"John Herschel Glenn Jr. (July 18, 1921 – December 8, 2016) was an American aviator, engineer, astronaut, and United States Senator from Ohio. In 1962 he became the first American to orbit the Earth, circling three times. Before joining NASA, he was a distinguished fighter pilot in both World War II and Korea, with five Distinguished Flying Crosses and eighteen clusters.
He was one of the "Mercury Seven" group of military test pilots selected in 1959 by NASA to become America's first astronauts. On February 20, 1962, Glenn flew the Friendship 7 mission and became the first American to orbit the Earth and the fifth person in space. Glenn received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1978, and was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1990. Glenn was the last surviving member of the Mercury Seven after the death of Scott Carpenter."
yeah - just some schmuck.
Savings and loan scandal
"Glenn was one of the five U.S. senators caught up in the Lincoln Savings and Keating Five Scandal after accepting a $200,000 contribution from Charles Keating. Glenn and Republican senator John McCain were the only senators exonerated. The Senate Commission found that Glenn had exercised "poor judgment". The association of his name with the scandal gave Republicans hope that he would be vulnerable in the 1992 campaign. Instead, Glenn defeated Lieutenant Governor Mike DeWine to keep his seat.[45]"
My guess, and it is nothing more than that, is that the font used for your numerals is an anachronism, and that in the launch control building one would have seen Nixie tubes.
Ted Williams was his wing man in Korea. Two men different politically but depending on each other for their lives. I would be happy w/ either Glenn or Williams having my back.
Absolutely unfathomable that just seven years after this baby step of orbiting the earth we would have men walking on the moon 240,000 miles away and returning. Then do it over and over again in quick succession. No real computers, no lasers, no modern CNC machinery or robotics, no experience, no experts. Today we couldn't send people to the grocery store without seven years of cost overruns, schedule delays, environmental impact statements, studies, and millions spent finding the perfect LGBTQJHGPO crew, and making sure none of them had to sit in the back seat.
He was a war hero, a great astronaut, but once he got elected to the Senate he became just another rich corruptocrat. He tainted his legacy further by selling out to Keating. Some think he should have died in prison.
nick: How different politically were Glenn and Williams? Glenn was a Republican. I am not sure what Williams was, other than he admired MacArthur a lot. I can't see Ted as a progressive lefty.
Evi, Glenn was a fairly moderate Democrat, although some don't think that as possible. As you suspected, Williams was conservative. A big Reagan lover. Bobby Knight and Williams became friends and Bobby and Ted would discuss politics. Knight said he was impressed @ how knowledgeable Ted was on history.
Yes bago, those were the days. I still consider Apollo 13 the height of that era...a malfunction in space, and they had to fix it on the fly, and re-enter the atmosphere by dead reckoning.
24 comments:
He seemed like someone everyone could agree upon.
But I was pretty young back in those days.
Now it seems those days are gone forever.
Never that wowed by him.
He always seemed to be at least as impressed with himself as everyone else and way too eager to capitalize on his fame.
In the end, a crooked politician who sold out for a ride on the space shuttle.
wiki
"John Herschel Glenn Jr. (July 18, 1921 – December 8, 2016) was an American aviator, engineer, astronaut, and United States Senator from Ohio. In 1962 he became the first American to orbit the Earth, circling three times. Before joining NASA, he was a distinguished fighter pilot in both World War II and Korea, with five Distinguished Flying Crosses and eighteen clusters.
He was one of the "Mercury Seven" group of military test pilots selected in 1959 by NASA to become America's first astronauts. On February 20, 1962, Glenn flew the Friendship 7 mission and became the first American to orbit the Earth and the fifth person in space. Glenn received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1978, and was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1990. Glenn was the last surviving member of the Mercury Seven after the death of Scott Carpenter."
yeah - just some schmuck.
Savings and loan scandal
"Glenn was one of the five U.S. senators caught up in the Lincoln Savings and Keating Five Scandal after accepting a $200,000 contribution from Charles Keating. Glenn and Republican senator John McCain were the only senators exonerated. The Senate Commission found that Glenn had exercised "poor judgment". The association of his name with the scandal gave Republicans hope that he would be vulnerable in the 1992 campaign. Instead, Glenn defeated Lieutenant Governor Mike DeWine to keep his seat.[45]"
God speed, John Glenn.
My guess, and it is nothing more than that, is that the font used for your numerals is an anachronism, and that in the launch control building one would have seen Nixie tubes.
I have a lot of respect for Colonel John Glenn, but that respect came back to earth when he became Senator John Glenn.
Ted Williams was his wing man in Korea. Two men different politically but depending on each other for their lives. I would be happy w/ either Glenn or Williams having my back.
John Glenn was an engineer.
Absolutely unfathomable that just seven years after this baby step of orbiting the earth we would have men walking on the moon 240,000 miles away and returning. Then do it over and over again in quick succession. No real computers, no lasers, no modern CNC machinery or robotics, no experience, no experts. Today we couldn't send people to the grocery store without seven years of cost overruns, schedule delays, environmental impact statements, studies, and millions spent finding the perfect LGBTQJHGPO crew, and making sure none of them had to sit in the back seat.
When people say "America was never great", her accomplishments during Glenn's time are worth remembering.
When people say "America was never great", her accomplishments during Glenn's time are worth remembering.
Isn't calling America a "she" a micro-agression?
A "straw woman" argument?
Was Glenn the astronaut who described the surface of the moon as "magnificent desolation?" Talk about poetic concision.
Just looked it up. That was Buzz Aldrin.
Yeah, Glenn never went to the moon. He used those words when describing Pelosi's face.
ed, you have rather high standards. I always liked Glenn.
He was a war hero, a great astronaut, but once he got elected to the Senate he became just another rich corruptocrat. He tainted his legacy further by selling out to Keating. Some think he should have died in prison.
He outlived his own legend.
nick: How different politically were Glenn and Williams? Glenn was a Republican. I am not sure what Williams was, other than he admired MacArthur a lot. I can't see Ted as a progressive lefty.
John Glenn was a democrat, and a corrupt one at that. Or, maybe that is redundant. He got caught.
Ultimately very little separated him from other DC communists.
My bad. Democrat. Gotcha.
Evi, Glenn was a fairly moderate Democrat, although some don't think that as possible. As you suspected, Williams was conservative. A big Reagan lover. Bobby Knight and Williams became friends and Bobby and Ted would discuss politics. Knight said he was impressed @ how knowledgeable Ted was on history.
Ground control to Colonel John? Do I win a prize?
Yes bago, those were the days. I still consider Apollo 13 the height of that era...a malfunction in space, and they had to fix it on the fly, and re-enter the atmosphere by dead reckoning.
Yes you win a pizza.
Double pepperoni, please.
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