On the recordDecember 12, 2012
Madam President, I rise to give my remarks and my aloha to the U.S. Senate. Before I begin, I would like to take a moment to wish my good friend, my colleague of 36 years, my brother, Dan Inouye, Hawaii's senior Senator, a speedy recovery and return to the Senate. I rise today to say aloha to this institution. I have been honored to be a Member of the U.S. Senate for 22 years. It has been an incredible journey that I never imagined. As a senior in high school going to Kamehameha School for Boys, which was noted as a military school, my life was changed forever when I saw Japanese fighter planes attacking Pearl Harbor. Like most men in my generation, I joined the war effort. My path was forever altered. When the war ended, I believe I was suffering from PTSD. It was an act of Congress that allowed me, and the veterans of my generation, to build a successful new life. Congress passed the GI bill, and I say with certainty that I would not be standing before you today without the opportunity the GI bill gave me, not only to get an education but to have structure and a path forward--and the feeling that there was a way for me to help people. This proved to me that when Congress acts responsibly, it can build a better America.…





