Inouye adds his name to Army registry

U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, World War II Medal of Honor recipient and eight-term senator, recently became the first member of the 110th U.S. Senate to enroll in the Registry of the American Soldier, the Army reported.

The Registry of the American Soldier is maintained at the National Museum of the U.S. Army and recognizes the service of the American soldier at home and abroad, at war and during peace. Inouye volunteered in 1942 to serve in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the famed "Go For Broke" regiment composed of second-generation Japanese Americans.

He earned his first Purple Heart in Italy in the Rome-Arno campaign.

In November 1944, Inouye took part in the legendary rescue of an American infantry battalion from Texas that had been trapped and surrounded by German forces for several days in the Vosges Mountains. During this operation, Inouye earned a battlefield commission.

In April 1945 near San Terenzo, Inouye was severely wounded while leading his platoon in an attack on a heavily defended ridge called Colle Musatello. Although wounded in the abdomen by a sniper's bullet, in the right arm by a German rifle grenade and in the shin by rifle fire, Inouye destroyed several machine-gun emplacements to help secure the ridge. For his actions near San Terenzo he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

His other awards included the Bronze Star, Purple Heart with oak leaf cluster, Combat Infantryman Badge and 12 other medals and citations.

Inouye's Distinguished Service Cross was one of 21 World War II Distinguished Service Crosses awarded to Asian-Americans that the Army recommended in 1999 be upgraded to the Medal of Honor.

Inouye was elected to the House of Representatives in 1959. Three years later, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where today he serves as its third-most senior member.

Anyone who served in the Army can have his or her name and service history placed on record at the museum. The registry is not an official document of the U.S. government.

For information and links to the enrollment form, visit www.armyhistory.org.

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The partial grounding of F-15 combat jets because of possible structural problems has resulted in the cancellation of the Pacific Air Forces exercise Commando Sling 08-02, which was begun in 1990 to provide air combat training for the Air Force, Marine Corps and Singapore Air Force fighter units.

Earlier this month the Air Force cleared a portion of its F-15 jets, but a few still are awaiting the further analysis of inspections that were ordered following the crash of an F-15 belonging to the Missouri Air National Guard last year.

Meanwhile, the 15th Airlift Wing will be sending C-17 Globemaster cargo jets from the 535th Airlift Squadron to Thailand to participate in Exercise Cope Tiger 2008 from Saturday through Feb. 5.

More than 1,400 people, including 700 U.S. Air Force specialists and Marines, will participate in this annual exercise being held at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, located 110 miles northeast of Bangkok, and Udon Thani Royal Thai Air Base.

The exercise also will involve aircraft and personnel from the Royal Thai Air Force and Army and Royal Singapore Air Force.

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Pearl Harbor

» Capt. William Kearns III has assumed command of Destroyer Squadron 31, relieving Capt. Robert Stewart.

"In the Military" was compiled from wire reports and other sources by reporter Gregg K. Kakesako, who covers military affairs for the Star-Bulletin. He can be reached by phone at 294-4075 or by e-mail at gkakesako@starbulletin.com.