Accompanied by the man he hopes to join in Washington, former Gov. Mark R. Warner announced formation yesterday of "Veterans for Warner."

Sen. Jim Webb, a fellow Democrat, accompanied Warner as he met with veterans in Norfolk and Richmond. Webb is a decorated Marine veteran of the Vietnam War and former U.S. secretary of the Navy.

Webb is the principal author of the new GI Bill, which provides educational assistance to veterans.

Virginia has 780,000 veterans and a large number of military installations. Warner did not serve in the military.

In Richmond, the two Democrats sat around a table and talked with two veterans of the war in Iraq at the Shockoe Espresso coffee shop in Shockoe Slip.

One of them, Brian Pearce, had the back of his skull blown off by shrapnel from an improvised explosive device. Now he can barely see and is medically retired from the Army. Pearce had high praise for McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center here, but said Walter Reed Hospital in Maryland "almost finished off what the Iraqis started."

The other, Rusty McGuire of Mechanicsville, is a major in the Army Reserve and deputy commonwealth's attorney in Louisa County. He has served two tours of duty in Iraq.

Warner and Webb listened to their concerns.

As governor from 2002 to 2006, Warner said he took several steps to help veterans and National Guard personnel, including creating the Department of Veterans Services and making sure the state paid state employees called up to military service the differential between their state pay and military pay.

Warner is running against former Gov. Jim Gilmore, a Republican, for the seat of U.S. Sen. John W. Warner, R-Va., who is retiring after 30 years. Gilmore served as an Army intelligence officer.

The Warner campaign did not say how many people have joined the veterans group. Veterans can join by visiting www.veteransforwarner.com.

Contact Tyler Whitley at (804) 649-6780 or twhitley@timesdispatch.com.