'Go For Broke'

32 X 44 Inches
Private Collection

Senator Daniel K. Inouye is one of
the last serving senators our country produced out of the turmoil of WWII.

 When he was home this summer in Hawaii it was my privilege to visit with him. As I created quick sketches he talked about his early days as a Japanese teenager who had ambitions to become a doctor until
the fated morning Pearl Harbor was attacked.

He was one of the first 1,000 men to join the new 442nd regiment made up of nisei, (Japanese-Americans). His decision that day made the rest of his life different than it would have been had the attack never happened.

The painting depicts him against a stylized portrayal of the pivotal event which inspired him to pursue a life of service to his country and contributed to the great senator he has become.  


The Honolulu Advertiser  - Tuesday, December 5, 2006

Sen. Inouye displays Pearl Harbor Day-themed portrait

Advertiser Staff

A portrait of U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye has been unveiled in his Honolulu office, painted in 1940s graphic style.

He's shown standing at sunrise at Pearl Harbor, the sky filled with Japanese planes and the symbol of the eagle over him. The painting, which is the work of Maui artist Tonia Baney, will hang in his Honolulu Senate office.

In March 1943, Inouye enlisted in the U.S. Army's 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the famed "Go For Broke" regiment. At that time, he was an 18-year-old freshman in pre-med studies at the University of Hawai'i.

During World War II, Inouye charged a German machine gun nest in Italy, throwing grenades and firing a machine gun even after his right arm was shattered by a rifle grenade. He spent 20 months in Army hospitals, and returned home as a captain with the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest award for military valor. In 2000, the medal was upgraded to the Medal of Honor.

Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1962, Inouye is in his seventh consecutive term, and is the fourth most senior senator.

For additional information, call (808) 879-8511 or visit Baney's Web Site at www.portraitsmaui.com
 

Maui artist Tonia Baney unveils her portrait of U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye with the senator.

Photo By RAY MAINS/Special to the Advertiser