[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.
____________________