Naming a Navy vessel after John Murtha

You MUST be kidding!

The late Rep. John Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat, has achieved his highest undeserved honor. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has decided to name the Navy's newest San Antonio Class amphibious transport-dock LPD 26 the USS John P. Murtha. This is a slap in the face to every service member who bridled when Murtha publicly accused Marines in Iraq of intentionally killing women and children in cold blood.

Murtha slandered eight Marines by denouncing them to the press as cold blooded killers before all the facts were known, and he clearly did so for political purposes. Later all eight of those Marines were acquitted, and John Murtha never apologized. Most Marines I know say that John Murtha forfeited any right to call himself a Marine after such a heinous act. And I agree.