45th Anniversary Of John Herschel Glenn, Jr. Becoming First U.S. Astronaut TO Orbit Earth

Floor Speech

45TH ANNIVERSARY OF JOHN HERSCHEL GLENN, JR. BECOMING FIRST U.S. ASTRONAUT TO ORBIT EARTH -- (House of Representatives - May 01, 2007)

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Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 252, recognizing the 45th anniversary of John Herschel Glenn, Jr.'s historic achievement in becoming the first United States astronaut to orbit the Earth.

This resolution recognizes John Glenn's distinguished career as a military officer in the United States Marine Corps, during which he served in combat in the South Pacific and the Korean conflict and received many honors for his military service, as a test pilot on Navy and Marine Corps jet fighters and attack aircraft, and especially as an astronaut on the first manned orbital mission of the United States.

Madam Speaker, on February 20, 1962, John Glenn piloted the Mercury-Atlas 6 Friendship 7 spacecraft on the first U.S. manned orbital space mission, completing three orbits of the Earth and landing some 5 hours later 800 miles southeast of Kennedy Space Center near Grand Turk Island. With that pioneer flight, John Glenn joined his fellow Americans, Alan Shepard and Virgil Grissom, in realizing the dream of space exploration and engaging the minds and imaginations of his and future generations in the vast potential of space exploration.

This resolution recognizes that John Glenn, having retired from the space program, continued his public service as a distinguished Member of the Senate for 24 years and through his work at the John Glenn Institute at the Ohio State University, which fosters public involvement in the policy-making process.

In 1998, John Glenn returned to space after 36 years as a member of the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery, helping researchers study how weightlessness affects the body of an older person.

Madam Speaker, I urge you and my colleagues to support House Resolution 252, to honor this 45th anniversary of John Herschel Glenn, Jr.'s landmark mission, piloting the first manned orbital mission of the United States, and to recognize the profound importance of his achievement as a catalyst to space exploration and scientific advancement in the United States.

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