One of the biggest names in US politics Bob Dole has died at the age of 98

World War Two veteran, long-time republican senator and US presidential candidate died peacefully in his sleep.

The Elizabeth Dole Foundation wrote in a statement that “It is with heavy hearts we announce that Senator Robert Joseph Dole died early this morning in his sleep. At his death, at age 98, he had served the United States of America faithfully for 79 years.”

Dole had been suffering from lung cancer and was in the process of receiving treatment.

The former senator ran for the presidency against Bill Clinton in 1996 but it was only decades before that he had been laying in a World War Two battlefield in Italy, on the brink of death.

Dole had little combat experience but had been ordered to lead an attack on a German machine-gun post.

He was running to help an injured soldier just before he himself was hit on his right arm and upper back.

Dole was left unconscious but was rolled to safety by an army sergeant who gave him a large dose of morphine and painted a bloody ‘M’ on his forehead to prevent medics from administering a second dose.

The army sergeant told the commanding officer that he thought Dole was dying and that the shot would at least give him “some comfort”.

His survival and future career success was seen as a miracle with many linking his survival to his unstoppable drive and determination.