A great loss to the nations as Norman Mineta, who shattered racial impediments for Asian Americans serving in high-profile government posts and ordered commercial flights grounded after the 9/11 terror attacks as the nation’s federal transportation secretary, passes away. He died due to a heart ailment at the age of 90. Mineta became mayor of San Jose, California early in his political career. He later became the first Asian American to become a federal Cabinet secretary, serving under both Democratic President Bill Clinton and Republican George W. Bush.

Bush awarded Mineta the nation’s highest civilian honour, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In a statement, the former president said Mineta was “a wonderful American story about someone who overcame hardship and prejudice to serve in the United States Army, Congress, and the Cabinet of two Presidents.” He continued: "As my Secretary of Transportation, he showed great leadership in helping prevent further attacks on and after 9/11. As I said when presenting him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Norm has given his country a lifetime of service, and he’s given his fellow citizens an example of leadership, devotion to duty, and personal character,” the former president said.

Mineta was the son of Japanese immigrants and he spent a few years of his childhood at a World War II internment camp. He began his political career in his home town. As Bush’s transportation secretary, Mineta led the department during the crisis of Sept. 11, 2001, as hijacked commercial airliners barreled toward U.S. landmarks. After a second plane crashed into the World Trade Center, Mineta was the one who ordered the Federal Aviation Administration to ground all civilian aircraft — more than 4,500 in flight at the time. It was the first such historic order given in U.S. aviation history.

Mineta was thereafter given the responsibility of restoring stature in air travel in the aftermath of the terror attacks. Hence In 2001, San Jose’s airport was renamed Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport in honour of him.


Source: NBC news.