U.S. Senator and former NASA astronaut John Glenn is part of a small group of people who dedicated their lives to the betterment of their country and humankind. His contributions and achievements helped put the United States at the forefront of space exploration and have cemented his legacy for the years to come.
He has become a testament that the roofing on your house is not the highest point you can attain if you persevere and pursue your dreams. During this time of unrest and illness, everyone needs a reminder that hardships can be pushed through, even when you’re alone. His story can serve as an inspiration and motivation that you can surpass adversity.
Reach for the Stars
On July 18, 1921, John Herschel Glenn Jr. was born in Cambridge, Ohio. He went to Muskingum College and studied chemistry. In 1941, Glenn also joined the Civilian Pilot Training Program and earned a free physics credit and his private pilot license. In the future, Muskingum College will be one of the colleges or universities where he earned an honorary doctorate degree.
Marshall Islands
In March the following year, the second World War happened and Glenn decided to join the Naval Aviation Cadet Program. After the advanced training, he accepted an offer to join the U.S. Marine Corps. Upon finishing further training, he joined the VMO-155 fighter squadron. They were eventually transferred to Hawaii and the Pacific in 1944. With a tank full of gas, Glenn flew a total of 59 combat missions while in the area.
He received two Distinguished Flying Cross and ten Air Medals for his service. After the war, he became a member of the Marine Fighter Squadron 218 that patrolled North China. He also served as an advanced flight instructor in Texas for two years.
Korean War
Glenn was ordered to go to Korea in February 1953 and was assigned with the VMF-311 squadron. There, he completed 63 combat missions. He later reported for the Air Force as an exchange pilot and completed 27 combat missions on the F-86 fighter jets. To his credit, Glenn shot down three MiGs during combat in the last two weeks of the war.
For his service and accomplishments in Korea, he was awarded two more Distinguished Flying Crosses and eight more Air Medals. After the war, he became a test pilot for the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics. In 1957, he set a record for the fastest transcontinental flight with the F-8U Crusader. He finished the flight within 3 hours and 23 minutes, from Los Angeles to New York.
Friendship VII
In 1959, Glenn was selected by NASA for Project Mercury. He and his 6 colleagues were also known as the Mercury Seven, the original seven people NASA chose to become an astronaut. Glenn became the third American in space and the first American that orbited the Earth in the Friendship VII capsule in 1962. It was ultimately a success but it certainly did not come without its problems. Things like these are the reason you get insurance.
An issue with the automatic control system arose which meant Glenn had to manually fly in the second and third orbits and re-entry. A second more serious problem arose when a signal indicated that the capsule’s heat shield became loose. This would mean that Friendship VII and John Glenn would be incinerated upon re-entry.
Upon discussing with command control, a decision had been made. Glenn used the retrorocket to keep the heat shield steady during descent. As he came down, it felt like he was in a 3,000-degree fireball. He saw portions of burning material fly across his window. The moment he saw the chute open was the moment he knew he was in the clear and the rest is history.
Retirement and Senate
Glenn resigned from NASA two years after his historic flight. He eventually left the Marine Corps and retired as a colonel in January 1965. He pursued business ventures and made investments while waiting for a chance to run for a Senate seat. Glenn won the election in 1974 and became the first astronaut-politician. He would later win three more times and served as Ohio’s Senator for four consecutive terms.
By his final term, Glenn was a member of the Governmental Affairs Committee and the Senate Armed Forces Committee. He was also a member of the Special Committee on Aging, which was prompted by his experience with his father and father-in-law. He officially retired from the Senate in January 1999 because of his age.
Once an Astronaut, Always an Astronaut
Glenn read Space Physiology and Medicine, a book authored by NASA doctors, while he was still in the Senate in 1995. He found out that there was a similarity in the physical changes during space flight and aging, and suggested that an old person should be sent to space – and that old person should be him. With research to back up his claims and after passing the physical exams, Glenn eventually persuaded then NASA director, Dan Goldin, to put him in the Space Shuttle Discovery mission. On October 29, 1998, John Glenn became the oldest person to fly in space at 77 years old – which is a credit that he still holds.
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