John Glenn-American Hero Passes Away

John Glenn, an authentic American Hero, passed away December 8th at the age of 95.  Born in Cambridge, Ohio and raised in New Concord, Ohio, he was born July 18, 1921.  He served as a fighter pilot in the Marine Corp in World War II and the Korean War.  John Glenn was one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts who helped pioneered space travel for America.  He was the first American to orbit the earth and returned as a famous American hero.  This writer can remember watching him on television and being fascinated with the space program and the great success of the program leading up to landing on the moon. A ticker tape parade was held for him in New York City after his safe return from orbiting.  It was a big deal and considered extremely dangerous.  Little boys throughout America dreamed of being astronauts.

John Herschel Glenn, Jr., was married to his wife Anna for 73 years and they had two children.  He left NASA  in 1964 and went on to a successful career as a United States Senator from Ohio.  He served in the Senate from 1975 till 1999.  In 1976 he ran for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.  I can remember him visiting Arkansas and having a brief opportunity to talk to him in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.  He was genuine and obviously very bright.  In person he was easy to talk with.  He campaign, however, never gained traction and Jimmy Carter went on to be elected President.

At the age of 77, Glenn went back to space on the space shuttle.  He was the oldest person to ever go into outer space and conducted test to research the impact on ageing while in space.  At the time of his death, John Glenn was the last surviving member of the original Mercury astronauts.