[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 132 (Friday, September 7, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S11269]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RETIREMENT OF ALEXIS T. LUM

  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I would like to recognize a great American 
and a remarkable man, who has an exceptional record of public service. 
He has honorably served our country with distinction for over 43 years 
of active duty and National Guard Service, as well as 16 years of 
service as my executive assistant.
  GEN Alexis Lum retired in February 1991 as the adjutant general for 
the State of Hawaii Army National Guard. His military service began in 
1945, when he was drafted shortly after graduating from Roosevelt High 
School in Honolulu. He served as an enlisted man in the Pacific, 
attaining the rank of staff sergeant. When discharged in 1947, he 
became a student at the University of Hawaii where he received his 
bachelor of science degree in civil engineering and a ROTC commission 
as a second lieutenant.
  He was recalled to active duty in April 1951 for the Korean conflict 
and served as an infantry platoon leader. Released from active duty in 
1954, he then joined the Hawaii Army National Guard as a first 
lieutenant. As a major, he was part of the National Guard call-up in 
1968 and served in the Republic of Vietnam, initially as the executive 
office of an engineer battalion. Promoted to lieutenant colonel while 
on this tour, he served his last 4 months in Vietnam as commander of 
the same battalion.
  His National Guard service included varied command and staff 
positions. He was promoted to brigadier general in 1980 and was 
assigned as the assistant adjutant general, Army. In 1982 he was 
appointed as the adjutant general, Hawaii by Governor George Ariyoshi 
and was promoted to the rank of major general. He attended many 
military service schools including the Army's Command, General Staff 
College, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. His military 
decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of 
Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with 
cluster, the Army Commendation Medal, and numerous service medals.
  In his civilian life, between tours of active duty, he was an 
engineer with the Navy Civil Service at the Naval Ammunition Depot, 
Lualualei, Oahu. He started as a junior engineer in 1954 when he was 
released from active duty. He progressed to the director of the 
engineering division and deputy public works officer for the Naval 
Ammunition Depot. He retired from Federal civil service in 1982, when 
he was appointed the adjutant general.
  His wife is Leimomi--Momi--Mookini Lum. She served for 32 years with 
the Honolulu Police Department, as a police investigator, and retired 
in 1982. Her last 20 years of police service involved working in the 
juvenile crime prevention division of the Police Department. Together 
they have three children, Mrs. Angela Thomas, Mrs. Alexia Carvalho, and 
Mr. Oliver Lum, and four granddaughters.

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