WASHINGTON (December 17, 2012)—U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, a Medal of Honor recipient and 50-year veteran of the Senate died Monday of respiratory complications at a Washington-area hospital, his office said.

Inouye, 88, was the longest serving senator and was president pro tempore of the Senate, third in the line presidential succession.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced Inouye's death on the Senate floor.

“A member of this nation’s Greatest Generation, Sen. Inouye was a decorated veteran who received the Medal of Honor for his courageous service and bravery fighting tyranny and evil on battlefields across the globe," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

"His decades of public service on behalf of the people of Hawaii were marked with passion, honor, and selflessness. He will truly be missed.”