‘His love was for his district’: Murtha put people first, longtime aide says

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John Hugya, John Murtha’s longtime friend and chief of staff, talks about the congressman’s death on Monday at Murtha’s Johnstown office. Todd Berkey

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February 9, 2010

By FRANK SOJAK The Tribune-Democrat Tue Feb 09, 2010, 12:41 AM EST

John Hugya, U.S. Rep. John Murtha’s chief of staff, remembers his boss as a man who genuinely cared about people.

“His love was for his district, the people, the military and their families, and creating jobs for people,” Hugya said. “He will be missed.”

Murtha was a congressman for just a couple of years when the 1977 Johnstown Flood caused unemployment to skyrocket in the region to 24 percent. The lawmaker worked hard to bring jobs back through diversifying industry, Hugya said.

When he went overseas to where soldiers were fighting for the country, Murtha didn’t go to the generals first.

“He went to the troops first to see what their needs were and what their concerns were about their families back home,” Hugya said.

Murtha wanted to know if the soldiers’ families had enough money to live on, had health care, and how the families were coping, Hugya said.

“That was his big interest,” he said.

Hugya said Murtha also took good care of his family – a good husband and father.

“I can’t believe he’s gone,” he said. “I’m just crushed.”

Hugya said he first met Murtha, a retired Marine Corps colonel, in January 1959 – when Murtha took over as commander of a Marine Corps Reserve unit in Johnstown. Hugya, also a retired Marine Corps colonel, was a weapons platoon sergeant at the time.

He said Murtha respected the fact that Hugya was attending college on the GI Bill yet was still working at numerous jobs

– including at the car wash that Murtha owned in Kernville.

After graduating from college, Hugya went to Maryland for a period of time, but always kept in touch with Murtha.

Hugya said he returned to Johnstown in 1967 and worked on Murtha’s first political campaign. Murtha lost in his bid in 1968 to unseat Congressman John P. Saylor. Murtha later was elected to a state House seat and held that office until 1974.

Saylor died that year and Murtha ran in a special election to fill the seat in Congress.

Murtha won the race by 122 votes, Hugya said.

Hugya said he worked for every campaign that Murtha held.

“Along the way, we went hunting and fishing together,” he said. “In life, I was probably the only guy who could argue with him and get away with it. Not always, but there were many times that I could.

“After that many years together, you have a relationship. I told him that if you wanted a ‘yes man,’ you won’t get it from me. That’s when the sparks started flying.”

Hugya said ever since Murtha questioned President George W. Bush in 2005 about the Iraq War, Murtha took plenty of hits from opponents.

Murtha received plenty of abuse from the news media over fundraising efforts and earmarks, he said.

“It’s been tough because he never pocketed,” Hugya said.

“You don’t pocket money when you collect money for fundraising.”

Hugya called Murtha a tireless worker who seldom took a vacation and whose efforts often saved taxpayer dollars.

“Whenever he took a vacation, he had bullets flying in the area,” he said. “That was his life. That was Jack Murtha.”

Hugya said he and other members of Murtha’s staff will work with whoever fills Murtha’s seat.

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