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Biden and others mourn former Senate colleague, Virginia's John Warner

People filled Washington National Cathedral for the funeral of former U.S. Senator John Warner who represented Virginia. Warner died on May 25, 2021.

WASHINGTON — The Washington National Cathedral has held state funerals for Presidents Eisenhower, Ford, Reagan and George H.W. Bush, as well as memorial services for Presidents Harding, Taft, Coolidge, Truman and Nixon.

Now, the 115-year-old shrine can add one more political heavyweight to its illustrious list:  World War II and Korean War veteran, Secretary of the Navy, Senator and Armed Services Committee Chairman John W. Warner.

He received high praise during a eulogy Wednesday from the current Commander in Chief.

"John Warner gave his best to America, to the best of my knowledge, anybody he had a relationship [with]," said President Joe Biden. "May God bless him. He was a good man, a great American. It was my honor to know him and work with him."

Biden said Warner was a man of “conscience, character and honor" who was committed to God and country. He said Warner's decisions were always guided by his values and convictions, and never by personal political consequences.

Warner died in May, at age 94.

Credit: AP
President Joe Biden attends the funeral service for former Virginia Sen. John Warner at the Washington National Cathedral, Wednesday, June 23, 2021, in Washington. (Oliver Contreras/Pool via AP)

The two men who now represent Virginia in the U.S. Senate said they couldn't have asked for a better role model or cherished friend.

"He was a Republican and I'm a Democrat, but that never mattered. It never mattered," said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia). "It was always inspirational to me that he never hesitated to choose the path of country and character instead of simply going along with the orthodoxy of the day. And that example should continue to challenge us all."

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Virginia) -- who is not related -- ran against the senior Warner in 1996 and lost. They became friends.

"I will miss his counsel, his humor, but most of all, his friendship," he said. "May this American hero rest in peace."

Also mourning John Warner was the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired Admiral Mike Mullen. He called Warner "a great man," adding: "Yes, he loved ships, but he really loved sailors."

Warner was a centrist Republican who served three decades in the Senate. He joined the Navy at 17, served with the Marines during the Korean War. Warner also was one of actress Elizabeth Taylor's seven husbands.

 

 

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