married for 44 years to elizabeth dole that carried beyond elective office. her foundation announced with heavy hearts that dole had passed in his sleep. he was 98. i leave you all tonight with a full heart and a fervent prayer that we ll meet again. robert dole, a son of kansas, impaired by war, tested by politics, lifted by his commitment to country. we ll have more on bob dole s remarkable life later in the show. turning now to the coronavirus pandemic and growing concerns over the omicron variant. more and more americans become eligible for booster shots. some retail pharmacies like cvs and walgreens are struggling to keep up with the vaccine surge and demand. some are waiting days and weeks to get the booster shot.
who have said such kind words about me. they re probably not true. but they were nice. reporter: respect earned through his years of public service and capped with a congressional gold medal in 2018. but dole s storied career brought congress together in a rare unanimous vote to pay tribute to this world war ii veteran and son of kansas who achieved so much. impaired by war, but never deterred. longevity was among his gifts. in his 90s, dole returned to kansas to visit every county one last time. it s one time i can say to you that i don t want any of your money. [ laughter ] reporter: from his roots in russell, kansas, dole joined the army during world war ii. gravely injured in italy, dole gave credit to the people of kansas for putting their faith in him. i was in the 10th mountain
about me. they re probably not true, but they were nice. respect earned through his years of public service and capped with a congressional gold medal in 2018. but dole s storied career brought congress together in a rare unanimous vote to pay tribute to this world war ii veteran and son of kansas who achieved so much. impaired by war, but never deterred. longevity was among his gifts. in his 90s, dole returned to kansas to visit every county wus last time. from his roots in russell, kansas, dole joined the army during world war ii. injured in italy, dole gave credit to the people of cancance for putting their faith in him. in 1960, then to the senate in 1968. rising to republican leader for
heart and a fervent prayer that we ll meet again. reporter: robert dole, a son of kansas, impaired by war, tested by politics, lifted by his commitment to country. kelly o donnell, nbc news. so much of bob dole s legacy was shaped by his time as a soldier. while in politics and especially afterwards, he always fought for those who served. andrea mitchell takes a look back. reporter: at the world war ii memorial in washington on many a weekend, an old soldier reporting for duty. thank you for your service. reporter: former second lieutenant bob dole in the final years of a lifetime of public service, having led the fundraising campaign to build a memorial honoring all those who served in a war that forever changed his life. whether you re in the army, navy, marines, merchant marines, but, you know, if i m in town i ll be here. and during the week sometimes i come on wednesday and