Let’s step back in time to April 22 1945. This is when Sgt. Daniel Kish lost his life on Okinawa. This memorial commemorates his service. It serves as a reminder of his sacrifice.
This Sgt Daniel Kish Memorial stands as a testament. It is a place for reflection on his service during World War II.
Daniel Kish was born in March 1966 in Montebello California. Kish was diagnosed with retinoblastoma. This aggressive cancer of the retina caused him to lose both eyes. He was only 13 months old. His younger brother Keith also had retinoblastoma. Doctors saved Keith’s sight. He became a middle school teacher.
Daniel Kish started clicking at age two. He was about a year after his second eye was removed. Many blind children make noises for feedback. This includes foot stomping finger snapping and tongue clicking. These are beginnings of echolocation. Parents often stop these behaviors. Daniel Kish was lucky that his mother did not stop him.
He attended mainstream schools. He used echolocation to get around. At the time neither he nor his mom knew what it was. There was no one to explain it. No one helped him enhance it. They took it for granted. His family called it his radar. Navigating new places was like solving a puzzle.
Kish was raised with self-reliance. He could go after anything he desired. His career interests included policeman fireman pilot and doctor. He sang and read braille books. He could take anything apart and put it back together. He was voted most likely to succeed.
Daniel Kish attended the University of California Riverside. He earned two master’s degrees. One was in developmental psychology. The other was in special education. He wrote a thesis on human echolocation. He also devised an echolocation training program.
The ability of blind people to perceive objects was noted in 1749. French philosopher Denis Diderot theorized it was from vibrations against the skin. In the early 1800s James Holman traveled the world. He relied on echoes from his cane. In the 1940s Karl Dallenbach proved that humans could echolocate.
Kish’s thesis unlocked his own brain. He became the first blind person in the US. He was certified as an orientation and mobility specialist. He helped visually impaired people get around.
Kish started World Access for the Blind in 2000. He wanted to counter every no that blind people hear. Kish believed blindness is just an inconvenience.
Sgt Daniel Kish Memorial serves as a poignant reminder. It reminds us of the bravery and sacrifice of Sgt. Daniel Kish. He gave his life in service to his country. It also reminds us of another Daniel Kish and his work helping the blind. Let us honor their memories. Let us strive for a world where everyone can reach their full potential.