Southern Illinois News

Rep. Mike Bost (R-Carbondale) is saluting former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole for a life “dedicated to serving the nation he loved.”

Just four months after sharing that he’d been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, Dole died in his sleep earlier this month at the age of 98. 

A decorated World War II veteran, Dole overcame disabling injuries suffered while in uniform to serve nearly three decades in the Senate, ultimately emerging as the GOP nominee for president in 1996 against President Bill Clinton.

“As a member of the Greatest Generation & statesman, he dedicated his life to serving the nation he loved,” Bost posted on Twitter. “I was honored to meet him many times & work w/him & his wife, Senator Elizabeth Dole, on behalf of our nation’s vets. Tracy and I send our prayers to the Dole family and his friends during this challenging time.”

During his storied tenure in Washington, Dole earned a reputation as one of the most influential legislators and party leaders in the Senate, balancing a willingness for compromise with a caustic wit that was often considered dead on. On the legislative side, he became known for shaping domestic and foreign policy, farm and nutrition programs and rights for the disabled.

Dole made three runs at the White House before largely turning his focus to the cause of wounded veterans, their fallen comrades at Arlington National Cemetery and remembrance of the fading generation of World War II vets. In 2005, he published a memoir about his wartime experiences and recovery, “One Soldier’s Story.”

Dole’s political career commenced while he was still a student at Washburn University, with him winning a seat in the Kansas House. After first being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1968, Dole went on to be re-elected four different times.

In 2017, Congress voted to award Dole a Congressional Gold Medal, the country’s highest expression of appreciation for distinguished contributions. That honor came a decade after he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Two years later, Congress again moved to honor Dole by promoting him from Army captain to colonel, in recognition of the military service that earned him two Purple Hearts.

In Dole’s honor, President Joe Biden has now ordered that U.S. flags be flown at half-staff at the White House and all public buildings and grounds. In a statement, Biden also recalled that one of his first meetings outside the White House after being sworn-in as president was with the Doles at their Washington home.

“Like all true friendships, regardless of how much time has passed, we picked up right where we left off, as though it were only yesterday that we were sharing a laugh in the Senate dining room or debating the great issues of the day, often against each other, on the Senate floor,” he said. “I saw in his eyes the same light, bravery, and determination I’ve seen so many times before.”