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From Vietnam to 9/11
On the Front Lines of National Security
With a New Epilogue on the Iraq War
256 pages | 11 illustrations/5 maps | 6 x 9 | 2003
ISBN 978-0-271-02239-0 | cloth: $39.00 tr
ISBN 978-0-271-02396-0 | paper: $26.95 tr
"Congressman Murtha has written an insightful and powerful account of his life of public service and of the significant events in our nation's recent history that he has witnessed. It is a first hand account by one of the most respected members of our Congress. This is a must-read if you want to hear it straight from a savvy man of action who was there making history."
—General Anthony C. Zinni, USMC (Retired)
"Every official serving in the Pentagon and State Department must read Jack Murtha's book. He has been a troubleshooter for presidents, a critic of the brass, but always a friend to the men and women of America's armed forces. Jack Murtha has earned his reputation — a straight-talking, hard-charging, independent leader who goes straight to the front lines. From Vietnam to 9/11 is his story, but it's pure American."
—Rudy de Leon, Former Deputy Secretary of Defense
"This uniquely powerful book offers the reader an opportunity for a new voyage of discovery. Congressman Murtha presents you an opportunity to discover the innermost workings of our democracy, our Congress, and the evolving shapes of complex decisions.
The completion of this voyage will enable the reader to better comprehend the eddies, currents, tides and endless complexities which face our nation in national security and foreign policy. The author, through his personal experiences and efforts vividly detailed in this book, will make every reader a better informed citizen."
— RetiredCongressman Joseph M. McDade
"Itis a history that should be required reading for any class wantingto learn the story of the country dealings with the world overthe past half-century."
—Patrick Cloonan, McKeesport Daily News
“This is a book that should be included in everyhistory and current events collection.”
— Vicki Rock, Daily American
“Thisis a sober, intelligent, insightful book written by a veteranof Congress who has been involved in most of the major foreignpolicy decisions of the last quarter century. Currently the rankingDemocrat on the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Murtha has had a unique vantage point on the passing scene”
—RichardRobbins, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
“I expected the book to be the usual ‘walks on water, leaps over tall buildings’ political puffery that such books can be. It wasn't; it is much better than that.
It is an analytical history of defense and foreign affairs matters that Murtha has been involved in from the Vietnam War throughSept. 11. He makes his comments from the informed position of longtime membership on the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee,the panel responsible for appropriating the money for America'svarious military ventures.
Best of all, many of his observations are very relevant towhat Americans are going through right now as the countryappears to be headed for a major regional war in the Middle East.”
— Dan Simpson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
In1974, John P. "Jack" Murtha became the first Vietnam combat veteran elected to Congress. In the nearlythree decades since then, Congressman Murtha has been intimately involved with governmental decisions about America's national security and foreign policy, adding his unique perspective to international affairs while faithfully representing Pennsylvania's twelfth district. From Vietnam to 9/11 combines personal memoir with thoughtful analysis to provide a behind-the-scenes account of the formation and conduct of U.S. foreign policy in the last quarter-century. At the same time, it tells the story of a man committed to serviceand community.In addition to being the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, Jack Murtha has served the President and Congress overseas as chairman of U.S. delegations monitoring elections in the Philippines, Panama, El Salvador, and Bosnia. He has also conducted on-site inspections at numerous crisis spots around the world at the request of the President and the Speaker of the House.
This combination of playing a pivotal role in defense appropriations, participating in hearings on foreign policy, and carrying out important missions overseas has given Congressman Murtha a singular outlook on issues involving national security. In almost every foreign policy crisis in the last two decades, his counsel and recommendations to the President and to Congress have proved both sound and prudent.
Avoiding dry, detached analysis, From Vietnam to 9/11 presents the revealing story of an insider's involvement with international affairs and the lessons he learned from those experiences. Jack Murtha offers refreshingly candid observations of the most important international crises in recent history. From Vietnam and Lebanon to Bosnia and Afghanistan, this book details America's failures as well as its successes, pointing out where policymaking was misguided or ill-informed and offering perceptive analyses of resource allocation and policy direction for the coming century.
John P. Murtha attended Washington and Jefferson College, but he left after a year to join the Marine Corps in 1952. After his active duty ended, he took command of a reserve unit in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where he ran a small business, started a family, and attended the University of Pittsburgh on the GI Bill. He graduated from Pitt with a degree in economics and did graduate work in economics and political science at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In 1966, Mr. Murtha volunteered to serve in Vietnam, where he was twice wounded; he received the Bronze Star with Combat "V," two Purple Hearts, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. He was elected to Congress in 1974, and he still serves there today. He retired from the Marine Corps Reserves in 1990. Mr. Murtha and his wife, Joyce, reside in Johnstown, where they raised their three children.
John Plashal served three years in the Marine Corps and two years as a Peace Corps volunteer. For many years he worked on the staff of the House Appropriations Committee and specialized in national security.Contents
Acknowledgments
List of Acronyms
1. Service in Vietnam: 1966-1967
2. Election to Congress—Return to Vietnam
3. Tragedy in Lebanon
4. Soviet Union’s Defeat in Afghanistan
5. High Drama Election in the Philippines
6. Stolen Election and American Intervention in Panama
7. "Operation Desert Shield" and "Operation Desert Storm"
8. Humanitarian Mission to Manhunt in Somalia
9. War in the Balkans
10. September 11, 2001
11. Reflecting on the Past/Looking to the Future
Epilogue
Index