American Hero John Glenn dies at 95 … Godspeed, John Glenn

JOHN GLENN, A TRUE AMERICAN HERO HAS PASSED AWAY …

Astronaut, aviator, US Senator and American icon and hero, John Glenn has passed away at the age of 95. Glenn died at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, surrounded by family including his wife Annie. What a remarkable life. As a Marine Corps pilot, Glenn broke the transcontinental flight speed record before being the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962. Then, 36 years later at age 77 in 1998, becoming the oldest man in space as a member of the seven-astronaut crew of the shuttle Discovery. In a time in which we all dreamed of growing up to be astronauts, John Glenn made that a possibility. He is a national treasure and will be missed. Farewell to an American hero … Godspeed, John Glenn.

His legend is otherworldly and now, at age 95, so is John Glenn.

An authentic hero and genuine American icon, Glenn died this afternoon surrounded by family at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus after a remarkably healthy life spent almost from the cradle with Annie, his beloved wife of 73 years, who survives.

He, along with fellow aviators Orville and Wilbur Wright and moon-walker Neil Armstrong, truly made Ohio first in flight.

“John Glenn is, and always will be, Ohio’s ultimate hometown hero, and his passing today is an occasion for all of us to grieve,” said Ohio Gov. John R. Kasich. “As we bow our heads and share our grief with his beloved wife, Annie, we must also turn to the skies, to salute his remarkable journeys and his long years of service to our state and nation.

The John Glenn Story

Sadly, with the passing of John Glenn, this means that all of the original 7 astronauts chosen to lead the fledgling US space program in 1959 are now dead. They were the last of a dying breed of space explorers who were larger than life. Maybe this will wake NASA up and they can get back to doing what NASA was intended to do.

• John Glenn
• Alan B. Shepard, Jr.
• Virgil I. ‘Gus’ Grissom
• Scott Carpenter
• L. Gordon Cooper, Jr.
• Walter M. Schirra, Jr.
• Donald K. ‘Deke’ Slayton.