BIRMINGHAM – Senator Robert Dole has been named as the recipient of the 2014 National Veterans Award by National Veterans Day in Birmingham. The following tribute to Senator Dole and his service to America by Congressman Spencer Bachus was printed in the Congressional Record, the official journal of the proceedings of the U.S. House and Senate.

On behalf of National Veterans Day in Birmingham, it is my privilege to inform this House that a distinguished American statesman and patriot, Senator Robert Dole, has been selected as the recipient of the 2014 National Veterans Award.

The National Veterans Award was created in Birmingham for America's first official National Veterans Day observance November 11, 1954 as authorized by Congress and tirelessly advocated by Raymond Weeks.  Each year, the award recognizes an outstanding veteran who has made the greatest contribution to veterans and veterans organizations in America.

As one of the greatest of our "Greatest Generation," Bob Dole embodies the values celebrated by this award and essential to the preservation of our freedom: duty, honor, and service to country.

Senator Dole's life story should inspire every American.  As a young man, he left his home state of Kansas to answer the call of duty during World War II.  He received two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star for his valor in combat.  As so many know, he was gravely wounded on the battlefield while leading a platoon of the 10th Mountain Division in Italy in April 1945.

Returning home, Bob Dole surmounted the challenge of physical injury and entered into a new form of service to his country: public service. He was elected to this House in 1960 and elected in 1968 to the U.S. Senate, where during his 28 years of service he earned recognition as one of the true legislative giants in the history of the chamber.  He was the Republican vice-presidential candidate in 1976 and the Republican presidential candidate in 1996.

Throughout his service in elected office, Senator Dole stood as a principled voice for fiscal responsibility, free enterprise, a strong national defense and American values.  He was skilled in working in a bipartisan manner on issues including hunger and the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The National Veterans Award specifically recognizes his unwavering support of our troops in the field and his commitment to ensuring quality medical care for veterans.

After leaving government service, Senator Dole accepted a new mission that will stand as an enduring and indeed monumental legacy: the construction of the National World War II Memorial on our National Mall.  His leadership of the national campaign for the memorial was instrumental in bringing this long-held dream to honor those who fought on overseas battlefronts and those who contributed here at home into magnificent reality.

At the dedication ceremony on May 29, 2004, Senator Dole said, "What we dedicate today is not a memorial to war, rather it's a tribute to the physical and moral courage that makes heroes out of farm and city boys and that inspires Americans in every generation to lay down their lives for people they will never meet, for ideals that make life itself worth living."

As a congressman, I have cherished the opportunity to welcome and express gratitude to veterans brought to the World War II Memorial by Honor Flight. Senator Dole is known for coming to the memorial to meet with Honor Flight groups, and I have personally witnessed how proud and privileged veterans from Alabama have felt to be in the presence of this American hero.  It is altogether appropriate that Senator Dole has been recognized with his own bronze plaque at the memorial.

Senator Dole has always been modest about the immense contributions that he has made to the good of our nation, often minimizing them with his quick wit and willingness to share credit.  But his steadfast devotion to the cause of freedom towers as sure and lasting as any of the glorious monuments in our nation's capital.  With the support of his lovely and accomplished wife Elizabeth, he continues to provide wise guidance and inspiration to our country.

National Veterans Day in Birmingham takes pride in being the home to the largest and longest-running commemoration of Veterans Day in the U.S.  The recipient of the National Veterans Award holds a special and esteemed place in this tradition.  For lifelong defense of liberty and dedication to America, Senator Robert Dole honors us by accepting the 2014 National Veterans Award in the name of the veterans across many generations who have sacrificed to keep us all free.