Rep. John Murtha passed away today at the age of 77. He died from the complications of gallbladder surgery.

As a former Marine Corps officer, he was a decorated Vietnam combat veteran. He was also an outspoken critic of the Iraq war where he pushed for the withdrawal of American forces in Iraq.

Eventually he got elected into the US House of Representatives. He had always represented  Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 1974 until his recent death.

This top Democrat had humble beginnings: he delivered newspapers and worked at a gas station in his youth. He ran a small gas station business while he was still in the Marine Forces Reserve. He further advanced his studies through graduate courses in the University of Pennsylvania.