Jane Harman: “Jack Murtha was a paradox: a big man with an impressive war record who never wavered from his commitment to the wounded…”

“Jack Murtha was a paradox: a big man with an impressive war record who never wavered from his commitment to the wounded, the disadvantaged, and always challenged those who, in his strong opinion, underestimated the economic and human costs of war. He was a politician who constantly spoke his mind, and never worried about ruffling feathers. That's rare in today's Washington. Jack reached out to his colleagues--not just those who sat near him in the ``Pennsylvania corner'' on the House floor, but to others whom he respected. The people of California's 36th District and I are lucky to have been one of those he looked out for. I remember his visit about a decade ago to the Los Angeles Air Force Base Space and Missile Systems Center, located in my Congressional district. Of course he cared about SMC's mission of development and acquisition of our nation's defense satellites, he also wanted to know about the people of SMC. He met with the generals and staff about how things were going, and whether funding was on track, but he also took the time to speak at a ``town hall'' style meeting with the workforce where he thanked them for their service and to check on their well-being. They will miss him. So will I. I hope Joyce and his family are comforted by how big the big man's impact was.”