Presidential Obama will honor the late Senator Daniel Inouye next week with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, reports Honolulu Civil Beat.
Inouye will be honored in the same class with Sally Ride, an astrounaut who died last year.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award one can receive. Inouye already has the highest military award, the Medal of Honor.
“Daniel Inouye was a lifelong public servant. As a young man, he fought in World War II with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, for which he received the Medal of Honor,” the White House said in a statement. “He was later elected to the Hawaii Territorial House of Representatives, the United States House of Representatives, and the United States Senate. Sen. Inouye was the first Japanese American to serve in Congress, representing the people of Hawaii from the moment they joined the Union.”
Obama was extremely close to the late senator and was seen shedding more than a few tears during a memorial service Christmas Eve in Honolulu.
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You can read a full list of the distinguished people who will receive the Presidential Medal next week in Honolulu Civil Beat.
