Feb 12, 2007 By Amanda Clegg 3 min read

CALIFORNIA – The medical team that tried to save a local soldier’s life in Iraq inspired his wife back home to follow in their footsteps. Four years after losing her husband, Missy Hull took another step toward that goal with her recent graduation from the California University of Pennsylvania’s nursing program.

She received her RN and plans to return to school to obtain her bachelor’s degree.

“I want to be a critical care nurse,” Hull said. “A lot of people in Iraq helped my husband and I want to be like that in a critical care aspect.”

U.S. Army Reservist Sgt. Eric R. Hull of New Salem was killed in August 2003 when the truck he was riding in hit a land mine.

U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, was among those who helped Hull find closure after she lost her husband. He spoke at her pinning ceremony about “making a mark in the field of nursing,” John Hugya, Murtha’s chief of staff, said.

Hull thinks highly of Murtha.

“It was really nice of him to take the time out of his day,” she said. “He’s wonderful.”

Hull said Murtha spoke about the time he has spent at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

“He visits Walter Reed quiet often,” she said. “He sees how important the nurses are at Walter Reed.”

Hull visited the facility a few months after her husband was killed and received a flag from the national support group for family members of fallen soldiers at the Pentagon.

Hull said Murtha helped her find closure after her husband passed away. She said she was not receiving enough information from the military and Murtha stepped in and connected her with the neurosurgeon who worked on her husband in Iraq.

Hugya said that Sgt. Hull was the second soldier from the 12th District killed in Iraq.

“Our office made sure that the administrative side was done right,” he explained. “No glitches – that’s what this office is for.”

But Murtha’s office tries to do more than just smooth the administrative process.

“We take care of the troops and the families of the troops,” he said. “Anyone has a problem we make sure we’re on top of it.”

Hull’s situation touched the congressman.

“He felt bad, very bad. Here’s this young girl and there she is a widow with two little people and they just started building a home,” Hugya said. “You have to be strong. How do you become a widow like that? No words make it any better.”

Words may not have been able to heal Hull, but she found a way to channel her grief, honor her husband’s memory and follow her heart.

“I want to strive for something better,” she said of her decision to go to nursing school. “It is a wonderful field. You have to love what you do. If your heart is not in it, it’s not worth it. My heart is in it.”