Carbondale Reporter

Rep. Mike Bost (R-Carbondale) is singling out World War II veteran and former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole as “the best the U.S. has to offer.”

The 98-year-old Dole died in his sleep earlier this month after announcing just weeks earlier that he’d been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer.

A decorated armed services veteran, Dole overcame debilitating injuries suffered while in the line of duty 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 time in Washington, Dole rose to own a reputation as one of the most influential legislators and party leaders in the Senate, finding a way to balance an openness to 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 eventually 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 kicked off his political career by winning a seat in the Kansas House while still a student at Washburn University. After first being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1968, Dole went on to be re-elected four 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 him 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 ordered that U.S. flags be flown at half-staff at the White House and all federal 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.”