[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 3 (Thursday, January 29, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S202]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING SENATOR JOHN GLENN

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I will take a moment this afternoon to say 
a few words about another truly historic announcement that occurred 
during the recess. On behalf of the people of the State of Ohio and all 
of our colleagues in the U.S. Senate, let me say how truly proud we are 
of our distinguished friend and colleague, Senator John Glenn. By now, 
everyone in America knows that in October at the age of 77, Senator 
John Glenn will return to space as a member of the crew of the space 
shuttle Discovery.
  Mr. President, very few people show the kind of courage shown 
throughout his lifetime by John Glenn, courage that Senator Glenn 
showed when he flew 149--149--heroic combat missions as a Marine pilot 
in World War II and then in the Korean war facing death from enemy 
fighters and antiaircraft fire. Because of all the enemy fire that John 
Glenn braved, we are told his buddies called him the ``Mig-Mad 
Marine,'' and I guess they had a few other names for him, as well.
  Mr. President, it comes as no surprise to those of us who know him 
that our friend, John Glenn, is that kind of a rare person. One 
reporter commented that when he was a young man he was thrilled by then 
Colonel Glenn's orbits around the Earth and yelled out, ``Go, Colonel 
Glenn, go.'' Well, Mr. President, I had pretty much the same 
experience, as millions of Americans did. My experience occurred when I 
was in high school, my wife Fran and I were in high school in Yellow 
Springs High School and the day that John Glenn orbited the Earth and 
made that historic flight I happened to be in Mr. Ed Wingard's science 
class in Yellow Springs High School. We all listened on the radio to 
the progress of this truly historic flight. For those who were not born 
at that time or cannot remember it, it is hard to describe the 
atmosphere in this country. It is hard to explain how literally this 
country came to a stop, when people gathered around TVs and gathered 
around radios for that period of time as he went around the Earth and 
made those three orbits.
  In fact, just about anyone around back then can tell you how 
important that achievement was for the American people, and they can 
tell you where they were and what they were doing at that moment. We, 
as a Nation at that time, Mr. President, were shaken, we had been 
shaken when the Russians beat us into space with the Sputnik, Sputnik 
satellite, earlier in 1957 and then in April of 1961 they sent Yuri 
Gagarin into orbit, the first man in space. The same week as that 
flight the U.S. was rocked by the tragedy and failure of the Bay of 
Pigs invasion in Cuba.
  In short, Mr. President, America was reeling, and that is one of the 
reasons why our hearts were lifted so very much by John Glenn's daring 
exploit. That, Mr. President, was a great day to be an American. I hear 
a lot of that enthusiasm today after the announcement that Senator 
Glenn will be going back into space. I think that one of his last 
public services as a Member of the U.S. Senate may be one of the most 
valuable achievements of his long and very distinguished career because 
John Glenn has a rare, truly incredible opportunity to educate the rest 
of us, to educate the American people about the value of America's 
adventure in space. Who better, Mr. President, than John Glenn to speak 
to Americans about this great American achievement? Who better to 
explain to us the importance of NASA, the importance of space 
exploration? And who among us, except John Glenn, has that historical 
perspective and can explain it in terms that average Americans can 
understand? John Glenn has a unique ability to tell this great story. 
He has that ability because he has lived it.

  Mr. President, I think this space mission is already starting to fire 
up the imagination of the American people about the wonders of 
discovery. It can remind us again that we as Americans have a tradition 
of national greatness and that the pursuit of national greatness 
remains our continued breathtaking challenge. So, Colonel--Senator--the 
hearts of all Ohioans and the hearts of your colleagues in the Senate, 
and indeed all Americans, will be with you on your historic mission. 
Our hearts will also be with your great family and with your heroic 
wife Annie. As President Clinton said the other night, godspeed, John 
Glenn.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. GRAMS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. GRAMS. Mr. President, what is the business before the Senate?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. We are still in morning business.
  Mr. GRAMS. Thank you very much.

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