Congressman John Murtha, a Vietnam veteran, died today at age 77. Jan Scruggs remembers the man who was always a staunch supporter of VVMF, especially its overseas humanitarian program, Project RENEW:
"Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) was a long-time friend and supporter of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF). Although he had already served three years with the U.S. Marine Corps and was in the Marine Corps Reserves by the time the United States became involved in Vietnam, Murtha returned to active duty and volunteered for service there in 1966-67. Later, he became the first combat veteran from that war to be elected to Congress.
"Those experiences stayed with him, and he remained dedicated to honoring and remembering those who served. When VVMF unveiled the first panel of The Wall in the summer of 1982, Murtha was one of the distinguished guest speakers. Later, he spoke movingly at The Wall on Veterans Day 2004. Murtha was an active supporter of VVMF’s international humanitarian program, Project RENEW, which removes explosive remnants of war and provides assistance to ERW victims and their families in Vietnam. Just a few months before he died, Murtha helped VVMF get an earmark in the most recent Defense Department funding bill that will contribute $1 million to assist in the important work of Project RENEW.
"Murtha was a man who loved his country and spent his life in its service. Today, the United States lost a patriot."
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