John Murtha

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John Murtha : biography

17 June 1932 – 08 February 2010

Murtha remained in the Marine Forces Reserve and ran a small business, Johnstown Minute Car Wash (which still operates in the West End section of Johnstown). He also attended the University of Pittsburgh on the G.I. Bill, and received a degree in economics. Murtha later took graduate courses from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He married his wife Joyce on June 10, 1955. They had three children: daughter Donna and twin sons Patrick and John M., who live in Johnstown.

Murtha left the Marines in 1955. He remained in the Reserves after his discharge from active duty until he volunteered for service in the Vietnam War, serving from 1966 to 1967, serving as a battalion staff officer (S-2 Intelligence Section), receiving the Bronze Star with Valor device, two Purple Hearts, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. He retired from the Marine Corps Reserve as a Colonel in 1990, receiving the Navy Distinguished Service Medal.

In December 2009, Murtha was admitted to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland after suffering from abdominal pains. He had surgery to remove his gallbladder in December 2009; In late January 2010, he was admitted to the intensive care unit due to complications from the surgery. He died on February 8, 2010.

Political career

Soon after returning from Vietnam, Murtha won the Democratic nomination for what was then the 22nd District, which was based in Johnstown. He lost fairly handily to longtime Republican incumbent John Saylor.

Murtha was elected to represent the 72nd legislative district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in a special election on May 20, 1969. The election was triggered by the death of Representative Edward McNally, who died in November 1968. He was elected to a full term in 1970.

Congressman Saylor died in October 1973, nine months into his 13th term. Murtha immediately jumped into the special election contest in what was now the 12th District. In the February 1974 special election, Murtha defeated one of Saylor’s former aides, Harry Fox, by only 242 votes. He defeated Fox by a significantly wider margin that November and was reelected 17 times.

Murtha faced tough primary challenges in 1982, 1990 and again in 2002. The 1982 challenge occurred when the Republican-controlled state legislature took advantage of Murtha’s connection to Abscam, and incorporated most of the district of fellow Democrat and Vietnam War veteran Don Bailey of Westmoreland County into the 12th District.

The 2002 challenge occurred when the state legislature redrew the district of fellow Democrat Frank Mascara to make it more Republican-friendly, shifting a large chunk of Mascara’s former territory into Murtha’s district. Mascara opted to run against Murtha in the Democratic primary, since the new 12th contained more of Mascara’s old territory than Murtha’s. However, Mascara was badly defeated.

In 2006, Murtha’s Republican challenger was Diana Irey, a county commissioner from Washington County, the heart of Mascara’s former district. Irey attacked Murtha for his criticism of the Iraq war. Even though Irey was Murtha’s strongest Republican opponent in decades, she polled well behind Murtha throughout the campaign. An October 12, 2006 poll by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review showed Murtha with a commanding lead over Irey, 57%–30%. In the November election, Murtha won 61%–39%.Josh Krysak, , Herald Standard, November 9, 2006.

On June 9, 2006, Murtha informed Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi that he would run for Majority Leader if the Democrats gained control of the House in the 2006 midterm elections. Despite Murtha receiving Pelosi’s support, current Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer was elected to the post.

On March 18, 2008, Murtha endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton, former First Lady and then Senator from New York, in her bid for the presidency.The Tribune-Democrat. March 18, 2008

On February 6, 2010, two days before his death, Murtha became the longest serving Pennsylvania congressman in history.The Tribune-Democrat. February 9, 2010 Although he was not sworn into office until February 20, 1974, House of Representatives rules state that Murtha’s service began at his election because the seat was vacant.