The argument can be made that John Murtha had a greater impact on the Johnstown area than any other individual in the city's history, so it is fitting that Murtha’s image will now stand forever in the community he served.

 Whether you knew the late congressman or not, one thing those in attendance at Monday morning’s unveiling and dedication ceremony could agree on was that Murtha loved the city of Johnstown.

 Built out of bronze and taking over a year to complete, a life-sized statue honoring the late Rep. John P. Murtha stands tall in front of the war memorial.

Those we talked to Monday said it couldn't be in a more appropriate place since Murtha was a strong supporter of  the armed forces and was a Vietnam veteran himself.

 The statue is intended  to not just express what he did for Johnstown and western Pennsylvania, but also to be a learning tool for future generations.

Joyce Murtha, the late congressman’s wife, said, “We wanted to make sure his accomplishments were on the plaque behind there. So that people, we expect this statue to be here for a hundred years or more, and we want people in later generations to be able to see why the statue is there, what he’d accomplished.” 

Project members said the reason they chose to have the statue of Murtha with his arm out because they felt he was always an approachable man.