John Glenn has passed on
We get the sad news this evening that one of my heroes as a boy has passed at the age of 95. Everyone wanted to be an astronaut with the dashing figure of John Glenn in every classroom across the country after his historic orbit of the Earth on February 20th, 1962 on Friendship 7. During World War II, he flew 59 combat missions in the Pacific against the Japanese as a Marine Corps pilot in F4U Corsair planes. During the Korean War, he flew 63 combat missions in his F9F Panther. He was awarded six Distinguished Flying Crosses and 19 Air Medals for his wartime service.
He retired from the Marines in 1965 and went into politics. From ABC6;
At 77, Glenn became the oldest person to go into space when he was a payload specialist in October of 1998, after he lobbied NASA for two years to fly “as a human guinea pig for geriatric studies.”
[…]
He and his wife Annie were married for 73 years, raising their two children (Carolyn Ann and John David), and two grandchildren.
Category: We Remember
So sad. He was an inspiration.
Rest in peace. A true American icon has passed. Sadly, men of his caliber are in short supply these days.
God speed, John Glenn.
A man who I have always considered a hero, a role model, and an honorable man.
Married for 73 years to the same woman when today’s snowflakes cannot even bring themselves to marry. A war hero who did not brag or strut or act like he was owed anything.
Rest in peace, sir.
Lord, guard and guide the men who fly. Thanks for your inspiration. Thanks for “holding a job”!
Godspeed.
He was ( and is) an inspiration. Hope he realised that America is gonna get back into a better orbit- and soon. Semper Fidelis, Colonel!
He has been to Heaven and back this time for keeps.
One of my heroes as well…sorry to see this news.
Condolences to friends and family, my he soar the heavens for all eternity.
Rest in well deserved peace Sir. You were a hero and and inspiration to me and out country.
As James Michener said: Where does America get such men?
Godspeed to you, John Glenn.
For those who may not know, those words (“Godspeed to you, John Glenn.”) were spoken by fellow astronaut and Glenn’s backup for the mission, Scott Carpenter, immediately before the final 10-second countdown was begun. The Soviets were winning the space race at the time. America’s hopes rode on and with John Glenn. Millions were glued to the B/W TV sets in those days, silent, but for the murmur of prayers as the huge rocket ignited. It was a time in American history and the American experience that was, like Glenn, 100% American.
What young man (and prolly some of the girls too)growing up in the 60’s didn’t look upon John Glenn as an absolute giant of a man.
RIP Colonel, say high to Ted.
He was a hero of generations. I looked up to the man greatly as a child of the 80’s. I’m sure his shuttle exploits led to children of the 90’s also admiring him.
Godspeed, Colonel. Goodbye to the “Mig Mad Marine”!
He fought in both WWII and Korea and flew 149 missions.
God Speed Colonel.
Has anyone been closer…
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air… .
Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or ever eagle flew —
And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
— John Gillespie Magee, Jr
Rest in Peace John Glenn.
O Spirit, whom the Father sent
To spread abroad the firmament;
O Wind of heaven, by thy might
Save all who dare the eagle’s flight,
And keep them by thy watchful care
From every peril in the air.
Fair winds and following seas.
Rest in Peace, Sir.
You are an inspiration and a true hero.
The last of the Original Mercury 7… Served as a Marine and later on as a Senator.
Godspeed, John Glenn
Wow, almost 150 combat missions, went to space TWICE, served as a Senator, and married to the same woman for 73 years. This is a man who truly won at life. God speed Colonel. Rest in peace for you truly earned it.
I’ve never been into big time hero worship but John Glenn is a giant standing on the shoulders of other giants. Before going into space as a senior citizen, a slam dunk into the bad-assey category, he shared something that helped me keep things in perspective.
“The sky is black as tar, and every single star glitters, no longer competing with street lamps and lighted houses. There are no nations, no boundaries separating one enemy from another. In fact, that is one of the most startling sights from a distance: There are no differences among people at all.”
I was also trying to find a quote where he said “foxhole faith isn’t faith at all.” He was talking about the importance of day in day out “I got your back” faith to get through a journey. A true great who could talk to anyone and find common ground. Sure wish he had been an ex-Prez….
Rest in Peace Sir!
God speed, John Glenn.
And yeah, his retort to then Senator Metzenbaum resonates…I have held a job!
Damn straight.
For those unfamiliar with the retort: ‘In the Corps, Marines today often cite a speech Glenn gave in his 1974 Senate primary campaign against Howard Metzenbaum, a man who had defeated Glenn in a primary four years earlier. The 1974 election was his third run at the Senate primary, and he had to beat Metzenbaum, a proud self-made millionaire and businessman. Metzenbaum, knowing that the Democratic primary voters in Ohio were wary of the military in the context of the Vietnam War, had taken to calling Glenn “Colonel Glenn,” according to a PBS profile. In that context, Metzenbaum said Glenn “had never met a payroll.” Glenn waited until a debate at the Cleveland City Club on May 4, 1974, to respond. In his closing remarks, he said: “Howard, I can’t believe you said I have never held a job. I served twenty-three years in the United States Marine Corps. I served through two wars. I flew 149 missions. My plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire on 12 different occasions. I was in the space program. It wasn’t my checkbook; it was my life on the line. It was not a nine-to-five job where I took time off to take the daily cash receipts to the bank. I ask you to go with me, as I went the other day, to a veterans hospital and look those men, with their mangled bodies, in the eye and tell them they didn’t hold a job. You go with me to any gold-star mother and you look her in the eye and tell her that her son did not hold a job. … … You go with me on Memorial Day coming up and you stand in Arlington National Cemetery, where I have more friends than I’d like to remember, and you watch those waving flags. You stand there, and you think about this nation, and you tell me that those people didn’t have a job. I’ll tell you, Howard Metzenbaum, you should be on your knees every day of your life thanking God that there were some men — some men — who… Read more »
In case anyone is unfamiliar with my reference:
Metzenbaum: “How can you run for Senate when you’ve never held a ‘job’?”
Glenn: “I served 23 years in the United States Marine Corps. I was through two wars. I flew 149 missions. My plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire on 12 different occasions.
“I was in the space program. It wasn’t my checkbook, it was my life that was on the line. This was not a 9-to-5 job where I took time off to take the daily cash receipts to the bank.
“I ask you to go with me, as I went the other day to a Veterans Hospital, and look those men with their mangled bodies in the eye and tell them they didn’t hold a job.
“You go with me to any Gold Star mother, and you look her in the eye and tell her that her son did not hold a job.
“You go with me to the space program, and you go as I have gone to the widows and the orphans of Ed White and Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee, and you look those kids in the eye and tell them that their dad didn’t hold a job.
“You go with me on Memorial Day coming up, and you stand on Arlington National Cemetery — where I have more friends than I like to remember — and you watch those waving flags, and you stand there, and you think about this nation, and you tell me that those people didn’t have a job.
“I tell you, Howard Metzenbaum, you should be on your knees every day of your life thanking God that there were some men — SOME MEN — who held a job. And they required a dedication to purpose and a love of country and a dedication to duty that was more important than life itself.
“And their self-sacrifice is what has made this country possible.
“I HAVE HELD A JOB, HOWARD!”
Godspeed John Glenn
Here is good clip: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yUSXGjiBvYE
John Glenn an American hero lived his life like a BOSS!
John Glenn – A Real Man, A Warrior as well as a Space Pioneer, Rest In Peace, SIR! You have earned your place in History and Valhalla.
The Right Stuff. R.I.P. Colonel Glenn.
What are the chances of this? I have no idea but I find it astounding. John Glenn, as we know, was a Marine fighter pilot who served in combat in both WWII and Korea. His squadron in Korea a fellow who served as his wingman in, as Glenn told it in 2002, about half his combat missions. He said of his wingman that whatever else that Marine had done in life, he would always think of him as a “Marine fighter pilot.” The compliment was returned: “Oh … could he [Glenn] fly an airplane. Absolutely fearless. The best I ever saw. It was an honor to fly with him.”
The man was a fellow named Ted Williams. Yes, THAT Ted Williams.
Rest Well Sir
Salute….
This made me laugh a little when I really wanted to cry……
“God probably said…Welcome Back John, you’re not easily impressed, but hold my beer, watch this… ?????…Oh, and Thank You.”
http://i.imgur.com/fia38MJ.jpg
Takes me back to the days when we would stop school and the teachers would wheel in TVs to watch space shots.
My favorite Glenn story, read in Reader’s Digest: as a Marine, Glenn had to qualify periodically with the rifle, and as Marines did in those days on the range, he had to call his shots. Story has it that Glenn fired, and the NCO said “Call your shot, Sir!” Then-Captain Glenn answered “Well, it was a bullseye when it left here!”
One of my all time favorite heros! I remember getting up very early to watch all of the space shots, it never got old. The moon landing was the best of all! I don’t think we will ever reach those kind of goals again, not with the youth of today anyway?
God Speed John Glenn
Too bad he was a super shit politician and anti second amendment turd.