Eric Shinseki was born November 28, 1942 in Lihue, Kaua'i, Hawai'ian territory to a family of Japanese ancestry. His grandparents emigrated from Hiroshima to Hawai'i in 1901.
Taking inspiration from his uncles, he graduated from the US Military Academy in 1965 and was commissioned as second lieutenant. He served two tours in the Vietnam War. The first was with the 9th and 25th Infantry Divisions as an artillery observer; and then as commander of Troop A, 3rd Squadron, 5th Calvary.
He was injured by a land mine, but recovered and returned to active duty in 1971. For his service, he was awarded three Bronze Star Medals and two Purple Hearts.
He became the first Asian American four-star general. In 2009, the US Senate unanimously confirmed Shinseki as the Secretary of Veteran Affairs, becoming the first Asian American to hold the position. He resigned in 2014 after a scandal involving the Veteran Health Administration.
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