Former Sen. Bob Dole -- decorated World War II veteran, longtime lawmaker and former presidential candidate -- was honored Friday at Washington National Cathedral before being brought back to his home state of Kansas and eventually laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.
Dole died Sunday in his sleep at the age of 98.
MORE: Bob Dole, longtime GOP senator and presidential nominee, lies in state at US Capitol
President Joe Biden delivered a eulogy at the funeral service, which aired on ABC News and ABC News Live, as well as on video screens at the World War II Memorial on the National Mall for public viewing.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
President Joe Biden delivers remarks during the funeral service for late US Senator Bob Dole at the Washington National Cathedral, Dec. 10, 2021, in Washington, D.C.
He spoke of how Dole, at the age of 21, was gravely wounded in Anzio in Italy when hit by enemy fire during World War II
"Nearly eight decades on, we’ve gathered here in a world far different from the mountainous battlefield in 1945. But there's something that connects that past and present, wartime and peace, then and now," Biden said. "The courage, the grit, the goodness, and the grace of a 2nd lieutenant named Bob Dole, who became congressman Dole, senator Dole, statesman, husband, father, friend, colleague, and a word that’s often overused but not here, a genuine hero."
MORE: Sen. Bob Dole's passing serves as reminder of bygone era: The Note
Biden also addressed the current partisan divisions and infighting in the United States -- and how Dole sought to bridge that divide.
"In his final days, Bob made it clear that he’s deeply concerned about the threat to American democracy," he said. “Not from foreign nations but from the division tearing us apart from within. And this soldier reminded us, and I quote, 'too many of us have sacrificed too much in defending freedom from foreign adversaries to allow our democracy to crumble under a state of infighting that goes more unacceptable day by day.'"
"We're bidding this great American farewell. But we know that as long as we keep his spirit alive, as long as we see each other not as enemies but as neighbors and colleagues, as long as we remember that we're here not to tear down but to build up; as long as we remember that, then taps will never sound for Bob Dole. For Bob will be with us always; cracking a joke, moving a bill, finding common ground," he said.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
President Joe Biden greets Sen. Elizabeth Dole, accompanied by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley, left, as she arrives at the funeral for her husband, former Sen. Bob Dole, at the Washington National Cathedral, Dec. 10, 2021, in Washington, D.C.
Biden, who served with Dole in the Senate for 25 years and has praised the late Kansas lawmaker for wit that crossed party lines, also remarked on Dole's service to the nation on Thursday at a Capitol ceremony as Dole lay in state -- an honor reserved for the most revered American officials.
"My fellow Americans, America has lost one of our greatest patriots," Biden said, looking to Dole's wife of 46 years, Elizabeth, who also served in the Senate, and his daughter, Robin, who spoke at Friday's funeral. "We may follow his wisdom, I hope, and his timeless truth -- that the truth of the matter is, as divided as we are, the only way forward for democracy is unity, consensus. The only way."
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
The flag-draped casket of former Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas, is carried into the Washington National Cathedral for a funeral service, Dec. 10, 2021, in Washington, D.C. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley, fourth from left, stands with former Sen. Elizabeth Dole, third from left, and Robin Dole, left.
Also delivering remarks were former Sen. Pat Roberts, a fellow Kansas Republican, and former Sen. Tom Daschle of South Dakota, whose time serving as the Democratic leader overlapped with Dole's leadership role.
After the funeral, Dole's motorcade is scheduled to pause at the World War II Memorial for a ceremony paying tribute to his military service. There, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley and actor Tom Hanks are expected to speak about Dole's life.
MORE: Honoring Bob Dole: Politicians react to former senator's death
His casket will then be flown to Kansas where Dole will be honored at funeral services in his hometown of Russell and at the Capitol in Topeka, where he served in the state legislature for two years before beginning a 36-year career in Congress.
Jonathan Ernst/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
President Joe Biden crosses himself after delivering remarks near the casket of former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, as Dole's window former Senator Elizabeth Dole and daughter Robin Dole sit nearby during a congressional lying in state ceremony in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 9, 2021.
Sarahbeth Maney/UPI/Shutterstock
The casket arrives at a Congressional memorial service for former Sen. Bob Dole, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C, Dec. 9, 2021.
Dole, who nearly died in WWII and was later awarded two Purple Hearts, served as the Senate Republican leader for more than a decade and was instrumental in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. He sought the presidency three times, winning the Republican nomination in 1996 before losing to incumbent President Bill Clinton, who later awarded Dole the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
MORE: Bob Dole, longtime public servant and WWII veteran, dies
Dole announced in February that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and was starting treatment.
In a USA Today op-ed Dole finished on pen and paper less than two weeks before his death, he pushed lawmakers to find common ground in difficult times, writing, "Those who suggest that compromise is a sign of weakness misunderstand the fundamental strength of our democracy."