Kilauea Point Lighthouse’s new moniker honors Inouye

The Kilauea Point Lighthouse on Kauai has been renamed the Daniel K. Ino­uye Kilauea Point Lighthouse.

The renaming in honor of the late U.S. Sen. Ino­uye, who died Dec. 17, was announced Tuesday by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. The honor was bestowed in recognition of Ino­uye’s distinguished career and staunch support for conservation, including the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge.

A formal ceremony to rename the lighthouse is scheduled for May 4.

"Senator Inouye is truly an American hero, from his courage on the battlefields of World War II to his long and distinguished career representing the people of Hawaii in the U.S. Senate," Salazar said in a news release. "His contribution to the American people will be forever memorialized on the lighthouse that stands as a monument to Hawaii’s colorful past. His legacy will continue to shine a light on the preservation and conservation of the island’s wildlife and cultural heritage."

Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge includes 203 acres of protected land and is one of the few refuges in Hawaii open to the public. It is home to breathtaking views overlooking the Pacific and attracts more than 500,000 visitors annually.

Inouye became the nation’s first Japa­nese-American congressman in 1959. Three years later he was elected to the U.S. Senate and eventually became the second longest-serving senator in American history. A World War II veteran, Ino­uye received the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation’s top military honor, for his bravery charging a series of machine gun nests in San Terenzo, Italy. He lost an arm in the assault.