Godspeed, John Glenn.
John Glenn, who in an exemplary American life was a war hero, a Marine Corps test pilot, one of the original Mercury astronauts, the first American to orbit the earth, and the US Senator from Ohio for 24 years, died yesterday. He was 95.
The New York Times writes this morning that when Glenn returned to earth after his space flight in 1962, "flashing the world a triumphant grin, doubts were replaced by a broad, new faith that the United States could indeed hold its own against the Soviet Union in the Cold War and might someday prevail.
"No flier since Lindbergh had received such a cheering welcome. Bands played. People cried with relief and joy. Mr. Glenn was invited to the White House by President John F. Kennedy and paraded up Broadway and across the land. A joint meeting of Congress stood and applauded vigorously as Mr. Glenn spoke at the Capitol."
And then, remarkably, Glen returned to space in 1998 at age 77, becoming the oldest person to do so when he joined the crew of the space shuttle Discovery.
John Glenn, who in an exemplary American life was a war hero, a Marine Corps test pilot, one of the original Mercury astronauts, the first American to orbit the earth, and the US Senator from Ohio for 24 years, died yesterday. He was 95.
The New York Times writes this morning that when Glenn returned to earth after his space flight in 1962, "flashing the world a triumphant grin, doubts were replaced by a broad, new faith that the United States could indeed hold its own against the Soviet Union in the Cold War and might someday prevail.
"No flier since Lindbergh had received such a cheering welcome. Bands played. People cried with relief and joy. Mr. Glenn was invited to the White House by President John F. Kennedy and paraded up Broadway and across the land. A joint meeting of Congress stood and applauded vigorously as Mr. Glenn spoke at the Capitol."
And then, remarkably, Glen returned to space in 1998 at age 77, becoming the oldest person to do so when he joined the crew of the space shuttle Discovery.
- KC's View:
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Cue the music from The Right Stuff.
BTW...I learned something in the various obituaries that I did not know about Glenn - that Ted Williams was his wingman in Korea. Wow.
