Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha is dead. He passed away due to complications from a recent gallbladder surgery.

Spokesman Matthew Mazonkey said in a statement that Murtha “passed away peacefully this afternoon at 1:18 p.m. at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Va.  At his bedside was his family.”

Murtha is the first Vietnam combat veteran elected to Congress. He served as the chairman of the House panel that oversaw defense spending and was a longtime congressional advocate for the military. In 2005, he called for the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq. He was the longest serving member of the house from Pennsylvania. He was elected in 1974.

House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, released this statement: “Today, our nation has lost a decorated veteran and the House of Representatives has lost one of its own. I was saddened to hear of John Murtha’s passing, and my thoughts and prayers are with his friends and loved ones. I also want to express my condolences to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who valued Congressman Murtha’s advice and friendship. He will be missed.”

(image & story via USA Today)