Hundreds of well-wishers applauded World War II veterans George H.W. Bush and Bob Dole on Wednesday during a patriotic Texas ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack.
The ex-president, who is 92 years old, and the 93-year-old former Kansas senator attended the event at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station.
Bush and Dole, both using wheelchairs, waved to the crowd that welcomed them during ceremonies at the complex on the Texas A&M campus. Bush spokesman Jim McGrath said the commemoration, attended by about 800 people, included flyovers by vintage WWII planes.
"Pearl Harbor did change President Bush's life. It certainly changed my life later. But that's the price we pay for freedom. We love our country. We want to keep our freedom," said Dole, who lost much of the use of his right arm because of war injuries.
Dole, who received the George Bush Award for Excellence in Public Service, said working with Bush to get the Americans with Disabilities Act passed in 1990 was one of his proudest public service moments.
