| Submit your comments on this article |
| Home Front: Politix |
| Rep. John P. Murtha â Military Service |
| 2005-12-03 |
| Since the news media canât stop mentioning his Vietnam service every time his name comes up (much like a U.S. Senator from the Baystate) , I thought Iâd collect as many facts as possible. This is not a hunt for any dirt, just the truth. The information available on Google is pretty thin. Several searches flesh out what is available on his own website, but little else: John Patrick Murtha, Jr. Born in New Martinsville, Wetzel County, W.Va., June 17, 1932 Graduated from Ramsey High School, Mount Pleasant, Pa., 1950 Attended Kiskiminetas Spring School, 1951 Enrolled in Washington and Jefferson College, but dropped out in 1952 in order to join the United States Marine Corps Now quoting his website: âHe learned about military service from the bottom up, beginning as a raw recruit when he left Washington and Jefferson College in 1952 to join the Marines out of a growing sense of obligation to his country during the Korean War. There he earned the American Spirit Honor Medal, awarded to fewer than one in 10,000 recruits. He rose through the ranks to become a drill instructor at Parris Island and was selected for Officer Candidate School at Quantico, Virginia. He then was assigned to the Second Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.â After his first tour of active duty was over (1955) he was discharged as a Lt., and remained in the Marine Corp Reserve. In 1959, Captain Murtha took command of the 34th Special Infantry Company, Marine Corps Reserves, in Johnstown. In 1966, Major Murtha volunteered to return to active duty and go to Vietnam, where he was made the intelligence officer of the 1st Marine Regiment; he held that job for a year. While he was there he received a Bronze Star with Combat "V", and two Purple Hearts along with a Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. After being sent home from Vietnam he remained active in the Reserves (1967 â 1990), retired as a colonel and was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal. Decorations listed on his website : American Spirit Honor Medal of the Marine Corps Recruit Department, 1952; Bronze Star with Combat V, 1966, Purple Heart, 1966, Purple Heart, second award, 1966, Vietnamese Cross of Galantry, 1966, Meritorious Service Medal, Pennsylvania's second-highest honor, 1976, Distinguished Service Medal, Pennsylvania's highest honor, 1977, Distinguished Service Medal of the United States Marine Corps, upon his retirement from the Marine Corps Reserves for 37 years of distinguished service to his country, 1990. No citations are posted that I can find. In 1974, he became the first Vietnam veteran to be elected to Congress; he travelled to Vietnam early in 1975 to evaluate the question of supplementary aid, which as a Democratic Party hawk he supported, and again in 1978 in connection with the search for MIAs. And thatâs it. In his book; From Vietnam to 9/11: On the Front Lines of National Security, the first chapter includes Murtha's Vietnam service, but I donât have access to a copy. If anyone has his book and can give us details on his tour in Vietnam, please post a comment. Thanks. Steve (AoS) |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #12 bravo, Cyber Sarge. Very interesting scoop. Well said. |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-12-03 22:27 |
| #11 First off let me say that anybody who has raised their hand in defense of this country deserves respect for serving honorably. But just because you put on a uniform should donât get a blank check to say anything you want about the military. John Murtha gives the impression that he commanded troops in the field in combat while serving in Vietnam. He also likes to throw out that he was awarded a Bronze Star with V and two purple hearts. Near as I can tell John Murtha was assigned to Intelligence company/battalion in Vietnam. Now given that he had no training, doesnât speak Vietnamese, and was a field grade officer I doubt John was out stomping in the boonies looking for Charlie (more than likely he was a staff weenie assigned to a intelligence unit). For the uninitiated please donât get mad at my analysis and debunking of his service. I donât know the numbers but I will bet all my next coming retirement check that almost all field grade officers and most of the company grade left Vietnam with at least a Bronze Star with V device. Most were given as an end of tour award and not based on specific heroic act. If john had seen combat I would have expected a Silver Star because that is what most of them deserved. Lord knows how he got two purple nerples but I would really like it if he released his medical records and we could know the whole story. You can bet that if he had an Audie Murphy type story all the Networks would have movies coming out this week. But even if he had one Murtha would still be wrong with his stance on Iraq and the WOT. Just my 2 ½ cents. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2005-12-03 19:22 |
| #10 I'm impressed Murtha, as a Dem member of the class of 1974, voted to not to cut off aid to South Vietnam and leave them defenseless. |
| Posted by: ed 2005-12-03 16:47 |
| #9 I'm glad to hear that, Frank. |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-12-03 16:21 |
| #8 IIRC - Hunter returned unknown illegal contributions, as is the custom. I've seen Hunter's house in EC, don't know what he lives in back east, but it ain't the Cunninghamansion. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-12-03 15:23 |
| #7 good catch, Robert. I've been thinking about this...and sorry Steve, I know you are looking for Vietnam experience, but... These Senators probably started out with good intentions, and then realized there were many personal perks involved in steering govn't contracts in certain directions. You can even see themselves telling themselves that they were just rewarding themselves for doing good deeds for their country. Cunningham, and Hunter (?) are easy for the libs to smear away. We'll see endless articles about Republicans claiming to be for the military but in fact are really just part of the industial-military conflict that creates war for profit. But Murtha is going to be more difficult to deal with, as he was steering those profits towards Nancy Pelosi. And that's a big problem for the Dems. So now what we see is Murtha and Pelosi doth protesting too much. Who us? We don't even support the war! It's all just a Republican smear game. Still, I think it's going to be a problem for them as the article I posted was from 2004, long before the evil Shrub decided to eat the heart of John Murtha. I think this get-out-of-the-war-now was Murtha just trying to provide himself some politcal cover, believing that the Republicans probably wouldn't do anything about it - but it's backfired now and Murtha - new champion of the left, has not only backed himself into a corner, but Nancy Pelosi as well. It will be interesting to see the lemmings on the left rush to support Nancy Pelosi, who in fact represents everything they deluded themselves that they are against. We know they will. It will just be fun to watch them sell out one more piece of their pious souls for the good of The Party(TM). |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-12-03 13:43 |
| #6 He acknowledged making more than £50,000 in illegal donations to Kerry, and Republicans Duncan Hunter, Randy "Duke" Cunningham, John Murtha and Joe Scarborough, who is now retired. Gotta love how the reporter slipped Murtha in there after the "Republicans" label. They sure do work hard to hide the political affiliations of crooked Democrats... |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2005-12-03 10:54 |
| #5 It's always been my understanding that there is supposed to be no such thing as an ex-Marine; once you've joined the Corps, you're always a member of the Corps even if you're no longer in the service. May I respectfully suggest that we make an exception to this rule in the case of one John Patrick Murtha, Jr. |
| Posted by: Mike 2005-12-03 09:47 |
| #4 darn. link |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-12-03 01:16 |
| #3 link |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-12-03 01:12 |
| #2 This is interesting too...though still no vietnam service. sorry. But this is interesting because was from 2/2004, before the flap and the guy fingers Murtha, Cunningham, and Hunter and Kerry. I'd be really bummed if Hunter is on the take. Kerry under fire over missiles contract LOS ANGELES The Herald, February 20 2004 John Kerry, the Democratic presidential front-runner, pressured Congress and the Pentagon to fund a missile system on behalf of a San Diego contractor who, years later, pleaded guilty to making illegal contributions to the senator and other politicians, according to the Los Angeles Times. >From 1996 to 1999, Kerry sent 28 letters urging the freeing of funds for an upgraded guided missile system which Parthasarathi Majumder was trying to build for US warplanes, the newspaper said on its website. The letters were sent at a time when Majumder and employees at his Science and Applied Technology company were donating money to the Massachusetts Democrat, the article said, citing court records. Kerry received about £13,000 during the period, according to Dwight Morris and Associates, which tracks campaign donations. Last week, Majumder pleaded guilty to two counts of illegal campaign contributions and defrauding the government. He could face up to six years in prison and more than £130,000 in fines when he is sentenced. The plea follows a December 18 civil settlement in which Majumder agreed to pay the government about £2m for submitting false claims under a government contract. He acknowledged making more than £50,000 in illegal donations to Kerry, and Republicans Duncan Hunter, Randy "Duke" Cunningham, John Murtha and Joe Scarborough, who is now retired. None of the lawmakers or their staff was charged with any wrongdoing. Meanwhile, Kerry received the endorsement of the 13 million-member AFL-CIO union coalition yesterday, a move that could help him rebut his rival John Edwards' challenge on jobs and trade. AP |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-12-03 01:09 |
| #1 Defense bill aids Murtha brother Tuesday, June 14, 2005By Ken Silverstein and Richard Simon, Los Angeles Times WASHINGTON -- When Congress passed the $417-billion Pentagon spending bill last year, Rep. John P. Murtha, the top Democrat on the House defense appropriations subcommittee, boasted about the money he secured to create jobs in his Pennsylvania district. But the bill Murtha helped write also benefited at least 10 companies represented by a lobbying firm where his brother, Robert "Kit" Murtha, is a senior partner, according to disclosure records, interviews and an analysis of the bill by the Los Angeles Times. Clients of the lobbying firm KSA Consulting -- whose top officials also include former congressional aide Carmen V. Scialabba, who worked for Rep. Murtha for 27 years -- received a total of $20.8 million from the bill. more at link I know you are looking for Vietnam service and this may have been posted already - but thought it was interesting. |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-12-03 00:43 |