Political opposites share war experiences

By Johanna Neuman
Los Angeles Times

DENNIS COOK / AP Former Sens. Bob Dole, left, and George McGovern yesterday discuss their service during World War II.

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WASHINGTON — It is a tale of two veterans, two senators, two parties, two presidential candidates, one war.

Bob Dole, the wisecracking conservative, and George McGovern, the professorial peacenik, shared the stage Thursday as Washington, D.C., kicked off its summerlong tribute to the World War II generation. Prompted by Marc Pachter, director of the National Portrait Gallery, they talked about how the war changed them and the country.

Dole talked about how the armed services were integrated after the war, how women's roles in the workplace were forever transformed, how a generation of children without wealth or influence was afforded a college education.

"The biggest piece of legislation that the country ever passed was the GI Bill," Dole said.

"It changed my life," McGovern agreed.

In their time, Dole — who served 27 years as a senator before running for president in 1996 — and McGovern — who served 18 years in the Senate and ran for president in 1972 — disagreed on many issues, most notably the Vietnam War. McGovern ran for president as the candidate of the anti-war movement. Dole ran for president as the titan of the Republican Party, the veteran war horse who had earned a shot at the winner's circle.

Memorial dedication today The National World War II Memorial will be dedicated today amid fanfare and festivities. An estimated 800,000 people — mostly members of the World War II generation and their families — are expected for the weekend's activities on the National Mall. The dedication ceremony is scheduled at 11 a.m. PDT. — The Washington Post

But on this day, on the eve of the dedication of the National World War II Memorial, they agreed on the need to use caution before going to war — "We can't be the world's policeman," Dole said — and on the corollary need to be prepared — "I would never want to see the country move to that (pre-World War II) level of unpreparedness again," McGovern said.

They were both young men when World War II started, with little knowledge of the world outside their communities. Dole said he was attending a lot of parties at the University of Kansas in 1943 when a teacher suggested that because he wasn't doing much at school, he might as well enlist in the Army. "Did you know what was going to happen to you?" Pachter asked. "I knew I was going to get a haircut," Dole replied.

McGovern, who wanted to be a pilot, said he enlisted in the Army for two reasons. One was to prove to his critical high-school coach that he was not lacking in courage. The other was a rumor that the Army Air Corps, unlike the Navy Air Corps, would give you a free meal ticket near the base in Omaha, Neb.

Dole, 80, was instrumental in getting the World War II Memorial approved — and in raising money to build the monument.

The former Senate majority leader contrasted the sacrifice that falls almost exclusively on military families today with the unified sacrifice of the nation during World War II — no nylons, rationed food, darkened windows. "That's why we were so together," Dole said.

Without mentioning Iraq, he questioned the need for wars of preemption, saying "that should not be policy."

McGovern, 81, said his parents were lifelong Republicans. He imagined them looking down, approvingly, as he sat next to Dole.

Dole, for his part, was equally cordial to McGovern, calling him a friend. "We're not the oddest couple," he said.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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