TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The late Bob Dole, former U.S. Senate majority leader and Republican presidential candidate also celebrated as a World War II hero, will be buried Wednesday with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

The foundation named for his widow, former Cabinet Secretary and North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole, announced plans for a private service at the historic Washington-area cemetery. Around 100 close family members and former colleagues are expected.

Dole, a native of Russell in western Kansas, died Dec. 5 at the age of 98. He was the Republican presidential candidate of 1996, losing that year to incumbent Democrat Bill Clinton. He served nearly 36 years in Congress and was the leader of the GOP in the Senate for more than a decade.

Although Dole can be strongly partisan, he is remembered as a pragmatic congressional leader willing to compromise to pass laws such as the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. He was also known for his spirit of leadership. self-mockery.

Dole was celebrated for his military service, advocating for veterans and leading the campaign to build the World War II Memorial on Washington’s National Mall.

He was seriously wounded in action as a 21-year-old army platoon leader in northern Italy in 1945. While charging a German position, a shrapnel hit him, crushing two vertebrae and paralyzing his arms and legs.

He spent three years recovering in a hospital and never regained use of his right hand. He became a lawyer and began his political career in the early 1950s with a term in Kansas House.

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