
WESTMONT, Pa. -- Former President Bill Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Cabinet officials and the nation's top military leaders will be among the mourners Tuesday as Rep. John P. Murtha is laid to rest.
Gov. Ed Rendell and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel are also scheduled to attend the Johnstown funeral, while Sen. Bob Casey and Mr. Murtha's House colleagues from the Keystone State will serve as honorary pallbearers for the man who served in the House longer than any other Pennsylvanian.
A smattering of dignitaries joined the line that snaked around and through the Frank Duca Funeral Home as Mr. Murtha's visitation opened on a hilltop above his beloved Johnstown. But the roughly 1,200 mourners who braved the cold appeared to be dominated by his Cambria County neighbors and ordinary constituents of the 12th District.
For Ms. Pelosi, who will lead a bipartisan delegation from Congress, the appearance will be more than official. Mr. Murtha was a close colleague and a mentor whose support helped pave the way for her ascent as the nation's first female speaker of the House.
Mr. Clinton was another close political ally. During the state's 2008 presidential primary, he appeared with Mr. Murtha at several stops in southwestern Pennsylvania as they campaigned for former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's bid for the Democratic nomination.
The military Mr. Murtha championed will also be represented at the highest levels, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates. The nation's most senior military officers will join him. The Joint Chiefs of Staff, the leaders of each branch of the armed services, are expected in the pews of Johnstown's Westmont Presbyterian Church. Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the joint chiefs, also scheduled to attend, was among the senior officials who sent messages to the congressman's family lauding his role in supporting the armed services. In a message posted among many tributes on Murtha.org, he said, "That we remain the greatest military in the history of world is testament in no small part to his vigilance and stewardship."
Other officials scheduled to travel from Washington to Johnstown include Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood; Leon Panetta, director of the Central Intelligence Agency; and national security adviser James Jones.
After the 11 a.m. service, the commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. James Conway, will present Mr. Murtha's wife, Joyce Murtha, with the American flag, and a military flyover will be held for a lawmaker known for his commitment to the welfare of the nation's troops.
As Mr. Rendell emerged from the funeral home Sunday with his wife, Judge Marjorie Rendell, he recalled that the congressman had played an equally vital role for his state, both within and beyond the borders of the 12th District.
"As governor, he was the best ally I ever had," Mr. Rendell said.
"He did so much for his district but he represented all of Pennsylvania. He was our go-to guy. ... No one is irreplaceable, but he was the most impactful political figure in Pennsylvania for the last 50 years."
He pointed out that while Mr. Murtha was renowned for steering military spending to his district, he was a central figure in federal spending decisions across the commonwealth.
"We wouldn't have the Philadelphia Shipyard without Jack," Mr. Rendell said of the private development of a portion of the former Philadelphia Navy Yard that occurred while he was mayor of Philadelphia.
Starting in mid-afternoon Sunday, the mourners filed past the coffin where Mr. Murtha lay in a dark blue suit, an American flag beside him.
Mrs. Murtha was smiling, exchanging embraces and handshakes. Following her in the receiving line was his daughter, Donna Murtha, and the congressman's twin sons, John and Patrick, with their wives. Around the room, amid the floral displays, was a portrait of Mr. Murtha and the Profile in Courage award he received from the John F. Kennedy Library at Harvard University after his decision to part with the Bush administration with his outspoken criticism of the war in Iraq.
Sunday afternoon, two Ohio Democrats, Reps. Zack Space and Charlie Wilson, arrived at the funeral home.
They were the first of what is expected to be a long line of congressional mourners.
Mrs. Murtha has been mentioned as a possible candidate to succeed her husband, but she had no comment on politics Sunday as she concentrated on greeting the hundreds paying their respects to her husband.
Among them was state Sen. John Wozniak, D-Johnstown, who has also drawn speculation as a potential candidate in the special election to fill the Murtha seat.
Asked about his plans as he stood outside the funeral home, he said, "That statement will come after I bury my friend."
The funeral will be held in the church at 11 a.m. Tuesday and will be televised across the state on PCN.
Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.
