Daniel Akaka - Army
Corporal Daniel Kahikina Akaka (Chinese: 李碩; pinyin: Lǐ Shuò) was born in Honolulu, the son of Annie (née Kahoa) and Kahikina Akaka. His paternal grandfather was born in Swatow, Canton, China during the late Qing Dynasty, and his other grandparents were of Native Hawaiian descent.
During World War II he served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including service on Saipan and Tinian. He served from 1945 to 1947.
Entering college (funded by the G.I. Bill), he earned a bachelor of education in 1952 from the University of Hawaii. He later received a master of education from the same school in 1966. He worked as a high school teacher in Honolulu from 1953 until 1960, when he was then hired as a vice principal.
Akaka was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1976 to represent Hawaii's 2nd congressional district, comprising all of the state outside the inner ring of Honolulu. He was reelected seven times, all by wide margins.
Akaka was appointed by Governor John Waihee to the U.S. Senate in April 1990 to serve temporarily after the death of Senator Spark Matsunaga. In November of the same year, he was elected to complete the remaining four years of Matsunaga's unexpired term with 53 percent of the vote. He was re-elected in 1994 for a full six-year term with over 70% of the popular vote. He was reelected almost as easily in 2000.
For the 2006 election, he overcame a strong primary challenge from Congressman Ed Case, then won a third full term with 61 percent of the vote.
During his tenure, Akaka served as the Chair of the United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and the United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
In 1996, Akaka successfully sponsored legislation that led to nearly two-dozen Medals of Honor being belatedly awarded to Asian-American soldiers in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the 100th Infantry Battalion. He also successfully passed legislation compensating Philippine Scouts who were refused veterans benefits.
Kenneth W. L. Young - Army
Kenneth Wah Leong Young was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 12, 1919, the second son of Wong Shee and Young Fong. He attended St. Louis High School and graduated when he was 16 years old and left Honolulu on a steamship to attend college in Chicago. He graduated from Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and in 1942 and he was offered a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the army. He turned it down and instead went to work for Belmar, an electronics firm in New Jersey. Six months later, he was in the Army. Kenneth served in the Army, 3rd Infantry Division, from June 3, 1943 to November 18, 1945. His rank was Technician 4th Grade in Battery D, 216 AA Gun Battalion. As a member of the famed 3rd division, known as the Rock of the Marne from World War I days, he was entitled to wear the Aiguillette, a braid loop about the shoulder, of the French decoration, fourraegere de Croix de Guerre. The French decoration is a unit award similar to the Presidential Unit Citation. Young also received the Presidential Unit citation. With the 3rd division, he served on the beachhead at Anzio and through the Naples to Foggia, Rome to Arno, southern France, the Rhineland and Central Europe campaigns. He wore an arrowhead for the Anzio beachhead landing and five battle stars as well as the Purple Heart, Victory ribbon and the Combat Infantrymen's badge.