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burfman

(264 posts)
4. Though I probably don't agree with his politics - there is much to admire about the man.....
Mon Feb 22, 2016, 10:41 PM
Feb 2016

From the Wikipedia Entry:

World War II and recovery[edit]
In 1942, Dole joined the United States Army's Enlisted Reserve Corps to fight in World War II, becoming a second lieutenant in the Army's 10th Mountain Division. In April 1945, while engaged in combat near Castel d'Aiano in the Apennine mountains southwest of Bologna, Italy, Dole was badly wounded by German machine gun fire, being hit in his upper back and right arm. As Lee Sandlin describes, when fellow soldiers saw the extent of his injuries, all they thought they could do was to "give him the largest dose of morphine they dared and write an 'M' for 'morphine' on his forehead in his own blood, so that nobody else who found him would give him a second, fatal dose."[12] Dole was transported to the United States, where his recovery was slow, interrupted by blood clots and a life-threatening infection. After large doses of penicillin had not succeeded, Dole overcame the infection with the administration of streptomycin, which at the time was still an experimental drug.[13] He nevertheless remained despondent, "not ready to accept the fact that my life would be changed forever." He was encouraged to see a Chicago orthopedist by the name of Hampar Kelikian, who had been working with veterans returning from war. Although during their first meeting Kelikian told Dole that he would never be able to recover fully, the encounter changed Dole's outlook on life, who years later wrote that Kelikian, a survivor of the Armenian Genocide, "inspired me to focus on what I had left and what I could do with it, rather than complaining what had been lost." Dr. K, as Dole later came to affectionately call him, operated on him seven times, free of charge, and had, in Dole's words, "an impact on my life second only to my family."[14]

Dole recovered from his wounds at the Percy Jones Army Hospital. This complex of federal buildings, no longer a hospital, is now named Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal Center in honor of three patients who became United States Senators: Dole, Philip Hart and Daniel Inouye. Dole was decorated three times, receiving two Purple Hearts for his injuries, and the Bronze Star with combat "V" for valor for his attempt to assist a downed radioman.


burfman..............

Nye Bevan

(25,406 posts)
5. Compared to the likes of Trump and Cruz, a decent and honorable man, to say the least (nt)
Mon Feb 22, 2016, 10:53 PM
Feb 2016

Last edited Tue Feb 23, 2016, 09:29 AM - Edit history (1)

longship

(40,416 posts)
6. I spent 18 politically active years in Kansas.
Mon Feb 22, 2016, 10:55 PM
Feb 2016

People there kind of like Bob Dole, even the Democrats. They also liked Nancy Landon Kassebaum. I voted for her twice for US Senate. That Sen. Kassebaum married former Senator Howard Baker (notably of Watergate fame) affirmed my respect for her. She was much more liberal than even her Democratic opponents, which is why she got my vote. Twice!

But not Bob Dole. Not even once. Still apparently a nice guy, though. As folks say. I am good with that. But I still would not vote for the guy. He is no Nancy.

MisterP

(23,730 posts)
7. a bit "well-preserved" but not *Adelson* bad
Mon Feb 22, 2016, 11:07 PM
Feb 2016

more to the point, he won't have any pull in the party, but Rubio seems to be the "favored candidate" after Carson and Cruz's flavors-of-the-month from the party's further right; but a brokered convention where they can sweep in Kasich is impossible unless there's an unfortunate gas-mains incident: both parties have studiously ignored the economic consequences of their policies and treated race as a way to get votes rather than a topic of real human concern; the RNC has dumped all over its voters as "turkeys voting Thanksgiving" and let the Congressmen pretend Reaganomics was anything other than a swindle, and blamed every single minority or foreigner, everyone who didn't fit the American paradise: their brilliant technique has now backfired on them hugely and one Charles Manson-level lunatic has taken the entire party out of their hands by appealing directly to the constituencies they created for electioneering purposes

kwassa

(23,340 posts)
8. My favorite Dole story ...
Mon Feb 22, 2016, 11:38 PM
Feb 2016

When he spent years recovering from his war wounds, his doctor told him a joke about finding sympathy.

The only place to find sympathy is in the dictionary, listed somewhere between shit and syphilis.

Dole said this on PBS.

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