A Giant of a Man

John Glen Archives

Photo: Gerry Metzler

John Glenn signed up after the attack on Pearl Harbor, became a Naval Aviation Cadet and then a Marine fighter pilot, he flew 59 combat missions in the South Pacific.

 He flew the F9F Panther on his first tour in Korea flying 63 missions and earning the nickname Magnet Ass for the amount of flak he collected... over 250 holes in his aircraft on more than one occasion. At one point Boston Red Sox Ted Williams was his wingman.

On his second tour in Korea as an exchange pilot with the Air Force's 51st Fighter Squadron (Still there in Korea by the way) he flew the F-86 on 27 combat missions and downed 3 MiGs.

149 combat missions, 6 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 19 Air Medals.

In 1957 as a Marine test pilot he completed the first transcontinental supersonic flight from Los Alamitos, CA to Floyd Bennett Field in New York in 3 hours, 23 minutes.

First American to orbit the Earth aboard Friendship 7, 3 orbits, 4 hours, 44 minutes.

US Senator for 4 terms, 24 years and...

At age 77 in 1998 becoming the oldest person to go into space on Space Shuttle mission STS-95. 

Dutch National Archives

 Perhaps even more amazing in this day and age, married to Annie for 73 years.

Rest in Peace

July 18, 1921 - December 8, 2016