[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 15, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S690-S692]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING JOHN HERSCHEL GLENN, JR.
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
Senate proceed to S. Res. 377, submitted earlier today.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 377) recognizing the 50th anniversary
of the historic achievement of John Herschel Glenn, Jr., in
becoming the first United States astronaut to orbit the
Earth.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to
reconsider be laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate,
and that any statements be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 377) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 377
Whereas John Herschel Glenn, Jr. was born on July 18, 1921,
in Cambridge, Ohio to parents John and Clara Glenn;
Whereas John Glenn grew up in New Concord, Ohio with his
childhood sweetheart and future wife, Annie Castor, 150 miles
east of Dayton, Ohio, the birthplace of the Wright brothers,
who first took humankind into flight;
Whereas John Glenn enlisted in the Naval Aviation Cadet
program shortly after the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl
Harbor, Hawaii, and was commissioned as an officer in the
United States Marine Corps in 1943;
Whereas John Glenn received many honors for his military
service, including the Distinguished Flying Cross on 6
occasions, the Air Medal with 18 Clusters, the Asiatic-
Pacific Campaign Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the
World War II Victory Medal, the China Service Medal, the
National Defense Service Medal, and the Korean Service Medal;
Whereas, with the onset of the Cold War, the United States
and the free world feared the intentions of the Soviet Union
in space;
Whereas President Dwight D. Eisenhower asked the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (referred to in this
preamble as ``NASA'') to find the most talented, patriotic,
and selfless test pilots to participate in Project Mercury,
the first human spaceflight program in the United States;
Whereas John Glenn and fellow candidates for NASA's
Astronaut Corps underwent pressure suit, acceleration,
vibration, heat, loud noise, psychiatric, personality,
motivation, and aptitude tests at the Aeromedical Laboratory
at the Wright Air Development Center in Dayton, Ohio;
Whereas John Glenn, Malcolm S. Carpenter, L. Gordon Cooper,
Jr., Virgil I. ``Gus'' Grissom, Walter M. Shirra, Jr., Alan
B. Shepard, Jr., and Donald K. Slayton were selected from
among hundreds of other patriotic candidates to be named the
original ``Mercury Seven'' astronauts;
Whereas Project Mercury was charged with the unprecedented
responsibility of competing with the strides that the Soviet
Union was making in space exploration;
Whereas the United States public viewed John Glenn and the
Mercury Seven astronauts as men on the front line of the war
not only for space supremacy but also, in many minds, for the
survival of the United States;
Whereas John Glenn accurately captured the significance of
the time when he later wrote that ``the world was at the door
of a new age, and we were the people who had been chosen to
take the first steps across the threshold'';
Whereas the Project Mercury astronauts trained for their
manned space flight missions in the Multi-Axis Space Training
Inertial Facility at NASA's Research Center in Cleveland,
Ohio;
Whereas Alan Shepard was chosen to pilot the first manned
Project Mercury mission on Freedom 7 on May 5, 1961, which
proved that the United States was capable of successfully
launching a person into suborbital flight;
Whereas Virgil Grissom was chosen to pilot the second
manned Project Mercury mission on Liberty Bell 7 and became
the second United States astronaut to achieve suborbital
flight on July 21, 1961;
Whereas the Soviet Union had successfully launched the
spacecrafts Lunar 2 and Lunar 3 in 1959 before successfully
launching and returning to Earth Major Yuri Gagarin, who
completed a 108-minute single orbit around the Earth in 1961;
Whereas John Glenn was selected from among the Project
Mercury astronauts to command the first United States capsule
to orbit the Earth;
Whereas John Glenn, with the help of his children Dave and
Lyn, named the first United States space capsule to orbit the
Earth Friendship 7, re-emphasizing the peaceful intentions
of the United States space exploration program;
Whereas John Glenn trained vigorously, working through 70
simulated missions and reacting to nearly 200 simulated
system failures, to prepare to orbit the Earth and
successfully complete the first manned orbital mission for
the United States;
Whereas the work that John Glenn conducted on the cockpit
layout, instrument panel design, and spacecraft controls in
the Mercury spacecraft enhanced the design of Friendship 7
and the ability of an astronaut to control Friendship 7,
which proved useful during the mission;
Whereas, at 9:47 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on February 20,
1962, the Atlas 109D rocket boosters ignited and John Glenn
and Friendship 7 commenced liftoff at NASA's Space Center in
Cape Canaveral, Florida;
Whereas John Glenn, aboard Friendship 7, became the first
United States astronaut to orbit the Earth, orbiting 3 times
and observing 3 sunrises, 3 sunsets, and the wonder of the
universe in only 4 hours and 56 minutes;
Whereas, when John Glenn learned that the heat shield on
Friendship 7 had possibly become loose in orbit, compromising
the successful completion of the space mission, Glenn bravely
managed the reentry procedures and proved that a person can
safely and successfully complete a NASA mission;
Whereas John Glenn successfully completed reentry into
Earth, splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean at 2:43 p.m.
Eastern Standard Time, east of Grand Turk Island at 21
degrees, 25 minutes North latitude and 68 degrees, 36 minutes
West longitude, and was recovered by the USS Noa;
Whereas, in the context of the Cold War, the success of the
Friendship 7 flight restored the standing of the United
States as the leading country in the race to space against
the Soviet Union;
Whereas the completion of the inaugural orbit of the Earth
by John Glenn validated
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NASA's manned space flight mission and secured the future
missions of NASA's manned space capsules;
Whereas the people of the United States heralded John Glenn
as the personification of heroism and dignity in an age of
uncertainty and fear;
Whereas the press later described John Glenn as a man who
embodied the noblest human qualities;
Whereas President John F. Kennedy echoed the belief held by
John Glenn that the United States space program was not just
a scientific journey but also a source of inspiration and
pride, saying, ``our leadership in science and industry, our
hopes for peace and security . . . require us to solve these
mysteries and to solve them for the good of all men'';
Whereas John Glenn is a patriot and space pioneer who
encouraged the people of the United States to rightfully view
NASA as an embodiment of the persistent quest of the people
of the United States to expand their knowledge and explore
frontiers;
Whereas, in retirement, John and Annie Glenn continued
their public service by establishing the John Glenn School of
Public Affairs at The Ohio State University, living up to the
words of John Glenn, who said, ``If there is one thing I've
learned in my years on this planet, it's that the happiest
and most fulfilled people I've known are those who devoted
themselves to something bigger and more profound than merely
their own self-interest.''; and
Whereas, although 50 years have passed, the historic orbit
of John Glenn around the Earth aboard Friendship 7 remains a
source of pride and honor for the people of the United
States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) honors the 50th anniversary of the landmark mission of
John Herschel Glenn, Jr., in piloting the first manned
orbital mission for the United States;
(2) recognizes the profound importance of the achievement
of John Glenn as a catalyst for space exploration and
scientific advancement in the United States; and
(3) honors the thousands of dedicated men and women of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration who worked on
Project Mercury and ensured the success of the Friendship 7
Mercury mission.
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, on behalf of Senator Portman and
myself, I am proud to have submitted this bipartisan resolution--joined
by 18 Senators, 10 of whom served with John Glenn in the Senate.
Fifty-years ago next week, on the morning of February 20, 1962, John
Herschel Glenn, Jr. of Ohio became the first American to orbit the
Earth.
I was 9 years old. Like other families around Ohio, I watched him on
television at home in Mansfield with my parents and two brothers.
The broadcast also showed John Glenn, Sr. and Clara Glenn, John's
parents, watching anxiously.
Across the country, others were listening on transistor radios. In
New York City, the subway system broadcast the liftoff and flight
progress over loud speakers.
In Grand Central Station, CBS News set up a large 12 foot by 16 foot
screen over the main ticket window--by the time of lift-off 10,000
people had packed the terminal.
Like millions of Americans, they watched Walter Cronkite set the
scene. Our Nation was in the midst of the Cold War--worried about
Russian nuclear aggression, worried about the race into space.
Cronkite would later say that:
It was a time when the intricacies of science were
complicated by deep American doubts and anxieties over where
we stood in the race with Russian science.
With the arms race in a dead heat, space had become the
scoreboard of Cold War competition.
That's why a few years earlier, President Eisenhower launched Project
Mercury as the first human spaceflight program in the United States--to
put our country on the playing field.
Hundreds of our Nation's bravest and patriotic aviators signed up--
only seven were selected as the original Mercury 7: John Glenn, Jr. of
Ohio; M. Scott Carpenter of Colorado; L. Gordon Cooper, Jr. of
Oklahoma; Virgil I. ``Gus'' Grissom of Indiana; Walter M. Schirra, Jr.
of New Jersey; Alan B. Shepard, Jr. of New Hampshire; and Donald K.
``Deke'' Slayton of Wisconsin.
Glenn later wrote of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, ``The world
was at the door of a new age, and we were the people who had been
chosen to take the first steps across the threshold.''
And when President Kennedy took office, he continued our Nation's
pursuit into space--and race against the Russians.
He said, ``Our leadership in science and industry, our hopes for
peace and security . . . require us to solve these mysteries and to
solve them for the good of all men.''
Alan Shepard piloted the Freedom 7 in May 1961 and Gus Grissom
piloted Liberty Bell 7 in July 1961 to prove that Americans could
launch humans into suborbital flight.
But then the Russians successfully launched Yuri Gagarin into orbit
around the Earth.
America's response was left to a decorated Marine aviator born in
Cambridge, Ohio who grew up a few miles away in New Concord.
On the morning of February 20, 1962, the eyes of the world were on
John Glenn, who was tasked with piloting our space program's most
dangerous flight at the time.
He would command Friendship 7--named by Glenn and his children, Dave
and Lyn, to emphasize our Nation's intentions in space.
But over weeks and months, his mission was scrubbed ten times.
The reasons were varied--from inclement weather to technical
problems. Tensions remained high throughout.
Any miscues or failure would undermine national security--along with
national pride and the country's psyche.
Finally, at 9:47 a.m. on February 20, 1962, with 70 degree Fahrenheit
weather at NASA's Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, Friendship 7
was blasted off into space.
As the rocket ascended, people cheered. Others cried and prayed--the
hopes of an entire nation rested on the shoulders of a single man in a
space capsule hurling into an unknown place.
Everything was going as planned--from launch to orbital entry--and
once successfully in space, John Glenn became the first American to
orbit the Earth.
He would observe three sunrises, three sunsets, and the wonder of the
universe in 4 hours and 56 minutes.
But during the flight, problems occurred. The spacecraft's automatic
control system malfunctioned, causing Glenn to manually control the
capsule.
And he was prepared to do so--benefitting from NASA's vigorous
training that included 70 simulated missions and malfunction response
training for nearly 200 simulated system failures.
His model of calmness, which I have seen many times over the years in
all kinds of situations, would become standard operating procedure for
future NASA manned space missions.
And despite having to deal with the malfunctions, Glenn still carried
out critical parts of the mission.
He took photographs of the Earth, observed weather on the Earth's
surface, and gave constant feedback to flight controllers about his
physical responses to the zero-gravity environment.
But earlier in the flight, Glenn saw an indicator light that
Friendship 7's heat shield had loosened--threatening his re-entry into
Earth.
With its world-class scientists and engineers leading the way--and
confident in its flight planning--NASA decided to keep the retrorocket
pack attached to secure the heat shield.
As planned, Friendship 7 re-entered the Earth's atmosphere--with
Glenn describing the ``fire-ball'' re-entry as one of the most
exhilarating parts of the flight.
It is the streak of light that people on Earth could see in the sky.
And in descent, the capsule successfully parachuted and splashed down
in the Atlantic Ocean, east of the Grand Turk Island, at 2:43 p.m.,
Eastern Standard Time. The USS Noa retrieved Friendship 7 and brought
Glenn aboard--validating our Nation's pursuit of discovery and ensuring
its place in the space race against the Russians. And just as
important--the flight of Friendship 7 and the courage of John Glenn
inspired generations of new scientists, engineers, and aviators. It
launched a new era of science, aerospace, and defense industries, and
it showed that our advancements in science--in exploring the unknown--
are not only a national security imperative, they are an economic
imperative, too--reaffirming that we have what it takes to out-compete
and out-innovate any nation in the world.
After his flight, Glenn received a hero's welcome--decorated with
awards and accolades--and honored in ticker-tape parades and magazine
profiles. Throughout it all, he remained humbled by his patriotism and
his small
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town Ohio roots--as a son whose father was a plumber, and whose mother
was a schoolteacher. And he remained grounded by his love for his wife,
his childhood sweetheart, Annie.
Much has been written about John and Annie. Both are just as in love
with each other now in their 90s as they were as children when they
met--as John says, in a playpen in New Concord.
He says of Annie, ``that she was part of my life from the time of my
first memory.''
It is fitting that in celebrating the 50th anniversary of John
Glenn's historic orbit of Earth, we honor his family--Annie and their
children, Dave and Lyn who gave public blessing and private prayers and
support during his service to our Nation.
I was fortunate to sit with Lyn and Dave and Annie in the Rotunda
when John Glenn, with three other astronauts, received the
Congressional Gold Medal for his flight aboard Friendship 7.
We also honor the thousands of dedicated and patriotic men and women
of NASA's Project Mercury Program.
It took a huge team of people as dedicated as John Glenn, and perhaps
as courageous, who ensured the safety and security of their astronauts
and preserved the pride of a grateful Nation. John will be in Florida
on this weekend to meet with those who were part of that operation--the
engineers, the scientists, the technicians--thanking them again for
sending him up and bringing him down safely. Their service has inspired
generations of future NASA technicians and mission control
specialists--from Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, to NASA Glenn in
Cleveland, to NASA centers around the country.
At one of the first press conferences of the Mercury 7 astronauts,
Glenn said:
This whole project . . . stands with us now like the Wright
Brothers--Ohioans also--stood at Kitty Hawk . . . I think we
stand on the verge of something as big and expansive as that
was 50 years ago.
It is that spirit of discovery, that conviction, duty, and faith that
John Glenn embodies and that his flight aboard Friendship 7 symbolizes.
It is my honor to submit this bipartisan resolution celebrating such an
important national and scientific achievement.
It is also my honor to be accompanied on the floor today by Nicole
Smith, who is a fellow from NASA Glenn, an aeronautical engineer, who
has done things as varied as having trained cosmonauts to the work she
has done in our office, guiding the success of NASA Glenn, one of the
best NASA centers in the country.
I am also joined on the floor by Laura Lynch, who has been with my
office for 3 years--a Clevelander--who is actually leaving our office
for bigger and better things in a couple of weeks. She has been part of
this too.
In my last personal moment with this resolution, I remember 40-some
years ago--44 years ago, I believe--when John Glenn was not Senator
Glenn but still Colonel Glenn. I received my Eagle Scout award in
Mansfield earlier in the year, and COL John Glenn came to a dinner with
a number of other Eagle Scouts in Mansfield. I have a picture in my
office in the Senate Hart Building of me standing there in my Boy Scout
uniform with my Eagle Scout pin with John Glenn, and next to that is a
picture of John Glenn and me some 38 years later before he walked me
down the center aisle to be sworn in to the Senate with the Senator
from Rhode Island in January of 2007.
John Glenn is special to our Nation. He is special to my wife Connie
and me because of our love for John and Annie and our respect for Dave
and Lyn, their children. He has honored our country in so many ways, it
is my honor to submit this resolution and I thank my colleagues.
I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
____________________