Pelosi Remarks at USS John P. Murtha Commissioning Ceremony
"Good morning. Thank you very much, Admiral William Moran for your kind introduction but more importantly, for your great leadership. As one that grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, I have a great loyalty to the Naval Academy, so I appreciate your comments about the Navy – but I had four brothers who served in the Army so…
[Laughter and applause]
"It is an honor to be with you today, with Secretary Valdez – please give our regards to Secretary Mabus – to Major General Christopher Owens – it is a proud day for all of us to come together for the Navy and the Marine Corps, for the Commissioning of the USS John P. Murtha.
"Chairman Murtha – as you have heard – was a legislator of unsurpassed talents, a soldier of extraordinary courage and a public servant to the end. Mr. Brady – my colleague, Congressman Brady is correct: we will never see his light again.
"I thank the Murtha family for the opportunity to make this address today. I appreciate this opportunity to bring the greetings and congratulations from Jack Murtha's many friends in the Congress of the United States, on both sides of the aisle, on both sides in the Capitol and all the way down Pennsylvania Avenue.
"I am glad to be with my colleagues – present and former – the Undersecretary of the Army Patrick Murphy – as he mentioned, the first Iraq veteran to serve in the Congress – Congressman Bob Brady, in whose district we are and great friend of Jack Murtha's, Congressman Keith Rothfus, he represents the district that Jack represented in Congress, and as well as Mark Critz, who followed in Jack's footsteps, and Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky, who is here as well – who represented Philadelphia in Congress. It is also an honor to be here with Lieutenant Governor Michael Stack – recognizing the important role that Pennsylvania and Philadelphia play in our national security.
"It is appropriate for us to be here in Pennsylvania to honor Jack Murtha – a state he loved and was proud to represent and to serve. In the House Chamber – Congressman Bob Brady mentioned the ‘Pennsylvania Corner' – Jack took great pride that in the House of Representatives, the ‘Pennsylvania Corner' was the most bipartisan corner in the Chamber. In the Chamber, everyone gravitated toward Jack Murtha – Democrats and Republicans alike.
"To Brian Cuccias – Brian and the Ingalls shipbuilders, thank you for the skill, hard work and patriotism of all the men and women of labor who built this fine ship that enters service today. And many of you were in Mississippi when Donna christened the ship. It is wonderful to see so many of you here today. Thank you. Thank you for making today possible.
[Applause]
"Commanding Officer, Captain Kevin J. Parker, it was a privilege to be with you last year in Mississippi at the Murtha's christening when you were the prospective commander, and now at this time-honored commissioning ceremony to become the Commanding Officer – that is when Donna gives the signal. When Donna gives the signal – we're all waiting for her.
"And to the sailors and the Marines – the men and women who will crew this ship over the oceans and perhaps ride it into battle, take it to humanitarian assistance – to you, and your families – thank you for honoring our country, all of us with your bravery and service.
[Applause]
"It is a joy to be with the family members, as my colleagues and others have said, Jack's daughter, our ship sponsor, Donna, his sons John and Pat, grandchildren, nephews and nieces and others.
"I send the congratulations and thanks of my colleagues in Congress to Joyce – Joyce, the love of Jack's life. She and Jack were both so proud of having this ship named in his honor but Admiral Joyce was very proud to comment that the ship that she christened, the USS Bonhomme Richard, was a bigger ship. Not a competition, though.
"Service runs deep in Jack Murtha's family from his brothers, Kit and Jim, to his nephews Brian and Bob – all proud Marines – and his grandson, Lieutenant Jack Murtha in the Air Force, and to Jack's wife, Captain Amanda Murtha.
"Today, as you commission, as we all commission, the USS John P. Murtha, I want to tell you a little bit about the man your ship is named for – his legacy of strength, effectiveness and fidelity. As was mentioned by my colleague, as a child, John's grandmother told him: ‘You are put on this earth to make a difference.' And that's exactly what he did. John P. Murtha dedicated his entire life to the service of our nation.
"Jack Murtha was a fiercely proud Marine, who volunteered for combat in Vietnam – earning two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. In the end, Congressman Murtha would leave the Corps with 37 years of service to his name. How proud he was of that.
"In the Congress, Chairman Murtha was a formidable legislator and a towering leader. To watch Jack Murtha legislate was to observe a master at work. But more indicative of his character was to watch him communicate, with our troops in theater, at the Pentagon, and in their hospital rooms.
"His experiences in the battlefield of Vietnam was what fueled his boundless dedication to our men and women in uniform – with that connection to those warriors he frequently visited in Washington, across the country and around the world.
"A few of us had the privilege of traveling in bipartisan delegations with Jack – and this one in particular to Kuwait, a few weeks before the initiation of hostilities into Iraq – we observed the level of detail with which Jack conversed with the soldiers, whether it was the comfort of the seats in their Humvees – how much they could endure as they did their jobs – responding to their needs, providing body and vehicle armor and reliable radios – you name it. Again, not just the big picture, but down to the personal comfort and safety of our troops.
"In those moments, Jack bonded with them, sharing his own personal military experiences, and caring for them really as a father – as Secretary Murtha said, he treated them as family. And they returned his respect.
"We often saw this when he would take groups of us – as Bob mentioned – take groups of us on regular visits to our wounded warriors in the hospitals. One day as we were going into one of the rooms and the nurse came and said, ‘Hold up. Hold up for a while.' We wanted to be very respectful and sensitive to the privacy of the soldiers. But when we walked in to the room, we saw a young, injured soldier standing at attention by his bed and saluting Jack Murtha wearing a Pittsburgh Steelers jersey right after they had won the Super Bowl.
[Applause]
"That was football but it was very personal with Jack.
"It is important to note that Jack defined our nation's strength, not only in our military might – as important as our military is and the priority that it is – but also our strength is measured by Jack in the health and well being of the American people.
"Chairman Murtha fought for the armed forces – whether it was for what they needed, for our troops, facilities – but he also fought to advance scientific research to seek treatments and cures for breast cancer, prostate cancer, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS – the list goes on and on. Today, at Walter Reed, the John P. Murtha Cancer Center carries forward his commitment to the health of our entire community.
"John Murtha made a difference – for our national defense, for our nation's health, for the men and women who wear our nation's uniform.
"Commander Parker, as this fine ship comes alive with her outstanding crew, the strength of the USS John P. Murtha will embody our nation's promise to stand with you and your crew – through the storm and the calm, both as you defend democracy abroad, and when you come home safely. And when our men and women in uniform come home, Jack wanted them to feel safe as well.
"In the military, he always told us: on the battlefield, we leave no soldier behind. And when they come home, we leave no veteran behind. So I join all of those saluting our veterans who are here today. That was a priority for Jack Murtha.
[Applause]
"'Semper Fi' was the watchword of Jack Murtha's life. And always faithful he was: to his principles, to his promises, to his family and to the nation he loved.
"As we place the Murtha into active service, we also renew our pledge to also always be faithful to you – the sailors and Marines who will board her today, and to every crew who follows.
"Like John P. Murtha, each of you has stepped forward and answered the call to ‘make a difference' – for our country, and for the world. Be proud of the legacy that has been passed down to you, be proud of your ship's namesake and motto, and be proud of the values you share.
"May God bless the USS John P. Murtha.
"May God bless the brave men and women who will serve aboard it – and the privilege of serving as the first crew for one of these great ships, who will be transported within it – and the families who wait for their safe return. You are family to all of us. You will always be in our prayers.
"May God bless you and may God bless the United States of America."