00 Enrolled HCR 16 01 Requesting the Governor to proclaim September 7, 2009, as Senator Daniel Inouye Day. 02 _______________ 03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:  04 WHEREAS Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye, who was born on September 7, 1924, is a 05 longtime and valued friend of Alaska; and 06 WHEREAS Senator Daniel Inouye stands as the largest figure in public life in the 07 history of the State of Hawaii, having held elective office since before Hawaii attained 08 statehood in 1959; and 09 WHEREAS Senator Daniel Inouye has received many military honors for valor, 10 culminating with the Medal of Honor for heroism as a member of the legendary 442nd 11 Regimental Combat Team in World War II, in which he lost his right arm; and 12 WHEREAS Senator Daniel Inouye continues to serve his country with distinction as 13 a United States Senator, serving on the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations 14 and championing the concerns of veterans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and American 15 Indians, and safeguarding national defense; and 16 WHEREAS Senator Daniel Inouye is the third most senior member of the United 01 States Senate; and 02 WHEREAS Senator Daniel Inouye has sided with Alaska on key issues, such as 03 opening the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, supporting a national missile 04 defense system, opposing a plan to shut down Eielson Air Force Base, and helping to approve 05 reparations for Aleuts, who, along with Japanese-Americans, suffered when forcibly placed in 06 federal internment camps during World War II; and 07 WHEREAS Senator Daniel Inouye has worked closely with and has stood by his 08 friend and fellow World War II veteran, Alaska Senator Ted Stevens--a friendship so strong 09 that each refers to the other as his brother; and 10 WHEREAS Senator Daniel Inouye is sometimes known affectionately as "Alaska's 11 Third Senator"; 12 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests the 13 Governor to proclaim September 7, 2009, as Senator Daniel Inouye Day, in recognition of 14 Senator Inouye's tireless and selfless service to the country and to Alaska, and to show this 15 state's gratitude to its longtime and valued friend. 16 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to Honorable Daniel Inouye and the 17 Honorable Daniel Akaka, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Neil Abercrombie and the 18 Honorable Mazie Hirono, U.S. Representatives, members of the Hawaii delegation in 19 Congress; the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Mark Begich, U.S. Senators, 20 and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in 21 Congress; the Honorable Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska; and the Honorable Ted Stevens, 22 former U.S. Senator for Alaska.