McLean County Times

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Peoria) is paying his respects to former U.S. senator and Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole.

With word of Dole’s passing coming earlier this month, LaHood took to Twitter to post “Senator Bob Dole was a man of tremendous integrity who committed his life to serving our country. He will be remembered as a war hero for his service in World War II and a true statesman during his time in the Senate. My prayers are with the Dole family.”

After announcing in August that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, Dole died in his sleep earlier this month. He was 98.

A decorated World War II veteran, Dole overcame disabling injuries suffered in the line of duty to serve nearly three decades in the Senate, ultimately rising to become the GOP nominee for president in the 1996 run for the White House against Bill Clinton.

Over his career in Washington, Dole earned a reputation as one of the most influential legislators and party leaders in the Senate, balancing the need for compromise with a caustic wit that knew few barriers. On the legislative side, Dole became known for shaping foreign and domestic policy, farm and nutrition programs and rights for the disabled.

Dole made three runs at the White House before turning his twilight years to the cause of wounded veterans 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 began his political career while he was still a student in college with his election to the Kansas House. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1968 and went on to win re-election four times.

In 2017, Congress voted to award the veteran lawmaker its highest expression of appreciation for distinguished contributions to the nation, a Congressional Gold Medal, that came a decade after he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Two years later, fellow lawmakers again honored 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 has ordered that U.S. flags be flown at half-staff at the White House and all federal buildings and grounds.

Biden recalled in a statement 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.”