bluebyyou

December 8th, 2016 at 5:53 PM ^

RIP to a true American hero.  

There were several notable astronauts to come out of Ohio.  Judy Resnick, who died on the Challenger, was from Akron, and Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, was from Wapakoneta, Ohio and Jim Lovell was from Cleveland.  There are 21 astronauts from Ohio, anything is possible.

And... Gregory J. Harbaugh, who went to Purdue, did four missions in space.  Harbaugh is from Cleveland.

http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/harbaugh_gregory.htm

NittanyFan

December 8th, 2016 at 4:06 PM ^

I just happened to be flying out of CMH (Columbus, OH airport) on the day they re-named the airport after Senator Glenn last summer.  So I got to see part of the ceremony.  The Senator gave a brief speech: he looked remarkably well for a man who was (at the time) 94-years old.

To be expected, however.  He went into space in 1998 --- at 77 years old!!!

He was also one of the few non-band members who ever "dotted the i" at Ohio Stadium.

 

Unsalted

December 8th, 2016 at 4:07 PM ^

I was in elementary school when John Glenn orbited the Earth in 1962. The school would gather all the students in the gym to watch on a black and white TV. Those were the days!

Thank you John Glenn!

translator82

December 8th, 2016 at 4:09 PM ^

I remember being in awe when he went back up in space in 1998, 36 years after his being the first American to orbit the Earth. Definitely an American hero and legend...Godspeed, John Glenn.

LSAClassOf2000

December 8th, 2016 at 5:25 PM ^

I remember that as well, as well as the gripe made by a few people in the scientific community that sending Glenn up on Discovery was more a favor than something that added value to the mission. However, I thought it was pretty cool to give him another chance to go up at all of 77 years of age like he was at the time.

As a result of that, I think he became one of the few people ever to have been part of a ticker tape parade twice in their lifetime, just another achievement in a long and awesome list of Glenn's achievements.

RIP John Glenn.

Benoit Balls

December 8th, 2016 at 5:38 PM ^

and a great life. My wife was part of the John Glenn Scholarship program at OSU and later woked in Ohio politics and got to meet him several times. She met with him a couple times after the birth of our Son, and he always made sure to ask how he was doing. He was a sharp as a tack until the end.

One of the most amazing things, to me, is the bravery of those early astronauts. When you think about the fact that your phone has more computing power than the entirety of NASA had back in those days, it's astounding to me that these guys willingly strapped themselves to a rocket.

jocular_jock

December 8th, 2016 at 5:44 PM ^

It is amazing that a man born of the age of bi-planes could orbit the earth in the vacuum of space at 20 miles per second. As many said before me and many will after, God speed John Glenn.

JBE

December 8th, 2016 at 5:59 PM ^

I met John Glenn once at a weight watchers in Whistling Springs, Idaho. I'll never forget it. We were stretching and he looked over and said, "Jonas, your penis is peeking out of the left side of your shorts. It looks like a tropical fish I saw once off the coast of Madagascar. You should see a doctor." I did and it saved my life. He was a gentle spirit.

Erik_in_Dayton

December 8th, 2016 at 6:06 PM ^

I remember him as warm and happy to talk to me even though I must have been the millionth little boy who wanted to shake his hand.  And Annie Glenn was very gracious.  She also convinced my mother to let me have an extra brownie. 

Anyway, John Glenn was a gentleman and a genuine hero. 

softshoes

December 8th, 2016 at 10:27 PM ^

Heaven just got a little more noisey from the clanging of Glenn's steel balls. The Right Stuff indeed. RIP rocket man.

He is one buckeye that gets a pass from me. Sometimes you just can't help where you were born.