[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 151 (Wednesday, October 21, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12850-S12851]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               JOHN GLENN

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I've been fortunate to be a member of the 
United States Senate for nearly 18 years, and I have seen a lot of 
members come and go. But I must admit that I have never seen anyone 
make a more dramatic exit than our colleague from Ohio. Then again, who 
in this Chamber would expect anything less?
  John Glenn is a man who has served his nation as a Marine fighter 
pilot in World War II and Korea, flying a total of 149 combat missions.
  He has served as a test pilot in the first era of supersonic jets--an 
occupation where attending a colleague's funeral was as common as a new 
speed record.
  Then of course, John Glenn became a part of our national 
consciousness when he was chosen to be one of the seven Mercury 
Astronauts. As much as any event since World War II, his historic 
flight aboard Friendship 7 on February 20, 1962 united this Nation and 
made us believe that there are no limits on what we as humans and as 
Americans can accomplish.
  For the past 24 years, John Glenn has served the people of Ohio and 
this country as a United States Senator. He has performed his duties 
with an uncommon grace and dignity. He is a credit to this institution 
and I am proud to call him a friend.
  And now, on October 29th, in perhaps his last act as a U.S. Senator, 
John Glenn will return to the heavens aboard the space shuttle 
Discovery, becoming the oldest man to ever travel in outer space.
  It is very common in this body to feel emotions of deep admiration 
and respect for one's colleagues, but John Glenn is the rare Senator 
who inspires feelings of sheer awe.
  I was trying to think of what would be an appropriate way to pay 
tribute to my friend from Ohio, and to put into perspective how 
remarkable and inspiring is his impending voyage aboard Discovery. And 
I was reminded of the famous farewell of another American hero to whom 
Senator Glenn is linked historically.
  I'm sure all of my colleagues remember Ted Williams--and those of us 
from New England remember him quite fondly. The Boston Red Sox left-
fielder is considered by many to be the greatest hitter who ever lived. 
The last man to ever hit .400 and the winner of two Triple Crowns, Ted 
Williams' ability to hit for both power and average has never been 
matched.
  One fact most people don't know about Ted Williams is that he served 
in the same squadron with John Glenn during the Korean War. Our friend 
from Ohio was the squadron commander, and the Mr. Williams was his 
wing-man. People talk about Ruth and Gehrig as the best one-two punch 
in history, but John Glenn and Ted Williams isn't half bad.
  As the story is told, when Ted Williams went to Korea, he knew he 
would be going into combat. Therefore, he was going to pick the best 
person to fly alongside him. He had been told that John Glenn was one 
of the best test pilots in the world, so he sought out our colleague in 
the reception center before shipping out. And while Ted Williams sought 
out John Glenn, in tapping Ted Williams to be his wing-man, John Glenn 
was saying that Williams was the best and sharpest pilot he had in his 
squadron.

[[Page S12851]]

  Ted Williams had many great moments on the baseball diamond, but no 
moment more perfectly encapsulates his career than his last major 
league at-bat on September 28, 1960. And as John Glenn prepares for his 
Discovery mission, I cannot help but be reminded of that crisp autumn 
afternoon at Fenway Park.
  The game was meaningless in the standings, with the Red Sox limping 
to the end of their worst season in 27 years. But the day was 
significant for it was the last time that Hub fans would ever get a 
glimpse of Number Nine's classic swing. After going 0 for 2 with two 
fly outs and a walk, Ted Williams came to the plate in the bottom of 
the eighth inning for what was sure to be his last at-bat. Writer John 
Updike was at the game, and his accounts of that day are considered 
scripture by baseball fans everywhere.
  As Updike wrote: ``Understand that we were a crowd of rational 
people. We knew that a home run cannot be produced at will; the right 
pitch must be perfectly met and luck must ride with the ball. Three 
innings before, we had seen a brave effort fail. The air was soggy, the 
season was exhausted. Nevertheless, there will always lurk, around the 
corner in a pocket of our knowledge of the odds, an indefensible hope, 
and this was one of the times, which you now and then find in sports, 
when a density of expectation hangs in the air and plucks an event out 
of the future.''
  As many of my colleagues already know, Ted Williams did not 
disappoint. In his final swing, he hit a one-one pitch that soared 
majestically through the air before disappearing into the right-field 
bullpen.
  As John Updike wrote, ``Ted Williams' last word had been so 
exquisitely chosen, such a perfect fusion of expectation, intention, 
and execution.'' Well, I feel that Senator John Glenn's final word has 
been just as exquisitely chosen.
  Here is a man whose career of service to this country is 
unparalleled. Taken separately, his service as a Marine pilot, as an 
astronaut, and as a Senator are extraordinary. Put together, they are 
mythic.
  Thirty-six years ago, John Glenn convinced a nation that there are no 
limits to human potential. At the end of this month, he will once more 
extend the envelope of human accomplishment. John Glenn's mission on 
the Discovery is his home run in his last at bat. I only wish that they 
could find a seat on the Discovery for John Updike.
  Ted Williams' last home run reminds me of John Glenn, not simply 
because it shows that both men know how to go out in style. It does so 
because the emotions that were stirred in this fabled at-bat are the 
very same emotions that have made John Glenn an American hero.
  It is that feeling of indefensible hope, our desire to believe in 
something that is bigger than ourselves. Simply put, it is our belief 
in heroes.
  Life will always be full of disappointment and tribulations. But it 
helps us to conquer the everyday battles in our own lives when we see 
someone whom we admire accomplish great things. And we cheer for those 
persons, because in them, we see the best in ourselves. By believing in 
them, we believe in ourselves.
  When you read John Updike's description of the mood in Fenway Park 
before that last at bat, it could just as easily be a description of 
the mood in the Grandstands watching Senator Glenn's launch from Cape 
Canaveral later this month, or in every American living room when John 
Glenn boarded Friendship 7 thirty-six years ago.
  Reason insists that we be practical. That we accept our limitations. 
Yet we hold out hope that we can achieve things once unimaginable, that 
we can do better. And John Glenn has shown us time and again, as an 
astronaut, as a test pilot, as a Marine, and as a Senator that we can 
do better.
  Surprisingly, the fact that John Glenn and Ted Williams served 
together in Korea remained largely a secret until 10 years ago, when 
Senator Glenn appeared at a reception to honor Ted Williams on his 70th 
birthday. At the end of the evening, Ted Williams, a man not known for 
lavishing praise on others, spoke about his former commander. He said, 
and I quote: ``I was so happy and proud of the fact that I knew him. 
John Glenn is an extraordinarily talented, brave hero. He's a hell of a 
man. It's just too bad that he's a Democrat.''
  When Ted Williams is singing your praises, you must be doing 
something right, and aside from his comments about Senator Glenn's 
politics, I couldn't agree more with Mr. Williams' statement.
  What we seem to forget about Senator Glenn's departure is that, while 
he is going into space at the end of the month, he is also coming back. 
I understand that he plans to set up an institute at Ohio State to 
encourage young people to become involved in politics and public 
service. In today's climate, it may be harder to turn young people on 
to politics than it was to put a man into orbit in 1962. But as a 
public servant, I cannot imagine a better advocate for the profession 
of public service than John Glenn. He reminds all of us, young and old, 
that there is honor in service to others and to your country.
  While I am certain that he will keep busy, I hope that he and Annie 
will have a chance to relax and enjoy his retirement. They have 
certainly earned it.
  So as I bid my friend farewell and good luck in his future years, and 
in particular his mission, I will repeat those words made famous by 
Scott Carpenter 37 years ago: ``Godspeed, John Glenn.''

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