years old. the germans began firing on his platoon. the morning i was wounded, my radio man had been wounded, and i crawled out to get him back in the little ravine and i got shot, and he didn t make it. he passed away. so i tried, but i couldn t save him. reporter: flying metal hit dole s right shoulder and arm, breaking several bones in his neck and spine. it was just two weeks before the end of the war in europe. back home he underwent seven operations over three years, lost a kidney and use of his right arm. no longer able to fulfill his dream of becoming a surgeon, he switched to politics. he couldn t shake hands and would switch hands and use the pen in that hand.
thursday. saturday is generally the big day. reporter: the young dole was a star high school football player in a small hometown of russell, kansas, planning to become a surgeon. called to active duty in 1943, he was 21 years old with the 10th mountain division in italy on april 14th, 1945, when the germans began firing on his platoon. the morning i was wounded my radio man had been wounded and i crawled out trying to get him back in the little ravine. and i got shot. and he didn t make it. he passed away. so i tried, but i couldn t save him. reporter: flying metal hit dole s right shoulder and arm breaking several bones in his neck and spine. it was two weeks before the end of the war in europe. back home, he underwent seven operations over three years, lost a kidney, and the use of his right arm. no longer able to pursue his dream of becoming a surgeon, he