BREAKING NEWS / USS JOHN P. MURTHA INBOUND TO SAN DIEGO BAY WITH ORION ARTEMIS II CAPSULE

 

Images by San Diego Web Cam via YouTube

Traditional VIP Harbor Fireboat(s) salute

WHO WAS JOHN MURTHA?

The ship’s namesake, John P. Murtha, was a figure who bridged military service and political power—sometimes comfortably, sometimes controversially. Born in 1932, Murtha served in the United States Marine Corps, rising to the rank of colonel. His service included the Vietnam War, where he earned decorations such as the Bronze Star with valor and two Purple Hearts. He entered politics in Pennsylvania and, in 1974, became the first Vietnam War veteran elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. 

From that point forward, he built a long and influential career in Congress, ultimately becoming one of the most powerful voices on defense spending through his leadership on the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee. Murtha’s legacy is layered. He was widely respected within the military establishment for his advocacy of troop funding and defense programs. At the same time, he drew national attention—and controversy—for his outspoken criticism of the Iraq War, including early calls for U.S. withdrawal. That dual identity—Marine officer and political insider, advocate and critic—makes him an unusual namesake for a naval vessel. Traditionally, ships in this class were named after cities; naming LPD-26 after Murtha marked a departure, underscoring his influence on military policy and funding.

THE SHIP:

The USS John P. Murtha is a San Antonio–class amphibious transport dock, one of the U.S. Navy’s most versatile classes of modern warships. Designated LPD-26, she represents a blend of sea power, logistics, and expeditionary capability—less a battleship in the traditional sense than a mobile launch platform for Marines and their equipment. At roughly 684 feet in length and displacing about 25,000 tons, the ship is built to move and deploy Marines into hostile or uncertain environments. 

Her core mission is amphibious warfare: transporting troops, vehicles, and aircraft, then delivering them ashore by sea or air. What distinguishes ships like Murtha is their internal architecture. A well deck at the stern allows the launch of landing craft such as LCAC hovercraft or conventional landing craft, enabling armored vehicles and troops to move directly from ship to shore. 

A large flight deck supports helicopters and tilt-rotor aircraft like the MV-22 Osprey, giving commanders flexibility to insert forces inland without relying solely on beaches. The ship can carry nearly 700 Marines in standard configuration, with surge capacity up to around 800. It is armed for self-defense with missile systems and naval guns, but its real strength lies in projection, not destruction—it delivers combat power rather than serving as the tip of the spear itself. 

 Homeported in San Diego, the John P. Murtha has also demonstrated versatility beyond combat roles. In April 2026, she served as the recovery vessel for NASA’s Artemis II mission, retrieving astronauts returning from lunar orbit—a reminder that modern naval ships often operate at the intersection of military, humanitarian, and scientific missions. 

 In short, the vessel is less a warship in the cinematic sense and more a floating logistics hub, airfield, and invasion gateway combined—a critical piece of how the United States projects power across oceans.

    The interior dry dock is where the Artemis II Orion capsule rested while being carried from splashdow site off the Pacific Coast near San Diego to Naval Station San Diego on Friday, April 10, 2026.  Pictured here is an example of load capabilties.