Daniel Inouye Interview (page: 4 / 6) Medal of Honor	Print Interview

How about school? Do you have an early memory of school in Hawaii?

Daniel Inouye: Yes, they were all public schools. I went to kindergarten, and I had a lovely time there. It was an Episcopal kindergarten. My mother and my father were Methodist, but I became, very proudly, a Holder of the Cross. And it became a big time for me, at the age of four, walking down the aisle. So that was my first big achievement. And on Christmas Eve I was the first King in the Three Kings of Orient. So that was another great achievement. I'll never forget those days. They were good days.

Were you a good student? Did you like school?

Get the Flash Player to see this video. Daniel Inouye: I was the eldest son. And from as early as I can recall it was pounded into me that you are the eldest son, you are to make certain sacrifices. And the word "honor." Can you imagine a three-year-old kid, being lectured about honor? But that became a key word. For example, when I left Hawaii to put on the uniform I was 18 years old. My father and I were on the streetcar, going towards the departure point, and the only thing he said was, "Whatever you do, do not dishonor the family. Do not dishonor the country. And if you must die, die with honor." I'm an 18-year-old kid and he's telling me that! And I understood exactly what he meant. While I was the eldest, I had a sister, right below me, and two brothers.

How about books that you read when you were a child? Was there any particular book that you enjoyed?

Daniel Inouye: The first book that I recall reading was The Three Bears. Mama, Papa, Baby Bear. And that was my mother reading it to me. I must have been about two years old, but I've loved bears ever since!

How about when you were a little bit older? Was there a teacher or mentor or another adult that inspired or challenged or motivated you?

Daniel Inouye: The first motivating teacher came in about my first year in high school. Now if you can picture me at that time, we hardly wore shoes. As I told a committee once, a committee that questioned my application for the Honor Society. "Why don't you wear shoes?" And I told them very clearly, "Shoes are for funerals, church services, weddings and extraordinary days. Otherwise, I am barefooted." And that's the way most of my colleagues were, young kids.

Do you have any early memories of discrimination?

Daniel Inouye: I was too young. We all lived in enclaves -- the Japanese area, Filipino area, Chinese, Hawaiian -- but in school we were all together. Most of the teachers were white, but most of the students were either Asian or Polynesian, and a few white. And in Hawaii -- this may sound strange -- at that time, those of Portuguese ancestry didn't consider themselves white. "We are Portuguese." They were very proud of it. Very insular people, hard working, but they always differentiated themselves. So when we said "white" in Hawaii, in my generation, it did not include the Portuguese. So in elementary school I'd say it was one percent White and the rest were "Us." It was the same thing in intermediate school and high school. In high school I think the largest group were of Japanese ancestry.

Did you find that different groups were discriminated against?

Get the Flash Player to see this video. Daniel Inouye: We had a segregated school system. Most people don't remember that, because that's a long, long time ago. It was called English Standard Schools. You had to pass certain examinations. Not just written, but the spoken language. And usually, those of us who came from these enclaves would not make the test. Because, for example, I took the test just for the hell of it and I got a perfect paper. But when I faced a teacher, she immediately knew I spoke pidgin, and I flunked! But that's the way it was. English Standard Schools, it was a public school. About ten percent were non-white, 90 percent were White. This went on until about 1956, and it was completely wiped out then.

Did something happen around this time that motivated you to study medicine?

Get the Flash Player to see this video. Daniel Inouye: When I was in the seventh grade, during one of the sporting events, wrestling, I fell the wrong way and I fractured my elbow. Compound fracture. It was rather bad. The bone protruded. But somehow, my parents couldn't afford a first class orthopedic surgeon, so believe it or not we got one of these judo specialists, like a sports physician. And naturally he didn't do a good job, because this was a compound fracture. To make a long story short, my mother finally took me to Shriners (Hospital), and got hold of Dr. Craig, a very important person. He was the head orthopedic surgeon. He looked me over, and he says, "Okay." We had surgery, turned out well, good enough to be admitted into the service. I never forgot him, because about a week after my surgery, my mother and I went to his office, and there my mother said, "It may take us a lifetime, but I'll pay you." He said, "Did I ever mention a fee?" He said, "All you do is pay for the operating room, which is $25. And my services? Your payment will be you'll be a good student." And here I was. And right then, I said, "I'm going to be an orthopedic surgeon."

At what point did you join the Red Cross as a medical aide?

Daniel Inouye: I was about 16 then, in my first year of high school. A lot of the kids took part, and I wanted to know something about first aid. Not because I wanted to be a doctor, but I thought first aid was fine. By 1941 I was a rather senior fellow. Even at the age of 17 I was in charge of all the medical aid men. We had this Aid Station. This is in 1941, just before the attack. So when the attack came, our Aid Stations were already set. Now these Aid Stations were for local problems. We had an ambulance and it worked out well. So I worked in the Aid Station on the night shift and went to school during the day. And on December the 7th, I don't know whether you'd call it an honor, but people tell me that I picked up the first civilian dead, and somehow I did not faint or throw up. I did my job.

Daniel Inouye Interview, Page: 1   2   3   4   5   6