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[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 102 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 102

    Commemorating and praising the Honorable John Glenn on the 50th 
           anniversary of his historic orbital space flight.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 16, 2012

     Mr. Ryan of Ohio (for himself, Mr. Kucinich, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. 
  LaTourette, Mr. Latta, Mr. Chabot, Mr. Tiberi, Ms. Sutton, and Ms. 
    Fudge) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
      referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 
    Commemorating and praising the Honorable John Glenn on the 50th 
           anniversary of his historic orbital space flight.

Whereas John Glenn's 1962 space flight aboard Friendship 7 was a pivotal moment 
        in United States history;
Whereas the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics launched Sputnik I on October 4, 
        1957, and the people of the United States were immediately alarmed that 
        the Nation was no longer the world's technological leader;
Whereas the United States determined that a presence in outer space was 
        critically important to its national security during the Cold War;
Whereas to meet this challenge the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics 
        (NACA) was reorganized on October 1, 1958, into the National Aeronautics 
        and Space Administration (NASA) to pioneer the future in space 
        exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics research;
Whereas John Glenn of New Concord, Ohio, joined the United States Navy Reserve 
        as an aviation cadet following the bombing of Pearl Harbor;
Whereas John Glenn was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States 
        Marine Corps on March 31, 1943;
Whereas John Glenn flew 59 combat missions flying the FU-4 Corsair in the South 
        Pacific during World War II and was awarded two Distinguished Flying 
        Crosses;
Whereas John Glenn flew 63 combat missions in the F9F Panther and 27 combat 
        missions in the F-86 Sabre in the Korean War and received two 
        Distinguished Flying Crosses;
Whereas John Glenn was assigned as a test pilot at Test Pilot School at Naval 
        Air Station Patuxent River and on July 16, 1957, flew the first 
        transcontinental flight, Project Bullet, averaging speeds greater than 
        the speed of sound travelling 2,446 miles in 3 hours 23 minutes and 8.1 
        seconds from Los Alamitos, California, to Floyd Bennett Field, New York, 
        in a F8U Crusader and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross;
Whereas NASA selected 7 United States Armed Forces test pilots, including Major 
        John H. Glenn, Jr., USMC, to volunteer and fly in its manned space 
        program, Project Mercury on April 9, 1959;
Whereas NASA conducted 20 unmanned launches of the Project Mercury space capsule 
        including some with monkeys and chimpanzees and conducting 2 suborbital 
        space flights in 1961 commanded by Commander Alan Shepard, USN, and 
        Captain Gus Grissom, USAF;
Whereas after numerous delays, John Glenn boarded his Mercury capsule named 
        Friendship 7 on February 20, 1962;
Whereas the world stopped as the Atlas rocket with 360,000 pounds of thrust 
        lifted Friendship 7 off the launch pad with the voice of fellow 
        astronaut Scott Carpenter at mission control wishing ``Godspeed John 
        Glenn'';
Whereas Glenn felt 6 times the force of gravity on lift off and then once in 
        space, we heard his voice crackling over the radio ``Zero-g and I feel 
        fine. Capsule is turning around. Oh, that view is tremendous!'';
Whereas great concern was raised about indications that the heat shield might 
        not be properly attached which would result in the fiery destruction of 
        the spacecraft and astronaut upon reentry;
Whereas with a successful splashdown, John Glenn had reached speeds of over 
        18,000 miles per hour, and in 4 hours 55 minutes and 23 seconds became 
        the first United States citizen to orbit the Earth, rocketing the Nation 
        back into the space race and taking a vital step on man's journey to the 
        moon;
Whereas John Glenn's public service career was far from over being elected 
        Ohio's United States Senator in 1974 and serving as the first Ohioan 
        popularly elected to 4 terms and serving an Ohio record of 24 years 
        consecutive years;
Whereas having announced his retirement from the Senate, NASA selected Glenn as 
        a Payload Specialist on the Space Shuttle Discovery Mission STS-95;
Whereas Glenn spent 9 days from October 29 until November 7, 1998, in space 
        undergoing various experiments to research possible links between the 
        human aging process and the negative symptoms experienced by astronauts 
        exposed for a lengthy period of time to the weightlessness of space and 
        at age 77 becoming the oldest United States citizen to travel into 
        space;
Whereas John Glenn is the recipient of numerous awards including 6 Distinguished 
        Flying Crosses, the Congressional Space of Medal of Honor, and the 
        Congressional Gold Medal;
Whereas John Glenn continues to inspire a new generation of leaders at the John 
        Glenn School of Public Affairs at the Ohio State University; and
Whereas John Glenn and his childhood sweetheart, Anna Margaret Castor, Annie, 
        have celebrated 68 years of marriage together and are blessed with 2 
        children, John David Glenn and Carolyn Ann Glenn, and grandsons Daniel 
        and Zachary: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) recognizes the 50th anniversary of John Glenn's 
        historic orbital space flight with Project Mercury aboard 
        Friendship 7 on February 20, 1962;
            (2) honors and praises John Glenn on the occasion of this 
        anniversary and for his lifetime of service; and
            (3) acknowledges and affirms that John Glenn, pilot, 
        astronaut, soldier, Senator, and statesman, has faithfully 
        served his State and Nation in war and peace and is truly and 
        will always remain a United States hero.
                                 <all>
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