[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 141 (Friday, October 9, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12138-S12140]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           SENATOR JOHN GLENN

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, it is a time when Senators say goodbye to 
Senators who are leaving, and I was privileged, in 1974, to be elected 
with a very special class of Senators, a very large class of Senators--
nearly a dozen--who came to this body. We developed personal 
friendships. Of that class, there are only four left: The distinguished 
senior Senator from Ohio, Mr. Glenn; the distinguished senior Senator 
from Kentucky, Mr. Ford; the distinguished senior Senator from 
Arkansas, Mr. Bumpers; and myself. Each of the other three have 
announced their plans to retire this year. In some ways I feel like the 
lonely person who is given the chore to turn out the lights after 
everybody else leaves, because I will be the last of the class of 1974.
  I am going to speak of each of them, but I wish to speak now and to 
give tribute to a great statesman, a person who is recognized as a true 
American hero and a very good friend of mine, John Hershel Glenn, Jr.
  As I said, we both arrived in the Senate at the same time in 1974. 
There was a big difference, however. I came here as a 34-year-old 
unknown county prosecutor from rural Vermont. John Glenn arrived here 
as a living American legend. We have served together now for 24 years 
and it is with the fondest memories that I recollect his time here. I 
remember the very first day I met him. The two of us had gone over to 
see the legendary Jim Eastland, President pro tempore of the Senate. 
That is probably the only time, then or since, I have ever seen John 
Glenn look at all nervous, was going in to see Senator Eastland. 
Senator Glenn was nervous. I was terrified. There is a big difference.
  But John Glenn will be remembered here in the Senate as a man who 
advocated a role for Government in daily life, but he never stopped 
trying to make Government more efficient. He is one of our leading 
experts on science and technology. He has always been a tireless 
advocate for Government-sponsored scientific and health research. He 
brought tremendous intellect and dedication to the task of preventing 
the spread of weapons of mass destruction. I remember when the United 
States and the Soviet Union were locked in a wasteful nuclear arms 
race, John Glenn was a voice of reason and moderation.
  He has used his seat on the Armed Services Committee to advocate for 
our men and women in uniform, while at the same time looking out for 
wasteful spending. I remember, when I and others began to have doubts 
about the costly B-2 bomber--$2 billion a plane--that I read papers and 
memos about it. John Glenn went out and flew it, then came back and 
said its cost outweighed its benefits. I credit him for saving the 
taxpayers a lot of money.
  He used his position in the Governmental Affairs Committee to expose 
waste in Government and to clean up the Nation's nuclear materials 
production plants.
  In his conduct here in the Senate, John has always been nonpartisan, 
polite, accommodating, but always true to his beliefs. His personality 
reminds me of Longfellow's words, ``A tender heart; a will 
inflexible.''
  It is hard for us to think of John Glenn before he was a national 
hero, but not so long ago he was a smalltown boy like many of us. He 
was born on July 18, 1921, in Cambridge, OH. He grew up in the tiny 
town of New Concord, OH. But, like millions of Americans, his life was 
forever changed by World War II.
  Many of us know the details of what makes John Glenn a hero, but I 
want to repeat them for my colleagues. Shortly after Pearl Harbor, he 
was commissioned in the Marines Corps. He served as a fighter pilot in 
the South Pacific. He stayed in the Marines, and when the Korean War 
started, John Glenn requested combat duty. He ended up flying 149 
combat missions in both wars. How good a pilot is our colleague from 
Ohio? In the last 9 days of fighting in Korea, he downed three Chinese 
MiG fighters in combat along the Yalu River.
  In July 1957, he set a speed record from Los Angeles to New York, the 
first transcontinental flight to average supersonic speed.
  An avid pilot to this day, John has over 9,000 hours of flight time 
in a variety of aircraft. To put that statistic in perspective, to 
equal that mark you would have to fly 8 hours a day, every day of the 
year, for 3 years.
  Probably the flight that I remember the best, the one I enjoyed as 
much as any, was when John Glenn and I flew to the northeast kingdom of 
Vermont in a small float plane at the height of glorious fall foliage. 
John and Annie Glenn were staying with Marcelle and I at our farm in 
Middlesex, VT. John had borrowed the plane from a friend of mine in 
Vermont. We flew up and set down in one of those little Vermont ponds 
with the fall foliage around it. There happened to be a trapper's 
convention there. Some of the people there

[[Page S12139]]

were calling him Colonel Glenn, not Senator Glenn. They kind of put up 
with me being there, but he was the hero.
  Of course I do remember also the look on John and Marcelle's and 
Annie's faces when we landed in Montpelier Airport in a heavy 
crosswind. John turned to me after he taxied up and said, ``You know, I 
have never been so frightened landing anything in my life,'' which 
almost stopped my heart to hear him tell it. But when we got out of the 
plane, John was wearing--this is accurate now--a skunk-skin cap which 
the trappers had given him.
  He stepped out of the airplane with me shaking and quivering behind 
him. Annie turned to Marcelle and says, ``Marcelle, I told you we never 
should have let those boys go off by themselves.''
  We all know what happened in a far more dramatic time when John 
strapped himself into a tiny capsule on top a gigantic tube of volatile 
fuel on February 20, 1962. When he landed 4 hours 55 minutes later, 
John Glenn not only became the first American to orbit the Earth, but 
he boosted the psyche of our Nation in a way not seen equaled before or 
since.
  Cicero said a man of courage is also full of faith. It should be said 
that John Glenn is a man who puts all his faith in God.
  All his accomplishments here in the Senate, in the cockpit, in the 
capsule, all pale before the one true constant in John Glenn's life, 
and that is the love he shares with his beautiful wife Annie. They are 
truly a couple for the ages and role models for all of us. Married for 
55 years, they have two wonderful children, John David and Carolyn Ann, 
whom we all know as Lyn.
  When the space shuttle Discovery surges into space later this month, 
the cabin will be cramped with the seven astronauts aboard. But sitting 
with John in spirit, as she has for so many years, will be Annie. They 
are truly inseparable. No matter how fast or far he travels, she is 
always with him.
  Mr. President, later this month the eyes of the Nation and the world 
will focus on Cape Canaveral, FL. We will watch as a marvelous machine, 
built by Americans, flown by an international crew, roars into the 
heavens in the name of science, and on board will be our colleague from 
Ohio, a great Senator, an expert pilot and extraordinary American hero, 
my friend, John Glenn. I intend to be there to cheer him on.
  Once again, as he has done in so many ways over the years, John Glenn 
will make us turn our eyes toward the heavens, and like all who will be 
there, I will say, ``Godspeed, John Glenn, and thank you.''
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that an article from Roll Call 
about Senator Glenn be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the article was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                     [From Roll Call, Oct. 5, 1998]

    Glenn Counts Down to Launch With Complete Support From Wife and 
               Colleagues--Senator Set to Repeat History

                             (By Ed Henry)

       He's survived 149 combat missions as a Marine, orbited the 
     Earth three times at 17,544 miles per hour as an astronaut 
     and endured 24 years of partisan battles as a Senator.
       But John Glenn says that one of the toughest missions of 
     his life came as a husband: convincing his wife, Annie, that 
     it was a good idea for him to be shot into space again at the 
     end of this month.
       ``Let's say she was a little cool with this whole idea to 
     begin with--that's the understatement,'' Glenn said in an 
     interview about the Oct. 29 space mission. ``She didn't react 
     too kindly when I first started talking about this some time 
     ago.''
       The 77-year-old Ohio Democrat said that while the couple's 
     two children were not excited about the Discovery launch 
     either, ``Annie was the main one to convince.''
       Slipping into the lingo of an old Marine, Glenn noted that 
     based on all of the dangers he's already faced, he could have 
     gotten ``bagged'' long ago.
       ``There were lots of times that things could have gone a 
     little bit different way, but they didn't,'' he said. ``But I 
     think all my life, I guess, you don't look back and think 
     what might have been or where you might have gotten bagged or 
     whatever. You look forward. There are risks in everything you 
     do.''
       Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), one of the couple's closest 
     friends, said Annie was ``apprehensive'' about the fact that 
     her husband was heading into space so close to his retirement 
     from the Senate.
       ``She had some reluctance because he was coming to a time 
     in his life when they were going to have more time 
     together,'' said Leahy. ``They are an extraordinarily close 
     couple--they're sort of the role model for all of us in our 
     own marriages.''
       Nobody underestimates the strength of Annie Glenn, who 
     toughed her way through her husband's Feb. 20, 1962, Mercury 
     mission, when he flirted with death in the 36-cubic-foot 
     Friendship 7. She also had the guts to stand up to then-Vice 
     President Lyndon Johnson by refusing to let him come into her 
     home for a photo-op, out of fear for how her stutter would 
     look in front of Johnson and so many network TV 
     correspondents.
       She was sitting up in the House gallery on that day in 1962 
     when Glenn jubilantly told a joint session of Congress, ``I 
     want you to meet my wife, Annie * * * Annie * * * the rock!''
       And Glenn was there for Annie, Leahy recalled, when she 
     conquered her stuttering problem 20 years ago. ``We don't 
     think of them as John or Annie,'' he said. ``We think of them 
     as JohnandAnnie--it's just one word.''
       In finally deciding to hop aboard for this mission, Annie 
     thought back to a vow her husband had made on the day they 
     wed 55 years ago.
       ``One thing that she's reminded me of is that on our 
     wedding day, along with the vows, one of the things I told 
     her that day or that night sometime was that I would pledge 
     to her I would try to do everything I could to keep life from 
     ever being boring,'' said the Senator.
       Then he added with a laugh, ``And she's reminded me of that 
     several times in the past, and this time, too, that she'd 
     just as soon have things be a little bit more boring.''
       Since critics have said the upcoming nine-day mission is 
     merely a joy ride, Glenn has done his homework. With great 
     specificity, he can recount how the research about how a 
     senior citizen is affected in space will do a great deal for 
     the 34 million seniors in America.
       ``She gradually over a period of time became an enthusiast 
     for this,'' he said. ``She's changed her view on this, as has 
     my whole family, so she's excited about it.''
       Sen Dale Bumpers (D-Ark.) said he spoke to Annie last week 
     and she revealed that NASA will be providing a laptop so she 
     can communicate with her husband in space.
       ``I said, `Annie, aren't you apprehensive at all about this 
     flight?' '' recalled Bumpers. `` `She said, `I'm never 
     apprehensive about anything John really wants to do.' ''
       Annie Glenn will not be the only person close to the 
     Senator lending her support at Cape Canaveral. A bipartisan 
     delegation of Senators will be heading down to Florida on an 
     official CODEL authorized by Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-
     Miss.) and Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.).
       Daschle plans to be there for the launch, even though he 
     faces re-election back in South Dakota less than a week 
     later. Because Lott has a scheduling conflict, he will be 
     sending Senate Appropriations Chairman Ted Stevens (R-
     Alaska)--who helped come up with the idea of a trip--to lead 
     the Republican side.
       ``Senators have a way of coming together when another is 
     involved,'' Lott said in an interview.
       The office of Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Greg Casey, who is 
     organizing the trip, does not have a complete list of 
     Senators attending yet. The trip will originate from Andrews 
     Air Force Base on the morning of the launch.
       ``We have a lot of interest from Senators,'' said Secretary 
     of the Senate Gary Sisco, who will also attend.
       Glenn said that while colleagues have not discussed the 
     launch with him, he's heard whispers about it and feels 
     gratified.
       ``It's a good feeling to know that there are going to be 
     people there that you have worked with all these years--that 
     they think enough about it to be down there,'' he said.
       Another person who was supposed to be at the Cape was Alan 
     Shepard, his onetime rival in the Mercury program, who 
     recently died. Glenn admits that Shepard's death reminded him 
     of his own mortality, but the Senator insists he's not 
     worried about his safety.
       ``I've always been very aware of my own mortality anyway,'' 
     said Glenn. ``I got over that teenage immortality bit a long 
     time ago.''
       Glenn suggested he is at peace with his decision. ``I have 
     a deep religious faith and I have all my life,'' he said. ``I 
     don't believe in calling on your religion like a fire engine, 
     you know, `Oh God, get me out of this mess I've gotten myself 
     into and I'll be so good even you won't believe it.''
       He added, ``But I think . . . we should all live so that if 
     something like that happens to us it won't be a big shock. 
     It's a shock. It would be a shock, of course. Nothing can be 
     100 percent safe. Everyone knows that. But I think the safety 
     record NASA has had through the manned space program has been 
     absolutely amazing.''
       Besides his combat missions in Korea and World War II, 
     Glenn faced danger in 1962.
       ``Some of the ophthalmologists predicted your eyes might 
     change shape,'' he said. ``It was serious enough that if you 
     look at the Friendship 7 over there in the Air and Space 
     Museum now, up on top of the instrument panel there's still a 
     little eye chart that I was to read every 20 minutes to see 
     if my eyes were changing.''
       When asked why he took such risks, without so much as a 
     blink Glenn responds, ``I thought it was valuable for the 
     country.''
       Colleagues say it is this modesty--as well as Glenn's 
     relationship with his wife--that they will remember most.

[[Page S12140]]

       ``He's one of my favorite people in the whole world because 
     he wears his heroism with such extraordinary modesty,'' said 
     Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.).
       Senators like 51-year-old Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) seem awed by 
     getting the chance to serve with Glenn.
       ``It's like serving with a legend,'' said Johnson. ``The 
     fact that I served with John Glenn is something I'll tell my 
     grandkids.''
       As a young Navy pilot, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) revered 
     Glenn and says the upcoming mission will remind everyone of 
     that.
       ``I know it will just affirm in people's minds that we're 
     privileged to have known a great American hero,'' he said. 
     ``I am honored to be in his company. I am serious. I am 
     honored to be in his company.''
       Sen. Richard Bryan (D-Nev.) said he will try to be in 
     Florida, partially because of a simple expression of love he 
     saw when Bonnie Bryan and Annie Glenn recently traveled 
     together to Saudi Arabia. From across the globe, Mrs. Glenn 
     placed a phone call to her husband in the Senate cloakroom.
       Bryan recalled, ``He was very excited and came up to me and 
     said, `I've got Annie on the line, would you like to talk to 
     Bonnie?' John and Annie have this very special relationship--
     you can sense that.''
       Leahy recalled riding in the back seat one time as the 
     Glenns kept teasing and poking fun at one another in front 
     seat.
       ``The two of them are like a pair of teenagers,'' he said.
       But a much sadder occasion reminded Leahy of his affection 
     for the couple. When Leahy's mother died last year, he found 
     out that the Glenns had been trying to lift her spirits 
     during her illness.
       ``One of the things I found on her bed stand was a 
     handwritten note from John and Annie,'' said Leahy. ``They 
     both had written a couple of paragraphs in the letter. These 
     are very special people.''
       For Glenn, his frequent trips to Houston for training seem 
     to have been a sort of fountain of youth.
       Every time Glenn returns from Houston, said Sen. Richard 
     Lugar (R-Ind.), he's been updated about the status of the 
     mission. ``It's wonderful to see someone so engaged and lit 
     up with enthusiasm,'' he said.
       It has also reminded Glenn about the differences between 
     his two careers.
       ``Here of course, the political lines are drawn and you 
     have confrontation and you have to put everything through a 
     political sieve to know what's real and what isn't in 
     people's minds,'' he said.
       ``Back when I was in the Mercury program or in the program 
     down there now, it's such a pleasure to work in that program 
     because everything is so focused on one objective that 
     everybody's agreed on.''
       The similarities between the two jobs, he concluded, are 
     limited.
       ``Both fields take a lot of dedication to accomplish 
     anything. That would be a big similarity, dedication to 
     country and dedication to what you're doing. But that's about 
     where the similarities end.''

  Mr. LEAHY. I yield the floor.
  Mr. GRASSLEY addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Allard). The Senator from Iowa.

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