USS John P. Murtha (LPD-26)
Encyclopedia
USS John P. Murtha (LPD-26), will be the 10th San Antonio-class
amphibious transport dock
ship of the United States Navy
, and will be named in honor of Congressman
John Murtha
(1932–2010) of Pennsylvania
.
A former United States Marine Corps
officer, Murtha was the first Vietnam War
veteran elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, in 1974.
Murtha served as either chairman or ranking minority member of the House Appropriations
Defense Subcommittee
from 1989 to 2010.
All other ships of the class are named for American cities; however, two months after Murtha's death, on 9 April 2010, Secretary of the Navy
Ray Mabus
signed an official memo to the Chief of Naval Operations
, designating the naming of LPD-26 as the John P. Murtha. The Navy Times said the official announcement "added fuel to an already smoldering backlash",
because of Murtha's call for withdrawing from the Iraq War in 2005, and his public pre-trial condemnation of the Marines involved in the Haditha incident.
San Antonio class amphibious transport dock
The San Antonio class is the United States Navy's new primary class of amphibious transport dock in the beginning of the 21st century...
amphibious transport dock
Amphibious transport dock
An amphibious transport dock, also called a landing platform/dock , is an amphibious warfare ship, a warship that embarks, transports, and lands elements of a landing force for expeditionary warfare missions. Several navies currently operate this kind of ship...
ship of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, and will be named in honor of Congressman
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
John Murtha
John Murtha
John Patrick "Jack" Murtha, Jr. was an American politician from the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Murtha, a Democrat, represented Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1974 until his death in 2010....
(1932–2010) of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
A former United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
officer, Murtha was the first Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
veteran elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, in 1974.
Murtha served as either chairman or ranking minority member of the House Appropriations
United States House Committee on Appropriations
The Committee on Appropriations is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is in charge of setting the specific expenditures of money by the government of the United States...
Defense Subcommittee
United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense
The House Subcommittee on Defense is a standing subcommittee within the United States House Committee on Appropriations.-Members, 112th Congress:-External links:* Official page...
from 1989 to 2010.
All other ships of the class are named for American cities; however, two months after Murtha's death, on 9 April 2010, Secretary of the Navy
United States Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
Ray Mabus
Ray Mabus
Raymond Edwin "Ray" Mabus, Jr. is the 75th United States Secretary of the Navy. Mabus served as the 60th Governor of the U.S...
signed an official memo to the Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
, designating the naming of LPD-26 as the John P. Murtha. The Navy Times said the official announcement "added fuel to an already smoldering backlash",
because of Murtha's call for withdrawing from the Iraq War in 2005, and his public pre-trial condemnation of the Marines involved in the Haditha incident.