US Senator Bob Dole,
Armenia’s great friend, former US Senator Bob Dole, was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, reported the Voice of America Armenian Service.
Dole, who was severely wounded during the Second World War, returned to a full life thanks to renowned American Armenian physician Hampar Kelikian. It was through this Armenian orthopedic surgeon that it became possible to save Bob Dole’s right hand, which all other physicians said it had to be amputated.
In the future, Senator Dole never forgot his Armenian “savior,” and had a special consideration toward the Armenian members of his staff.
As senator, Bob Dole played a key role in the founding of Armenian-American relations, said executive director Aram Hamparian of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
Senator Dole was a major supporter of Armenian Genocide recognition.
Also, he played a key role in sending aid to earthquake-hit Armenia in 1988.
In addition, Bob Dole was one of the initiators of the US assistance program to Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh).
Dr. Hampar Kelikian with Senator Bob Dole (1969)
A brave man like Surgeon Kelikian can do anything
Because He saw in front of his eyes . . .
What He lost . . . He lost three sisters, relatives, friends, kin, . . .
He lost their beautiful faces and their kindness during the Genocide.
They are no longer there to embrace and praise his heroness.
We should not forget that Hampar belonged to Khachkar’s race,
Those who carved and carved by their small chisels and nails,
For artist–surgeon Hampar hereby managed to fix the honest soldier’s
right hand was much easier than carving the hard rocks
to make historical Khachkars.
Surgery is a Heroic Job ~ Yes consciously heroic . . .
You should have no fear to face tragedies to save lives,
And save the most precious limbs . . . broken arms.
Right more than the left, without them how can you write or carve?
Surgeons in themselves they feel . . . they are Heros
Every morning they step and face a new sun with its moon
If others don’t grasp their aims
They can’t understand their sincere braveness.
Unless they had some tragedy like poor, Senator Dole
Who is still sailing with smiles with his genius surgeon, Hampar
Covering his right hand by his left from the view.
He tried by his polite-political power to recognize Armenian genocide,
After hearing from Dr. Hampar the stories of his unlucky race!
Dole as a Senator (R) he already recognized Armenian genocide
But he was blocked strongly by childish Junior Bush
Who felt he should stay allies with the criminal Turkish gangs.
To ignore Armenians and many other honest nation’s rights.
June 21, 2014
Dr. Hampar Kelikian M.D. (1899-1983), A Genius, Master-Surgeon, and Poet.
He was born in Hadjin, historic Armenia, in 1915. He fled his land where violence stormed, annihilating 1.5 million Armenians including his three sisters.
Dr. Kelikian’s good friend famous writer William Saroyan (1908-1981) said of him: “He is enormity both as a brilliantly creative surgeon and a human being. His kindness, understanding intelligence, and humour are instant, constant and inexhaustible, whether he is with children in a hospital or with a poet at a dinner table . . .”
Kelikian services were recognized by President Harry Truman, who gave him a citation and a medal. He also received a citation from the Queen of England while working as a consulting orthopaedic surgeon at the Ronkswood General Hospital in Worcester.
In 1969, he was appointed to President Nixon’s Task Force for the Disabled. In 1966 he was awarded the Order of the National Cedars of Lebanon by President Charles Helou (1913-2001).
Kelikian later became an emeritus associate professor of orthopedic surgery, performing ten operations a week when he was 80. Kelikian wrote three monographs on hand, ankle, and foot surgery, as well as a book of Armenian poetry.
On July 27, 1983, Senator Robert Dole paid a moving tribute to his dear friend and healer and said, “Dr. Kelikian earned fame for his historic accomplishments in the operating room. He earned the gratitude of thousands of people, who like me, live a much fuller existence because of his operative skills. He was “pure gold”. – added Senator Dole.
I say, “I was lucky to meet his famous son Dr. Armen Kelikian in North Western hospital, Chicago because I had sciatica. When I was sitting in the waiting room, I saw so many patients in wheelchairs. After examining me, he said, “You have nothing.” He was correct and he encouraged me to exercise, saying all the pain will disappear. He made me happy with his Armenian hearty smile. His male nurse diagnosed us, saying, “Are you from his fans?”
Senator Bob Dole* and the Armenian orthopedic Surgeon,
Dr. Hampar Kelikian, an orphan from Armenian Genocide
Kelikian operated on Senator Bob Dole, who was a soldier wounded in Italy, He restored the use of Mr. Dole’s arm by transplanting leg bone and muscle to the limb.
Dole, handicap in Right Hand
Yet his glial cells full of sparks,
His rich smile, tells each of us
How his powerful cardiocytes act toward life
Toward minorities who need his care.
Bob recognized Armenian Genocide
Without any fear from Turkish scimitars.
But … did that help for Congress to recognize
Armenian unhealed scars without blockade?
Sylva Portoian,M.D