[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 147 (Thursday, October 15, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2207]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO SENATOR JOHN H. GLENN, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. TONY P. HALL

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 15, 1998

  Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a friend and 
fellow Ohioan, who will very soon be embarking upon two great 
adventures. I am speaking, of course, of Senator John Glenn. In a few 
days, he will be returning to space aboard the space shuttle Discovery. 
Shortly thereafter, Senator Glenn will be ending his long and 
distinguished service in the other body of this Congress.
  Senator Glenn has served our country in an astonishing number of 
ways. He fought in the Pacific in the Second World War, and served in 
Korea. He has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on six 
occasions, and holds the Air Medal with 18 clusters. In 1959, he was 
chosen by NASA as a Project Mercury astronaut. Three years later, on 
February 20, 1962, he became the first American to orbit the Earth.
  In 1974, after a few years in the private sector, Senator Glenn was 
elected to his current position as a United States Senator from Ohio. 
During his twenty-four years of service in the Senate, he has devoted 
enormous energy toward ensuring the security of our country and people, 
and he has worked to build a responsible and responsive federal 
government. He is an acknowledged expert and leader in nuclear non-
proliferation efforts, and has tirelessly worked to better the lot of 
working-class families and to protect the environment.
  Now, as Senator Glenn prepares for retirement, he has agreed to serve 
our nation yet again, returning to space in order to add to the body of 
human knowledge. I am very pleased and proud that Senator Glenn, a true 
legend and a hero, will again be a very visible example to our nation--
an example of service to our country and service to all humanity.
  A new generation of Americans will watch the launch of Discovery 
later this month, and hear from their parents and grandparents the many 
stories of how John Glenn served his country. They will hear of his 
bravery in wartime, his skill in the development and piloting of 
experimental aircraft, and his calm handling of the exceeding 
dangerous, ground breaking orbits aboard Friendship Seven. They will 
also hear that he spent twenty-four years as a Senator from Ohio, 
working in innumerable ways to better our nation. That he has set this 
example for all Americans may be his most lasting contribution. Who can 
judge the effect of such an example of personal sacrifice upon the 
children of our country, and upon all Americans?
  For these years of service and untiring dedication, I would like to 
thank Senator Glenn. And, on the occasion of his return to space, I 
congratulate him and wish him a fruitful flight and a safe return. I 
will miss his leadership here in Congress, as will all Ohioans. 
However, I will always remember him as an example of what a true 
American should be.

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