Murtha Gets Profile in Courage Award

Kennedy “Profile in Courage” Award Given to Rep. John Murtha
       The 2006 “Profile in Courage” Award was awarded to U.S. Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) yesterday at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library.
       Murtha gained notoriety recently by claiming, even before a military investigation has concluded, that U.S. soldiers were killing Iraqi civilians “in cold blood”.
       Rep. Murtha, like Sen. Kerry, claims to have a distinguished career of military service in Viet Nam. Also, like Kerry, there are serious allegations of fraud with respect to his commendations that he received during his time of service.
       Murtha says he has two Purple Hearts, which were awarded to him for injuries he sustained in combat. Murtha has given three vastly different accounts as to how he received his injuries and the extent of his wounds. Murtha refuses to release his military record, but according to a fellow veteran who claims to have seen it, the military record only shows that he received two minor lacerations that were so superficial that they didn’t require him to even leave the field.
        The recent incident Rep.Murtha is alleging is an example of U.S. “war crimes” is an battle that took place last November in Haditha, approximately 150 miles north of Baghdad. A Time Magazine article inferred that U.S. Marines murdered at least 15 civilians, including women and children, in retribution for a road side bomb attack on a humvee carrying Marines from the Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion.
       In a May 18th press conference, Murtha said that “There was no firefight. There was no IED that killed these innocent people. Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood, "Murtha said."They actually went into the houses and killed women and children."
       There is currently and investigation under way, overseen by the House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter. (R- Calif.). He told reporters Friday he had been briefed on the investigations' findings. He stated "Those reports aren't finished yet, but the reports and the investigations are being pursued with great integrity."
        Rep. Murtha also came under scrutiny when he called for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops in Iraq on the night before an historic election in that country. Even fellow anti-war Democrats such as Sen. John Kerry went on record to publicly distance himself from Murtha’s statements.
        A World War II veteran, Harry M. Fox, was working for then U.S. Rep. John Saylor (R-Pa.) when Murtha returned from Vietnam. Fox says that Murtha had asked for assistance in obtaining the Purple Hearts. He was turned down because Saylor's office determined that Murtha lacked sufficient evidence of wounds. Fox says he personally viewed Murtha's military records in 1968 as Saylor's aide.