Funeral begins in western Pa. for Murtha, advocate for veterans and critic of Iraq war

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Funeral begins for US Rep. John Murtha in Pa.

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Former President Bill Clinton and a congressional delegation led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are remembering longtime congressman John Murtha inside a western Pennsylvania church.

Family and friends have gathered at Westmont Presbyterian Church in Johnstown for his funeral. He will be laid to rest in a private burial following Tuesday’s service. Murtha died Feb. 8 at age 77 after complications from gallbladder surgery.

For Clinton, the funeral marked his first trip outside of New York since he underwent a heart procedure last week.

Murtha was the powerful head of the House appropriations defense subcommittee and a vocal critic of the Iraq war. He became the first Vietnam veteran elected to Congress after taking control of the seat in Pennsylvania’s 12th district in 1974.