Feb. 24, 2023

By Jonathan Ellis, The Dakota Scout

When Jim Abourezk recounted his wartime experience as a sailor during the Korean War, he often would joke that he spent the war fighting over women in Japanese bars.

Abourezk was born to brawl, whether it was in bars, courtrooms or on the floor of the U.S. Senate, where he represented South Dakota from 1973 to 1979 as the first Arab-American senator. A proud, in-your-face progressive liberal who championed Indians while attacking the privileged, Abourezk delighted in bludgeoning his enemies, of which he had many.

A man whose cussing would be considered copious even for a sailor, Abourezk had an insatiable appetite for good food, and, in an earlier period of life, good drink and cigars. He died Friday on his 92nd birthday.

For a look at his life and legacy, click here for the story from The Dakota Scout.