U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye was born September 7, 1924, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was a
17-year-old high school student and Red Cross volunteer when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and he rendered first aid to civilian casualties. In 1943, he enlisted in the military and became a member of the U.S. Army's famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Inouye returned home in 1947 as a Captain with a Distinguished Service Cross, Bronze Star, Purple Heart with cluster, and12 other medals and citations, and he later received a Medal of Honor.

With financial assistance from the G.I. Bill, Inouye graduated from the University of Hawaii in 1950 and George Washington University Law School in 1952. When Hawaii attained statehood on 1959, Inouye won election to the U.S. House of Representatives as the new state's first Congressman. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1962, Inouye is currently serving his seventh consecutive term in the Senate. Senator Inouye is currently the Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, the Chairman of the Communications Subcommittee, and Chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee.

The fourth most senior member of the United States Senate, Senator Inouye has played a major role in shaping the defense policies of the United States. He has worked to strengthen our nation's armed forces and enhance the quality of life for military personnel and their families.

Senator Inouye has championed the interests of Hawaii's people throughout his career. In 1993, he was instrumental in engineering the restoration and return of Kahoolawe, an island that had been used as target practice by the military, to the State of Hawaii. He has also fought for improved education and health care for all children, additional jobs for Hawaii's economy, affordable housing, and the protection of America's natural resources.

Senator Inouye is married to Margaret Shinobu Awamura, and they have one son, Daniel Ken Inouye, Jr.