Daniel inoi the soldier who bought the Germans single-handedly literally when the United States entered the second world war the 17-year-old Daniel Ken inaway was right there from the start literally as a resident of Honolulu he was getting ready for church when he heard the Frantic radio reports of the Japanese attack on nearby Pearl Harbor without hesitation he rushed to a Red Cross aid station and began helping in any way that he could working 5 days and nights he cleaned and bandaged wounds provided food clothes and comfort for those injured and hurt while in high school
he had been a volunteer for the Red Cross and was planning on becoming a surgeon despite this when inaway graduated high school in 1942 and attempted to enlist in the armed forces he was refused based on his background at this time Japanese Americans were considered a security risk and during the war over 120,000 Japanese Americans were sent to internment camps Ino and his family were spared this fate since Hawaii's Japanese population was so large such an action would have been unfeasible instead of enlisting he enrolled as a premedical student at the University of Hawaii in
1943 the American government reconsidered its policy forbidding those of Japanese descent from enlisting and allowed them to serve in segregated units in a way jumped at the opportunity and was soon attached to the 442nd regimental combat team after a year of training inaway and the rest of the 442nd were shipped off to Italy their first experience of combat was the Battle of badier on June 26th 1944 where they performed well under Fire and inway was promoted to Sergeant that September they were transferred to France where the 442nd was sent to rescue a unit of the
Texas National Guard that were caught Behind Enemy Lines the 442nd suffered appalling casualties in the rescue with some companies only able to field a dozen Men by the end of the mission inay's company was comparatively well off with 42 men fit for Duty out of the 150 it had started with in the fighting inaway would fight gallantly and would be shot in the chest though the bullet would be slowed down by the lucky silver dollars he' always kept in his breast pocket he would also display such leadership skills that he would receive a battlefield commission
becoming second Lieutenant Daniel K in a way he would also be awarded a bronze star in early 1945 the 442nd would again be deployed to Italy for an offensive against the gothic line a series of axis defenses in Northern Italy on April 21st 1945 inaway and the rest of his platoon were sent to assault German positions near the town of sorenzo as inaway and his men Advanced the Germans opened up with with a hail of fire from three entrenched mg 42s as well as other small arms in spite of the storm of lead directed at
them the men managed to capture a mortar and artillery post now only 40 yard away the German fire intensified undeterred inaway and the rest of the men pressed their attack leading the charge inaway was struck in the Torso by a bullet but ignoring the pain he closed to within 5 yards of the first Machine Gun Nest and destroyed it with grenades he then Advanced on the second Machine Gun Nest and destroyed that one as well with more grenades and bursts from his Thompson submachine gun he then approached the final Machine Gun Nest and was within
10 yds of the position when he grabbed another grenade and pulled the pin as he was about to throw a German soldier with a rifl mounted grenade took aim and fired the projectile hit inway at the elbow and exploded all but severing his arm which was now still attached by a bit of Flesh it was also the same arm that was about to throw the now armed grenade inoway himself described what happened stating quote and even as I cocked my arm to throw he fired and his rifle grenade smashed into my right elbow and exploded
I looked at my dangling arm and I saw my grenade still clenched in a fist that suddenly didn't belong to me anymore end quote seeing their leader hit his men ran to him to give what Aid they could but fearing for their safety Ina way ordered the away before the grenade dropped treating his arm being all but completely blown off as more of an inconvenience than a devastating injury he then proceeded to try to pry the grenade from his fingers and clutching the explosive in his left hand in a way then hurled it at the
final German position before the German could reload swinging his Thompson as best he could he then opened fire advancing literally single-handedly he pressed the assault on the German line and continued to fire his Advance was only stopped when a bullet struck his leg knocking him off his feet he hit the ground and due to shock and blood loss from his multiple injuries fell unconscious he awoke a few minutes later surrounded by his concerned men his first action upon seeing them was to order them back to the fight shouting nobody called off the war he continued
to direct his men as best he could by the end of the engagement he and his men had killed 25 Germans and captured eight more destroying several fixed imp placements he then organized his man into a defensive position in case of a German Counterattack with the situation as secure as it could be he finally agreed to be evacuated for medical attention arriving at a field hospital about 9 hours after being initially wounded he would endure several surgeries including the amputation of his right arm which was done without anesthetic since he was already given several doses
of morphine and it was feared that any more would cause his blood pressure pressure to drop to lethal levels he would also need 17 blood transfusions and doctors doubted if he would survive survive he would though and Daniel inoway was promoted to Captain and awarded the distinguished service cross he would spend the next 2 years recovering in Army hospitals and would be honorably discharged from the military in 1947 with his life goals of becoming a surgeon forever dashed in a way shifted his academic Pursuits using the GI Bill he would obtain a degree in government
and economics from the University of Hawaii and a law degree from the George Washington law school he also became involved in politics becoming the deputy public prosecutor for the city of Honolulu and was elected to the Hawaii territorial House of Representatives and would later become a territorial Senator after Hawaii became a state in 1959 he was elected as a congressman in the House of Representatives in 1962 he would then be elected as one of the state's two senators a position he would hold until his death in 2012 in a way would have a distinguished career
serving on the Watergate committee and headed the senate committee that investigated the Iran Contra affair he would become the president prot temporary of the Senate from 2010 until 2012 and by the end of his career was the second longest serving Senator in American history in 2000 after a review by the military Daniel inay's distinguished service cross was upgraded to the Congressional Medal of Honor which was presented to him by President Bill Clinton Daniel K inaway would earn the Congressional Medal of Honor a bronze star two purple hearts the European African Middle Eastern campaign medal and
the World War II Victory Medal and numerous Awards by Foreign Nations he passed away in 2012 at the age of 88 he would poisly be awarded the presidential medal of freedom the highest award given to a civilian for his long career year and lifetime of national service Ina Way's Legacy also lives on being the namesake for the main airport of Honolulu an Arley Burke class destroyer and many other military and civilian buildings and Facilities that pay homage to one of the most remarkable individuals in American Military and political history a man whose exploits put any
movie hero to shame [Music]
