Praise for Sen. Daniel Inouye as he lies in state

• The Hawaii Democrat died Monday from respiratory complications
• Inouye was awarded a Medal of Honor for his bravery in World War II
• He served for nearly 50 years in the Senate

When Jean Tanaka was growing up near Pearl Harbor, Daniel Inouye loomed large in Hawaii as a U.S. senator and World War II hero who lost his right arm in battle.

Inouye "meant a lot to us in Hawaii," Tanaka said, shortly after paying her respects to the Democrat as he lay in state at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday. "He was a rock for the state of Hawaii, its great champion. I'm touched he meant so much to everyone here in Congress."

Inouye, the second-longest-serving senator and a Medal of Honor recipient for his valor, died Monday from respiratory ailments. He was 88.

Scores of mourners -- members of Congress past and present, government workers, war veterans, young people and old -- were among those who said a final "aloha" to Inouye, as his flag-draped casket sat beneath the Capitol dome. Lying in state is an honor typically reserved for presidents -- bestowed only 31 times since the 1800s.

As is custom, Inouye's casket sat atop the Lincoln catafalque -- the platform built in 1865 to support Abraham Lincoln's casket when the slain president's body lay in state.

Inouye "was an institution unto himself and he deserves to spend at least another day in this institution ... in which he dedicated his life," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

A memorial service will be held Friday morning at the National Cathedral in Washington. A final service will be held Sunday in Hawaii before Inouye is laid to rest at the National Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.

Inouye was a member of the Army's highly decorated 442nd Regimental Combat Team, made up of Japanese Americans who were considered "enemy aliens" after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. They petitioned the government to serve in the military.

During a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda, Vice President Biden called his friend a "quintessential American" whose word as a senator was his bond.

Noting the injustices suffered by Japanese Americans, Biden hailed Inouye for demonstrating "physical and moral courage" -- in war, in Congress and throughout life.

"I never met a man with as much loyalty to his country, to his family and to his friends," Biden said. "For all Danny had come through ... from the sting of prejudice to his physical injuries ... he would have been forgiven if he had an edge to him, if there was a touch of cynicism. There was none."

Just three weeks ago, Ralph Neas said he was standing near Inouye at a memorial service for senator Warren Rudman of New Hampshire. Inouye was using a respirator to help him breathe, but Neas recalled the Hawaiian was able to speak at Rudman's service.

"Sen. Inouye was an indefatigable champion on behalf of the values of the American people," said Neas, a former Senate aide and civil rights advocate who now leads a trade association. "He was always there on behalf of those who needed it and ... was not only a dependable vote but a vocal and effective advocate."

Kwok Cheung said he learned the stories of Inouye's battlefield exploits and the injustices he endured during the many times Inouye visited Cheung's restaurant in Bethesda, Md. Cheung would serve Inouye's favorite dish of Peking duck as he listened to the senator tell the story of how a San Francisco-area barber refused to give Inouye a haircut after the war by saying, "We don't cut Jap hair."

"He was always very friendly and close to the people," Cheung said. "He'll live in my heart forever."