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Navy to christen new destroyer honoring Hawaii hero, statesman

June 19, 2019
Adm. Gary Roughead, then the Chief of Naval Operations, speaks with Sen. Daniel Inouye prior to his testimony to the Senate Appropriations Committee on March 5, 2008. (Navy)

HONOLULU — The U.S. Navy will christen a new guided-missile destroyer the Daniel Inouye this weekend during a ceremony in Maine.

The Arleigh Burke-class ship is being named after the war hero and politician who broke racial barriers in Congress.

Inouye represented Hawaii in the U.S. Senate for a half-century until his death in 2012.

He played key roles in congressional investigations of the Watergate and Iran-Contra scandals and served as chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.

He received the Medal of Honor for bravery fighting in World War II with the mostly Japanese-American 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

He lost his right arm.

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii will speak at Saturday’s ceremony in Bath, Maine.

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Inouye’s widow, Irene Hirano Inouye, will be the ship’s sponsor.

Lt. Daniel Inouye, an infantry platoon leader in the legendary 442nd Regimental Combat Team, received the Medal of Honor for his battlefield valor along the Gothic Line on April 21, 1945. (National Park Service)
Lt. Daniel Inouye, an infantry platoon leader in the legendary 442nd Regimental Combat Team, received the Medal of Honor for his battlefield valor along the Gothic Line on April 21, 1945. (National Park Service)
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