Former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole will be awarded the nation's highest civilian honor for his decades of service as a soldier, lawmaker and statesman.
House Speaker Paul Ryan's office says Dole will receive the Congressional Gold Medal in a ceremony scheduled for Jan. 17 at the U.S. Capitol.
Dole grew up in Russell. He represented Kansas for 35 years, first in the House and then in the Senate.
He was the Republican presidential nominee in 1996 but lost the election to Bill Clinton.
Now 94, Dole suffered severe injuries during World War II and was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. He helped lead the campaign to build the national World War II monument in Washington, D.C.
