WASHINGTON, DC (WINA) – Nearly a month after passing away at age 94, funeral services were held today for the late Senator John Warner that includes remarks by President Biden. Held late Wednesday morning at the Washington National Cathedral, Biden recalled serving in the Senate with Warner over three decades and developing a friendship with him that reached across the aisle. Biden, the first speaker at the funeral that included Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Mike Mullin and Virginia’s current U.S. Senators John Warner and Tim Kaine, started a theme repeated by all… John Warner valued service to his country and to Virginia over himself.

Senator Mark Warner recalled his first run-for-office ever was 1996 against the very popular Republican. Mark Warner said the biggest contribution his campaign made was “confusion” when the elder Warner beat the younger Warner. But Mark Warner said John Warner after that campaign had every reason to pay him no mind.

“And I will be forever grateful that afterwards, rather than holding the campaign against me as many would, John —  who was already a towering institution in Virginia politics while I was frankly just an upstart — we built a friendship”, the current Senator said.

Tim Kaine said he knew John Warner for a long time as Warner and Kaine’s father-in-law, former Virginia Governor Linwood Holton, were friends since 1946 being frat brothers at Washington & Lee. Kaine recalled Warner and Holton had a life-long friendship and political association in helping build a Virginia Republican Party so we could have real two-party competition in state government… prior to Holton being elected Virginia’s first Republican Governor in 1969.

Kaine said Warner did not support him in his run for the U.S. Senate because it was against Warner’s good friend George Allen. However, when serving as Richmond Mayor, Governor of Virginia, then later as U.S. Senator, Warner was always available for advice and support — even though Kaine is Democrat and Warner Republican.

John Warner — who enlisted twice to fight for the country, first in World War II, then in Korea before becoming undersecretary and later Secretary of the Navy — is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.