RIP Marine/Astronaut/Senator/statesman John Glenn

[ImJustKCClone]

I lost a childhood hero today. John Glenn passed away. My father worked on the Apollo Missions; we lived there after Mercury & Gemini were over with, and left before Apollo ended. But Glenn was an ambassador for NASA, and I met him on more than one occasion. He was unfailingly kind and generous when talking to us kids...he was a huge part of my love for space travel and my secret wish to have that opportunity.
He was a true hero. He will be missed.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-...-first-american-to-orbit-the-earth-dies-at-95

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

I just saw them talking about him on the news in the break room but didn't realize he had passed away. I just saw an alert go across my phone.
Sad day once again. Unfortunately as we age we see our childhood heroes pass away.

 

[jsb]

I read the book The Astrrnaut Wives and the most touching story was his and Annie's. From everything I've read he was a very nice man. Glad to hear I was right.

The space program has slways fascinated me. It's amazing what they do.

 

[StratCY]

**** you 2016

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

When you think about all the early astronauts, they were just strapped into a rocket and shot up there with the hope they didn't blow up on the launch pad or burn up on reentry. I bet those guys partied hard whenever they got back down.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

When you think about all the early astronauts, they were just strapped into a rocket and shot up there with the hope they didn't blow up on the launch pad or burn up on reentry. I bet those guys partied hard whenever they got back down.

IIRC, most of the early ones started as fighter pilots and/or test pilots, with a few bomber pilots in the mix. They came into the programs already living high risk lives. And yeah - took a special kind of ballsy to sit in those things. Remember the "Shephard's prayer"? "Oh Lord, please don't let me **** up"...
There's a pretty good reason most of them ended up divorced. John and Annie Glenn were a major exception to that rule.

 

[im4cyclones]

Talk about a life of service! Well done, sir, and rest in peace.

 

[yCy]

He was one of my childhood heroes. I was in grade school when John Glenn went up in Friendship 7. I still have the scrapbook I made with all the newspaper articles written about the flight. Rest in peace.

 

[Cyclonepride]

There are very few people alive or dead that can match his list of accomplishments.