WASHINGTON (AP) — The office of Sen. Daniel Inouye (ih-NOH'-way) says the Medal of Honor recipient and 50-year veteran of the Senate has died of respiratory complications at a Washington-area hospital.

The 88-year-old Inouye was the longest serving senator and was president pro tempore of the Senate, third in the line presidential succession. He died Monday.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced Inouye's death on the Senate floor.

Quite a career. Served his country his whole life.

That said, I don't think 88 year-olds should be Senators, let alone someone be a senator for 50 years.

RIP. His personal stories from the war are crazy heroic.

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You know me like that.

It was hard to believe any of the guys in his unit lived. That was clearly the point of sending his unit out again and again. Quite an injustice he had to go through.

His kid, Kenny, was in a pretty good D.C. band, Marginal Man:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEaRKd67YKo

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

Read his Medal of Honor citation. He had his hand shot the fuck off and still took out the bad guys.

beni,really not much different from any Elite formation in the US Army during WW2. The way the army was structured they never had enough units to cycle unit in and out of combat. Look at the 1ST Marines in the Pacific or the paratroopers.

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When I am stuck and need to figure something out I always remember the Immortal words of Socrates when he said:"I just drank what?"

A great American on many levels.

RIP Sir.

I remember the war stories. I did not realize he was 3rd in line for the POTUS because of his title in the seneate. RIP

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

They said on the radio that he was shot, still crawled up the hill, then had is arm shot off and then used his attached hand to remove a grenade from his blown off hand and used it to take out a machine gun nest. Badass!

My wife and I actually starting laughing as they news lady reported it because of how crazy it is. It sounds like a scene out off a "spoof" war movie. "Ben Stiller as Daniel Inouye".

Well if we want to cut the military budget, the biggest defender of massive handouts in that area is now gone.