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Tour brings fond memories

A tour of the USS Daniel Inouye guided missile destroyer last week had us casting back to an enlightening hour and a half spent in the Hawaii Senator’s Capitol Hill office in the 1990s.

Senator Inouye regularly hosted Hawaii constituents. The visits had to be arranged far in advance and there was no guarantee how much time, if any, the senator would be able to carve out of his hectic schedule. After a meet and greet, an aide would lead his guests on a tour of the Capitol Building.

We were ushered into Inouye’s comfortable office suite along with a family from Oahu. By chance, this was not long after the Republican Revolution of 1994. The GOP had swept the mid-term elections to take control of both the House and the Senate. Hawaii’s usually busy Democrat was essentially kicked to the sideline. He had some time on his hands and seemed happy to share it.

With his clear deep voice and firm grasp of the facts, Inouye told stories and provided the inside scoop on issues both domestic and international. Ninety minutes never sped by so quickly. His keen intelligence and commitment to country were on full display during the wide-ranging lecture.

Inouye proved prescient in the concerns he expressed that day over the loss of bipartisanship brought on by the revolution. He spoke with pride how he and Republican Alaska Senator Ted Stevens had been able to put their diametrically opposed political beliefs aside to form a great friendship and partnership. Both represented remote states, the last two admitted to the union. Their constituents had similar needs and faced many of the same challenges, including large indigenous populations with ways of life that needed to be protected and preserved. The strategic locations of far-flung Alaska and Hawaii made them vulnerable to enemy attack.

Forming an unlikely alliance, Inouye and Stevens brought the bacon home to their home states. They also made sure it was spread around to benefit a number of communities.

Aboard the $1.5 billion USS Inouye last week, we were pleased to see the emphasis placed on educating the destroyer’s sailors on what sort of man Daniel Inouye was. The Navy did not slap his name on the hull and call it a day. There are educational displays, murals and memorabilia detailing his career throughout the ship. They include how he served with valor with the U.S. 442nd Regimental Combat Team, losing his right arm to a grenade, and the many accomplishments during his 50 years in the U.S. Senate.

Daniel Inouye did not fit the mold of the stereotypical American hero. The 330 sailors aboard the 510-foot-long USS Inouye are surrounded by proof that heroes come in many shapes, colors, sizes and political beliefs. His focus on community service and willingness to embrace bipartisanship are guiding lights this country would do well to emulate.

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