We've lost another good one.

He did all that he did and still made it to 95.......well done Sir!! RIP

 

Yep. It was a hell of a run for someone who stayed that close to the edge for most of his life. RIP

 

**********************************************************
High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, --and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of --Wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air...
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark or even eagle flew --
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God....
**********************************************************
Godspeed John Glenn;

Like Acree said, as a young boy growing up in the 1960's there were no bigger Heroes than Astronauts, and none bigger than John Glenn...

( And I STILL want to be an Astronaut!!! )

 

She packed my bags last night, preflight
Zero hour, nine a.m.
And I'm gonna be high
As a kite by then

I miss the earth so much
I miss my wife
It's lonely out in space
On such a timeless flight

And I think it's gonna be a long, long, time
'Til touchdown brings me 'round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh, no no no
I'm a rocket man
Rocket man
Burnin' out this fuse
Up here alone

Mars ain't the kind of place
To raise your kids
In fact, it's cold as hell
And there's no one there to raise them
If you did

And all this science
I don't understand
It's just my job
Five days a week
A rocket man
Rocket Man


I like to read this as it is, without thinking of the song. Pretty awesome to think of what they were doing at the time. Huge balls. Much respect.

 

No kidding, Right Stuff indeed.

 

About *150* combined combat missions from WWII and Korea - Amazing that anyone would survive that alone - Then that NASA / USAF test pilot work - I'd call that the *ragged* edge...

 

What a Life. What a man.
Think of the stories...
Thanks for the Inspration Mr. Glenn.
Godspeed.

 

Such an awesome life. True hero. Class Act all the way. Rest in Peace sir.

 

Repo, thanks for reciting this poem. It is one of the very few that really brings out an emotional response every time I read it. I think it was written especially for men like John Glenn.

 

RIP

When he left for WWll at 20 years old and just married the girl he loved since they were 10 years old, he told her he was leaving to get a pack of gum. He didn't want to say "I'm leaving for war and don't know when I'll be back" Every day for the rest of her life she carried a pack of gum with her. A true hero.

 

We are losing the greatest generation, so few left. Their stories deserve to be told. RIP John Glenn, the best of the best.

 

He was a badass

 

Trivia time. After his successful flight he was a certified American hero, problem was they were unwilling to risk losing their hero so he was pulled from flight rotation (thus never getting to be a part of the Apollo program, so no moon landing, etc.). Popular rumor was that his shuttle flight in the 80s was a consolation prize for getting the shaft in the 60s.

 

Heard that last night. JFK gave the order.

 

Somebody must be reading the same books I'm reading LOL

 

It was on some radio broadcast, but they could have been reading an excerpt from a book.

 

I just heard that on the news over here 30 minutes ago.

 

I took this picture in the Daytona paddock during the 1998 Race of Champions.
We all took a moment from our activities to watch John Glenn finally return to space.

 

RIP