Bob Dole, GOP Congressional World War II Veteran, Dies at 98 – Updated

Former Republican U.S. Senator Bob Dole died today. The World War II veteran was 98 and was suffering from Stage 4 lung cancer.

The fact that he made it to the age of 98 was somewhat of a miracle in itself after he was left for dead on the battleground during World War II after being critically wounded when an explosion tore apart his arm. He spent three years recovering in the hospital, and never regained use of his right arm, but he went on to run for the U.S. House and later the U.S. Senate, spending decades in public service.

Three years ago, on December 4, 2018, as the body of President George H.W. Bush lay in state in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, a visibly frail Bob Dole was helped from his wheelchair. As he stood in front of the American flag-draped casket, he raised his left hand to his forehead and saluted his contemporary (they were less than a year apart in age), his colleague in public service, his fellow WW II veteran, and his one-time adversary.

The two had battled in politics for years, both ambitious and rising stars within the GOP. Steve Kornacki’s 2018 article for NBC News is well worth the read. Here’s a taste:

The scene inside the Capitol this week was arresting: 95-year-old Bob Dole, confined for years to a wheelchair, rising with assistance to offer one final standing salute to George H.W. Bush.

The history behind it made it even more poignant. Born only 11 months apart, but into dramatically different circumstances, the two men forged one of the preeminent rivalries of modern American politics, fueled by shared ambition and shaped by fateful twists and bitter confrontations, with Bush ultimately capturing the prize that always eluded Dole.

They both came to Washington around the same time, but from very different places.

A son of Dust Bowl Kansas whose family was nearly broken by the Depression, Dole barely escaped death from an exploding artillery shell in World War II, then spent the next three years rehabilitating in an Army hospital. He emerged without the use of his right arm and with shrapnel still in his body, returned to western Kansas and entered politics. In 1960, he won a House seat. Eight years later, he moved up to the Senate. It made him a rising star in Republican politics.

Bush, by contrast, was born into an aristocratic Yankee family and his father, Prescott, was a U.S. senator. Like Dole, Bush defied death in World War II, shot down over the Pacific Ocean but avoiding capture by the Japanese, then set out to make his own name in Texas, first in the oil business and eventually in politics. He lost a Senate race in 1964, but won a House seat two years later. It made him the first Republican ever to represent Houston in Congress — and, just like Dole, a rising Republican star.

Their collision was almost inevitable, and it came in 1972….

Through years of competition as they climbed the ladder of politics, eventually the two old adversaries learned to respect one another and became friends, Bush as President and Dole as a reliable voice in the Senate. As Kornacki wrote:

Bush was defeated for reelection in 1992 by Bill Clinton, and a few days later Dole hosted a tribute dinner for Bush. He got up to speak and choked up: “The best man didn’t win on Election Day.” Bush was just as generous toward Dole, who with Bush’s loss became the highest-ranking Republican left in Washington.

Dole continued to chase the presidency, but the rivalry was now over.

At the 1996 Republican convention that nominated Dole, Bush delivered a speech enthusiastically supporting him, and the former president — along with his son, George W. Bush — accompanied Dole in the final days of his doomed campaign. Ironically, George W. Bush would four years later outpace Dole’s wife Elizabeth, for the GOP nomination, but the bitterness between the families was gone.

All that was left, all these years later, was that final salute, delivered this week in Washington.

Today the former rivals who became friends were reunited. RIP, Senator Dole, and thank you for your service to the American people, both on the battlefield in the mountains of Italy and in D.C. Our condolences to his wife, former Senator Elizabeth Dole, and his family.

Update….

Former President George W. Bush released a statement on the passing of Sen. Dole:

“Laura and I are saddened by the passing of a great patriot, Senator Bob Dole. This good man represented the finest of American values. He defended them in uniform during World War II. He advanced them in the United States Senate. And he lived them out as a father, husband, and friend. Our entire family benefitted from that friendship, including my father. I will always remember Bob’s salute to my late dad at the Capitol, and now we Bushes salute Bob and give thanks for his life of principled service. Laura and I send our heartfelt condolences to Elizabeth and join our fellow citizens in prayer for her comfort.” – President George W. Bush on Senator Robert J. Dole

Statement from Jay Timmons, President and CEO of National Association of Manufacturers:

“With the passing of Sen. Dole, manufacturers have lost an ally and friend and one of the great advocates of the values that make our country exceptional and our industry strong—free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty and equal opportunity. He not only believed in those values, he fought for them—in every sense of the word.

“A grievous injury on the battlefields of World War II could not diminish his love of country or his pursuit of a lifetime of service. He saw selflessness and sacrifice as his patriotic duty. It’s what made him a true statesman and truly worthy of being called part of the ‘greatest generation.’ And that irrepressible spirit is what, in his final years, brought him day after day to the National Mall, even in sweltering summer heat, to greet his fellow veterans arriving from across the country to visit the World War II Memorial.

“On a personal level, I greatly appreciated his wisdom and insight when I led the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Then, as during his time as national party chair, Senate Majority Leader and presidential candidate, he was a moral compass for the party, as ready to take a principled stand as he was to extend a hand across the aisle. The Doles have both been role models for so many. I will also remain deeply grateful for his support of the Humane Rescue Alliance and animal adoption before, during and after my time as HRA chair. He loved animals—above all their many dogs, including the multiple dogs famously named Leader.

“Bidding farewell to a man like Bob Dole is difficult because it feels like saying goodbye to one of the last remaining giants of our history. To truly honor him, though, we must do more than mourn his passing. We must renew our commitment to strengthening our nation and protecting the democracy for which he fought throughout his life.

“My deepest condolences to his wife, Sen. Elizabeth Dole, his daughter Robin, and the entire Dole family. You are in my prayers and in the prayers of a grateful nation.”