and in celebration of our Nation's 
everlasting commitment to justice and liberty, I honor these 22 men and 
their achievements and offer them the highest praise for all they have 
done to keep us free.
  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, some people have inquired about why I 
have been so interested in the award of a Congressional Medal of Honor 
to our distinguished friend from Hawaii, Senator Daniel Inouye. I come 
to the floor to explain that.
  As a young boy, I attended school in Redondo Beach, CA. That high 
school was also attended by a substantial number of Japanese students. 
On December 7 of 1941, we had the terrible attack on the United States. 
Following that attack, almost half of the young boys, young men of our 
high school class, did not return to school. They were Japanese young 
men.
  Within a few weeks, they and their families were interned and taken 
to local racetracks and other places and put into internment camps. I 
never saw those young men again. They were young men with whom I played 
football and knew very well. Many of them joined the same unit Senator 
Inouye was in, the 442nd.
  It was not until 1996, when Senator Akaka, Senator Inouye's 
colleague, introduced an amendment, that I realized there had been 
probably one of the greatest mistakes made by the American military in 
its history. On February 10, 1996, Senator Akaka offered an amendment 
that became section 524 of Public Law 104-106. It was for this purpose:

       Review regarding upgrading of Distinguished-Service Crosses 
     and Navy Crosses awarded to Asian-Americans and Native 
     American Pacific Islanders for World War II service.

  It required the Secretary of the Army to review the records relating 
to the awards of the Distinguished-Service Cross and the Secretary of 
the Navy to review the records relating to the Navy Cross awarded to 
these people to determine whether or not the people who had received 
those awards should be upgraded to the Medal of Honor.
  As a result of that review, as we all know, yesterday we attended, at 
the White House, the Medal of Honor ceremony that did result in the 
upgrading of these awards that had been previously made to 21 different 
individuals. One of them was to my great friend, the Senator from 
Hawaii.
  The Senate will have a reception, sponsored by Senator Byrd and 
myself, for Senator Inouye this afternoon. At this time, at noon, he is 
becoming a member of the Medal of Honor Society at the Offices of the 
Secretary of the Army. We have invited every Member of the Senate, and 
I do hope they will come by.
  The ceremony will start at 4:30. The room will be opened at 4 
o'clock. It is the Caucus Room in the Russell Building. At my request, 
Stephen Ambrose, who wrote the D-Day book and other books very well 
known to our people, will be there to make some remarks concerning 
Senator Inouye.
  I have decided this citation should appear in the Record. I ask 
unanimous consent that it be printed in the Record as it appears in the 
document presented by the President of the United States to those of us 
who attended the ceremony yesterday.
  There being no objection, the citation was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                            C I T A T I O N

       The President of the United States of America, authorized 
     by Act of Congress, March 3, 1863, has awarded in the name of 
     The Congress the Medal of Honor to:

                   Second Lieutenant Daniel K. Inouye


                           united states army

     for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his 
     life above and beyond the call of duty:

     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 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

[[Page S5586]]

     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.

  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, we are all honored to serve with this 
Senator. I hope every Member of the Senate will attend the reception 
for him.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, all of us thank Senator Stevens and 
Senator Byrd for having a gathering this afternoon for Senator Inouye.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Tennessee.
  Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to be given 10 
minutes in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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