[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Pages 7455-7456]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     THE COURAGE OF SENATOR INOUYE

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, we all have the good fortune of serving in 
this body with some outstanding men and women, but I don't think it is 
an exaggeration to say Dan Inouye is a step above us all. He is a man 
for whom I have the greatest admiration, for many different reasons.
  Sixty years ago today, on April 21, 1945, Dan Inouye paid an 
incredible price protecting the freedom of our country and the people 
of the world. Senator Daniel K. Inouye showed during World War II what 
kind of a man he is.
  He was born to Japanese immigrant parents in Honolulu. He witnessed 
the bombing of Pearl Harbor when he was 17 years old. But he did not 
stand by. He rushed in, provided aid to American troops. This was the 
beginning of his service to our country.
  I will read now from his Medal of Honor citation which was received 
for actions this day 60 years ago, when Senator Inouye and his men were 
in Italy, trying to capture a key mountain ridge.
  The citation reads:

       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 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.

  Senator Inouye lost his arm and received other grievous wounds that 
day defending our freedom. It tells us something about this man, his 
courage and his heroism.
  We serve with him every day. He is quiet, unassuming, but he is a 
real hero. He refused to let anything hold him back, in spite of his 
serious injuries, spending years in the hospital. Following that war, 
he went to the University of Hawaii, George Washington School of Law. 
He was elected to the House of Representatives, and now is the third 
most senior Member of

[[Page 7456]]

the Senate. Throughout his life and his service, Dan Inouye has proven 
himself a man of courage.
  I am, with all Members in this Senate, Democrats and Republicans, 
proud to call him a friend and a colleague. He gave so much to our 
country so long ago but to this day he keeps on giving. We could all 
learn a lesson from this great American.
  Mr. WARNER. I wish to commend the distinguished Senator for those 
remarks. I humbly ask the privilege of being associated with the 
remarks he made.
  Senator Inouye has been one of the most extraordinary leaders I have 
had the privilege to serve with in my career in the Senate. I thank him 
and I thank the Senator from Nevada.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who yields time?
  The Senator from Massachusetts.
  Mr. KENNEDY. I don't know how the time is allocated, but I will take 
2 or 3 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. There is 2 minutes 39 seconds.


                           Amendment No. 520

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, from April of this year, 2005, the GAO 
report. There are two primary causes for the shortages of up-armored 
vehicles and add-on armor kits: First, a decision was made to pace 
production rather than use the maximum available capacity; two, funding 
allocations did not keep up with rapidly increasing requirements.
  Army officials have not identified any long-term effort to improve 
the availability of up-armored Humvees or add-on armor kits.
  The Department of the Army itself says now we are currently producing 
the 550, they will continue through June 2005, at which the production 
rates decline. To sustain production at the maximum capacity, the Army 
would need funding at 213. That is exactly what ours does.
  If we did not include that, we see the dramatic production in the 
capacity and in the development of that.
  Why are we doing that? Nine times the Army appeared before the Armed 
Services Committee; nine times they underestimated the needs.
  A third of the 35 of the young men from my State of Massachusetts 
have lost their lives because of the lack of up-armor.
  All we are asking, take it to the conference, 230. The House of 
Representatives saw that. Why doesn't the Senate of the United States? 
I hope we would have support for that amendment and let them work it 
out in the conference. Let's make sure we are going to do what needs to 
be done. We have seen the mistakes of the past. Let's not make another 
one today.
  Mr. COCHRAN. How much time remains under the order?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Mississippi has 2\1/2\ 
minutes. That is all the time that is available.
  Mr. COCHRAN. I reserve the remainder of my time and I suggest the 
absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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