A lot has been written about larger than life Sen. Bob Dole since his passing on December 5 at the ripe old age of 98. He was a soldier, Kansas State Representative for two years, member of the US House of Representatives for eight years, US Senator for 27 years, three-term Senate Majority Leader for 11 years, Republican vice presidential nominee in 1976 and presidential nominee in 1996. He was a decorated war hero and champion of the Armenian Cause.
His life took a tragic turn after he was critically wounded in Italy during World War II while serving in the US Army, crippling his shoulder and right arm. Armenian orthopedic surgeon Dr. Hampar Kelikian saved Dole’s wounded arm after seven surgeries, which the miraculous doctor performed free of charge.
More importantly than treating him physically, Dole once said, “Kelikian inspired me to focus on what I had left and what I could do with it, rather than complaining what had been lost.”
Dr. Kelikian was a survivor of the Armenian Genocide. He shared with his patient the hellish experience of the Armenian Genocide, during which he lost several members of his family and barely survived himself. Those horrible stories left their indelible mark on young Dole who never forgot the Armenian tragedy. When he rose to the highest ranks of power, he did his best to bring a degree of justice to the long-suffering Armenian nation by advocating for recognition by the US government.
Dole’s valiant efforts in the Senate on behalf of the Armenian people were thwarted by the Clinton Administration and Sen. Robert Byrd (Democrat-West Virginia). However, 30 years later, the publicity generated by Sen. Dole’s persistent dedication to the Armenian Cause paid off. Fortunately, Dole lived long enough to see the fruits of his untiring efforts, when Pres. Joe Biden, Dole’s close friend and political rival, issued a statement on April 24, 2021 recognizing the Armenian Genocide. Dole sent a personal note to Pres. Biden thanking him for his historic declaration.
I would like to share with readers my recollections of accompanying Sen. Dole on a fact-finding trip to Armenia, October 13-15, 1997, to assess Kirk Kerkorian’s planned multi-million dollar humanitarian projects through his Lincy Foundation. The delegation included Alice Kelikian, the daughter of Dr. Kelikian; Ambassador Rouben Shugarian; Lincy chairman Jim Aljian and his wife Marjorie; two of the senator’s aides; and Sue Temkin, a tax attorney from Dole’s Washington law firm. We traveled on board Kerkorian’s private jet. I traveled with the delegation in my capacity as the person in charge of the Lincy projects in Armenia.
In a gesture reserved for visiting heads of state, then Prime Minister Robert Kocharyan and several high-ranking officials came to the Yerevan airport to welcome Sen. Dole to Armenia. Also present at the airport was the former US Ambassador to Armenia Peter Tomsen. Although Pres. Levon Ter-Petrossian was out of the country on a visit to France, he spoke with Sen. Dole by telephone.
Sen. Dole was received enthusiastically both by the public and officials as a hero for the Armenian nation. During the couple of days we were in Armenia, we met with the prime minister, chairman of the Central Bank, Minister of Trade and Industry, Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, chairman of Parliament and his two deputies, parliamentary committee chairmen, local businessmen and bankers. Sen. Dole also met with leaders of three opposition parties and held a press conference.
We visited the US Embassy, where we were briefed by the ambassador, commercial attaché and representative of USAID. We also met with Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin I at the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. We toured a state-of-the-art clothing factory owned by a businesswoman who employed 500 people. Finally, we visited the Children’s Cardiac Center where Dr. Hrayr Hovaguimian, an Armenian-American, was the chief surgeon.
Sen. Dole was deeply touched during his visit with 70 young children at the Nork Orphanage. When he learned that the staff had not received their salaries for several months, he graciously offered to provide their back pay.
Another moving experience was Sen. Dole’s visit to the Armenian Genocide Memorial Monument and Museum where he laid a wreath. He and Alice Kelikian planted a tree in memory of Dr. Kelikian.
This was Sen. Dole’s second trip to Armenia. He and his wife Elizabeth visited Armenia in 1989, following the December 1988 earthquake. In 2019, the Republic of Armenia bestowed the prestigious “Order of Honor” on Sen. Dole.
Sen. Dole was still active at the age of 97. On September 15, 2020, Sen. Dole and his lobbying firm Alston & Bird signed a contract with the Armenian government to “monitor current events relevant to US-Armenia relations and provide strategic counsel with respect to improvement of that relationship.” Sen. Dole wrote: “These services may include outreach to United States Government officials as well as Members of Congress and their staffs.” The contract was for one month at a cost of $10,000.
The Armenian nation will long remember this great man who never forgot the Armenian surgeon who restored his health and fought for acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide.
Harut Sassounian
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