Bob Dole, a long-term US senator and a veteran of World War II, died at the age of 98 on Sunday. While he served as a senator from 1969 to 1996, he was also the presidential nominee of Republicans in the 1996 election.
Bob Dole served America for over 79 years
The Elizabeth Dole foundation announced Bob Dole’s death, saying he died in his sleep early Sunday morning. Furthermore, the foundation noted he served America for more than 79 years.
Dole proclaimed earlier this year he was under treatment for lung cancer. He remained a Republican leader in the Senate during the last 11 years of his career. However, long before serving as a US senator, he took part in the second world war, getting heavily injured in Italy.
Back then, he didn’t have much military experience, but he was ordered to lead forces against the German post heavily equipped with machine guns.
Due to the disproportionate combat, many of his team members were heavily wounded, in which Dole rushed to save one of them, ultimately getting injured himself.
Today, our nation mourns the loss of a towering leader who embodied courage and excellence in public service. Senator Bob Dole was an extraordinary patriot, who devoted his entire life in service to the county he loved and to our cherished national values for which he fought.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) December 5, 2021
As he was unconscious, he was rolled back by an Army sergeant who injected him with morphine to help him in some recovery. Many suggest that Dole’s survival was a miracle in itself, which encouraged him to join politics after retiring from the Army.
While Dole remained in hospitals for three years due to the severity of his injury, he was awarded one Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. Due to the pervasive boredom in the hospital during his long stay, he started reading books.
However, the fracture in Dole’s hand did not allow him to hold those books in his hands. Thus, he used to read them on the projector that created an image for him on the ceiling.
Biden praised Dole for serving the United States
Born in a poor household in 1923, Dole grew up during the Great Depression somewhere far away from mainland Kansas. He used to sell ice cream during his age of study while playing basketball during his spare time.
While he got admission in medicine, Dole was never a bookworm and continued competing in basketball and football during his studies. He started his political journey by getting elected as a member of the state legislature in 1950.
After a decade, he was elected as a congressman, which started his journey in Washington. With this, Dole aligned himself with the conservative school of thought, although he had many moderate views earlier on.
God speed, Bob Dole – “Bob Dole was far more than a nice guy: He was an American. An iconic American. An American who put country, goodness, and goodwill before all.” https://t.co/iGXHdAJ8FE
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) December 6, 2021
Apart from running for the presidency, he was also the running mate of then-incumbent Gerald Ford in 1976, although the campaign ended in a lost cause.
Meanwhile, Biden praised the stalwartness of Dole after his demise, noting he was a war hero and a long-time friend of his. Saying he would miss Dole, Biden also asserted Dole belonged to the greatest generation who guided him during his political journey.
