Hundreds turn out for funeral home viewing for congressman John Murtha in western Pa.
By Joe Mandak, APSunday, February 14, 2010
Hundreds turn out for viewing of Murtha in W.Pa.
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Hundreds of mourners have braved light snow and bitter cold before entering a western Pennsylvania funeral home and filing past the casket of late congressman John Murtha.
The mourners ranged from Gov. Ed Rendell (ren-DEHL’) to average citizens and veterans who revered Murtha, a powerful Democrat who headed the House appropriations defense subcommittee.
Murtha died a week ago at age 77 after complications from gallbladder surgery.
Rendell says Murtha’s death cost him a plainspoken friend and cost Pennsylvania “the best ally we ever had” in Washington.
Murtha was lauded for his influence on Pennsylvania and his ability to land defense spending and jobs for the state after the steel industry meltdown of the 1970s and early 1980s.
