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ber 1, 1958, into the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration (NASA) to pioneer the future in space ex-
ploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics research; 
Whereas John Glenn of New Concord, Ohio, joined the 
United States Navy Reserve as an aviation cadet fol-
lowing 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 mon-
keys and chimpanzees and conducting 2 suborbital space 
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•HCON 102 IH 
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 mis-
sion 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 astro-
naut 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; 
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Whereas Glenn spent 9 days from October 29 until November 
7, 1998, in space undergoing various experiments to re-
search possible links between the human aging process 
and the negative symptoms experienced by astronauts ex-
posed 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 in-
cluding 6 Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Congres-
sional 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 mar-
riage 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 occa-
sion of this anniversary and for his lifetime of serv-
ice; and 
(3) acknowledges and affirms that John Glenn, 
pilot, astronaut, soldier, Senator, and statesman, has 
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faithfully served his State and Nation in war and 
peace and is truly and will always remain a United 
States hero. 
Æ 
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