WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama campaigned at an invitation-only town hall meeting on veterans' affairs at Washington & Jefferson College.

Obama was introduced to the crowd, consisting mostly of veterans, by Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner, who also announced his endorsement of Obama in the state's primary election.

"My grandfather enlisted right after the bombing of Pearl Harbor," Obama told the crowd. "He marched in Patton's army, and my grandmother worked on a bombing assembly line while he was gone."

But Obama also harshly criticized the Bush administration for neglecting veterans past and present, for not assisting wounded troops to register to vote and for allowing a poorly run Veterans Administration and a seemingly second-class lifestyle for some vets.

"Recovering troops should have a place in the front of the line," Obama said. "They shouldn't have to fight to get there. We need to hire more people, create electronic medical records and establish a new health network."

Obama said his goal is to enhance mental health screening, provide better counseling for families and enhance the Veterans Administration.

"He said some real good things," said Vietnam War veteran Joe Trifaro. "He did a fine job."

"He's himself, and he said what I wanted to hear," said Vietnam War veteran Gil Long.

Pennsylvania's primary is set for April 22.