Bob Dole
A prominent political figure with a distinguished record of service, Senator Bob Dole continues to make a difference both in the military and in politics.
And it was the GI Bill that made a difference in his own life.
During the Second World War, Bob Dole he was a platoon leader in the legendary Tenth Mountain Division in Italy. He was twice decorated for heroic achievement, including two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster.
Upon his discharge from military service, military veteran Dole went to college on the GI Bill.
Afterwards, Dole entered politics, serving as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee; he was his party's nominee for Vice President; member of the House of Representatives; and Chairman of the Republican Party. He earned national acclaim for his leadership on behalf of the disadvantaged and Americans with disabilities, and for his mastery of foreign affairs.
Following the attacks of September 11, Dole joined forces with President Bill Clinton to serve as Co-Chair of the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund. In January 2003, he was appointed Honorary Co-Chair of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, part of President Bush's USA Freedom Corps. He also served as Chairman of the National World War II Memorial.
Dole has commented that the GI Bill had a "transformative effect on the lives of so many veterans like me... and (on) the experiences of the soldiers who benefited from it." To this day, Dole continues to be a leader for veterans' rights in the Senate.
