Politics & Government

Bob Dole: 15 Photos Depicting WWII Vet, GOP Stalwart's Life

Bob Dole was a decorated World War II veteran who went on to become one of the most powerful Republicans in Washington.

This undated photo shows Bob Dole during World War II. He enlisted in the United States Army after his second year at the University of Kansas.
This undated photo shows Bob Dole during World War II. He enlisted in the United States Army after his second year at the University of Kansas. (AP)

TOPEKA, KS — Former presidential candidate and longtime U.S. Sen. Bob Dole died Sunday at the age of 98. Dole was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in February 2021.

In his 36 years on Capitol Hill, he shaped tax policy, foreign policy, farm and nutrition programs, and rights for Americans living with disabilities.

He also solidified protections against discrimination in employment, education and public services in the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to an Associated Press report.

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OBITUARY: Bob Dole, Decorated WWII Vet And GOP Stalwart, Dies At 98


Dole fought in Europe during World War II, where he was hit by a shell fragment that crushed two vertebrae and paralyzed his arms and legs. He spent three years recovering in a hospital and never regained use of his right hand.

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In this Aug. 1, 2000, file photo, the former senator and former presidential candidate salutes after a speech at the Republican National Convention in the First Union Center in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds, File)
As a Republican presidential candidate, Dole gestures while making a speech in Washington, D.C., March 28, 1988. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds, File)
As the Republican presidential nominee, Dole and his wife, Elizabeth, wave to well-wishers at a rally in downtown Phoenix on Oct. 25, 1996. (AP Photo/Scott Troyanos, File)
When Dole officially retired from the Senate on June 11, 1996, he was his party's majority leader. His colleagues and others escorted the Doles as they left the Capitol. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds, File)
This Jan. 5, 1971, file photo shows Dole, at the time the chairman of the Republican National Committee. (AP Photo/File)
The Doles wave from the podium on the floor of the Republican National Convention in San Diego, Aug. 15, 1996, as confetti falls after Dole accepted the his party's nomination for president. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
In this Nov. 28, 1984, file photo, newly elected Senate Majority Leader Dole is kissed by his wife, Transportation Secretary Elizabeth Dole, and his daughter, Robin, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Ira Schwarz, File)
President George H.W. Bush, left, and Dole shake hands at a dinner Dole hosted in the president's honor in Washington, D.C., ON Nov. 10, 1992. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Dole and his bride-to-be, Elizabeth Hanford of Salisbury, North Carolina, are pictured on Saturday, Dec. 6, 1975, at a wedding breakfast in Washington. (AP Photo/Harvey Georges, File)

Presidential hopeful Dole speaks to supporters in LeMars, Iowa., on Feb. 10, 1996. (AP Photo/Dave Weaver, File)
Dole arrives at the Quicken Loans Arena before the evening session of the opening day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland on July 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
Dole, surrounded by military veterans, gestures during a Bush-Cheney 2004 National Veterans Leadership Team rally Tuesday afternoon, May 11, 2004, in Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)
Dole speaks after being presented with the McGovern-Dole Leadership Award by at the time Vice President Joe Biden to honor his leadership in the fight against hunger. The award was presented during the 12th Annual George McGovern Leadership Award Ceremony hosted by World Food Program USA, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 11, 2013. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
The Doles acknowledge well-wishers during a Memorial Day ceremony, Monday, May 27, 2019, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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