Opinion: Dole’s championing of veterans’ causes are a lasting legacy
Since its founding in 2005, the Honor Flight Network has flown in over 245,000 veterans to visit the veteran memorials in Washington, D.C., giving them the opportunity to remember friends and comrades lost, and to share their stories and experiences with each other.
In 2015, I had the opportunity to visit the memorials dedicated to honoring those who have served and sacrificed for this country, accompanying 70 Korean and World War II veterans from the Collier-Lee Honor Flight chapter in Southwest Florida. Each veteran on the flight had his own guardian who wheeled him around the different venues and tended to his needs that day. That was my mission.
The veteran in my care was Paul Giachetti, a Chicago native who served with the 712th Transportation Railway Operations Battalion in Korea.
Every part of the day was memorable, including the lines of active veterans and well-wishers that formed to welcome us at the airports.
Another major highlight of the day was the personal greeting veterans and their guardians received at the entrance of the WWII Memorial from Sen. Bob Dole, a Kansas veteran who lost the use of his right arm during combat in Italy, earning two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star.
Dole, the last veteran of World War II to run for president, passed away last Sunday at the age of 98. The numerous tributes flowing across social media are a testimony to his long life of public service to our country.
Holly Rotondi, Executive Director of Friends of the National WWII Memorial, recalled that before construction began in 2001 there were “save the mall people” who felt that memorials shouldn’t be built on the National Mall. Dole’s comeback line to the objectors was that the WWII generation ‘”saved a lot of things, including the mall, and we deserve our place here.”
Rotondi believes that Dole’s final mission during his life of service was to greet as many WWII veterans as possible.
“He really wanted to welcome people to that memorial to realize what his generation sacrificed for the country and the world and it meant something so special for him to be there,” she said.
Jeff Miller, the co-founder of the nationwide Honor Flight Network, says when fellow veterans met with Dole they would light up.
“He didn’t want some group picture with 200 veterans,” Miller said. “He wanted to meet every single one of them to hear their story and exchange some stories with them. He just epitomized that whole generation.”
That was apparent to my Korean War friend Paul during our Honor Flight. While being personally greeted by the senator who sat in the hot summer sun six years ago, Paul mentioned to Dole that he was one of eight siblings who served in either World War II or Korea. An article in the Chicago press once labeled them the “Chicago Eight.”
Overwhelmed by that amount of personal sacrifice, Dole made it known to Paul and others in our line within earshot that veteran families like that Chicago clan held a special place in his heart.
Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio wrote the legislation that led to the creation of the National World War II Memorial which took nearly two decades of work in and out of Congress to finally gain approval.
After hearing of Dole’s passing, Kaptur said that the memorial represents the greatest accomplishment of the 20th century - the victory of liberty over tyranny … and that Bob Dole lived that.
Kaptur also remembered that during many ceremonies, Dole would place her in the forefront of the memorial story even though he was the wounded veteran. Many others also remember him as a person who always thought of others, prioritizing their needs before himself.
Dole’s three decades of service in Congress, where he became a champion for veteran causes, is legendary. But the thousands of veterans he greeted at the World War II Memorial were especially important to him. And to them, he remained a fellow comrade in arms.
As one general eulogized in his tribute to the fallen patriot, Bob Dole never stopped serving.
By Jim Zbick | tneditor@tnonline.com
The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.