West Point to honor Inouye
By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer
Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was the last recipient.
Advertiser library photo
Others singled out have included presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush; as well as comedian Bob Hope, military commander Douglas MacArthur, astronaut Neil Armstrong, and airman James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle.
Hawai'i's Sen. Dan Inouye, who served in the Army's 442nd "Go For Broke" regiment in World War II, will receive West Point academy's 2001 Sylvanus Thayer Award on Thursday.
On Thursday, it will be U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye who is saluted by the entire West Point cadet corps.
Hawai'i's senior senator was selected as the recipient of the 2001 Sylvanus Thayer Award for exemplifying the ideals expressed in the West Point motto of "Duty, Honor, Country."
"I am overwhelmed and humbled by this recognition," Inouye said. "I will do my best to live up to the expectations of the cadets and graduates of the United States Military Academy at West Point."
Col. Seth F. Hudgins Jr., president and chief operating officer of West Point's alumni association, said in September of each year the class president and societies of the military academy from around the world are asked to nominate individuals to receive the award.
Established in honor of Col. Sylvanus Thayer, known as the "father of the military academy," the Thayer award has been presented by the Association of Graduates since 1958 to a U.S. citizen, other than a West Point graduate, with outstanding character, accomplishments and stature in the civilian community.
In World War II, Inouye was part of the U.S. Army's 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the famed "Go For Broke" regiment. In Italy, Inouye charged a German machine gun nest throwing grenades and firing a machine gun even after his right arm was shattered by a rifle grenade.
"He (Inouye) is a great American, number one," Hudgins said. "Number two, in his life, he's certainly embraced the principles of duty, honor, country — not only for what he's done for country, but for the military. He lives those principles."
The 2001 presentation was postponed because of the events of Sept. 11. Recipients agree to accept the award at West Point. The entire cadet corps, including the bicentennial class of 2002, will salute Inouye.
If Inouye had not been injured in 1945, he very well could have gone to West Point. Just prior to that, his company commander, with the approval of Regimental headquarters, submitted Inouye's name to attend the military academy.
In March of 1943, an 18-year-old Inouye enlisted in the 442nd. At the time, he was a freshman in pre-med studies at the University of Hawai'i.
Promoted to the rank of sergeant and designated a combat platoon leader during the Italian campaign, Inouye spent three months of the Rome Arno campaign with the U.S. Fifth Army. It was in Italy during the closing months of the war that Inouye, then a lieutenant, was hit in the abdomen by a bullet, but advanced alone against the machine gun nest when his platoon was pinned down.
He tossed two grenades before receiving the injury that led to him losing his arm, but he was able to throw a third grenade with his other arm and attack with a machine gun before being knocked down the hill with a bullet to the leg.
He spent 20 months in Army hospitals, and returned home as a captain with the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest award for military valor. In 2000, the medal was upgraded to the Medal of Honor.
Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1962, Inouye is in his seventh consecutive term, and is the fourth most senior senator. A major player on defense issues, Inouye is chairman of the defense appropriations subcommittee, chairman of the communications subcommittee, and chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee.
