Congressman John Murtha
("Jack"), first Vietnam
veteran elected to Congress,
dead at age 77
Congressman John Murtha (D-PA), the first Vietnam War combat veteran elected to Congress, died Monday, February 8, 2010. He was 77 years old. Murtha's death was attributed to complications from gall bladder surgery.
Murtha was first elected to Congress in 1974, and served 18 terms representing the 12th District of Pennsylvania. Three days ago he became the longest-serving Congressional representative from Pennsylvania. In 2003 he published the book From Vietnam to 9/11: On the Front Lines of National Security
Murtha, who went by the name "Jack," was the Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, and was known as a hawk on military and defense issues. Although he was an early supporter of Bush's war in Iraq, he announced his opposition to the war in 2005 after no weapons of mass destruction were found and due to the faulty intelligence which lead up to the war. He sponsored a resolution asking President Bush to set a timeline for withdrawal of troops. Murtha also criticized President Obama on his handling of the war in Afghanistan and opposed any further troop increases.
Murtha was renowned for his ability to secure billions of dollars in defense spending for his Congressional district in Pennsylvania. He was known as the "king of pork.," and was recently cleared of allegations of ethics violations over allegedly accepting campaign contributions from defense lobbyists in exchange for funding earmarked projects.
While best known for his involvement in defense, Murtha was also an advocate for veterans health issues. Laurie Fenton Ambrose, President and CEO of the Lung Cancer Alliance, issued a statement mourning the loss of Congressman Murtha as "a great loss for our country, our military men and women and for the lung cancer community." As part of his advocacy for veterans' issues, Murtha established the first lung cancer research program in the Department of Defense.
For more info:
Congressman Jack Murtha dead from complications from gall bladder surgery
Jack Murtha, 77, dies
Rep. John Murtha: lifelong hawk, military backer, brazen earmarker
Veterab Democratic Lawmaker Jack Murtha dies at 77
Lung Cancer Alliance Statement on the Death of Congressman John Murtha
Reference : http://www.examiner.com/x-16813-Legal-News-Examiner~y2010m2d8-Congressman-John-Murtha-Jack-first-Vietnam-veteran-elected-to-Congress-dead-at-age-77
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