JOHN GLENN : Ke Luar Angkasa Pada Umur 77.

EXPLORER HERO: JOHN GLENN

To look out at this kind of creation out here and not believe in God is to me impossible, ... It just strengthens my faith. I wish there were words to describe what it's like.

(John Glenn)

John Glenn

Photo from NASA

(A) hero...is somebody who is so preeminent in his or her field that it benefits other people and our country. These heroes have dedicated themselves to something that is very important to everybody and their own affairs have become secondary. -John Glenn

At the height of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, John Glenn launched into space and landed as the first American to orbit the Earth. The year was 1962. The Berlin Wall had just been erected and the prior year saw two Russian cosmonauts successfully orbit the Earth, propelling the Russians to the head of the Space Race. Americans needed a patriotic boost, and NASA's success did just that, with Glenn as the icon of a renewed American pride.

Perhaps John Glenn will always be remembered as the hero in a space suit, but his historic orbit wasn't the first time he served his country well, and it certainly wasn't the last. Long before his fame as an astronaut, John had a strong sense of pride for his country and his duty to serve it, and this attitude and sense of honor and integrity has remained with Glenn throughout his life, from his love of flying, to a decorated military career, and then on to NASA and the US Senate.

Growing up in a small town in Ohio during the 1920's and 30's, John learned about the values of hard work, civic duty, and patriotism. John felt a deep sense of community and an individual's responsibility within it. Throughout all of his life there is one person who has remained a continuous source of inspiration and encouragement: his wife, Annie. First a childhood friend, then his high school sweetheart, and now his wife of 60-plus years, Annie has been by his side since they were toddling around in the playpen. From his early childhood, his parents set the example for him, especially his father, an army veteran of World War I and a hardworking plumber in the Glenn family plumbing business. One of his high school teachers inspired him with the belief that even one person could make a difference in improving the lives of other citizens.

Glenn's affinity for flying also began in his hometown, when at age eight, his father took him on his first airplane ride. The short flights in his father's biplane grew to become part of his college curriculum, and his envisioned career path--to be a commercial airline pilot. But after the attack on Pearl Harbor, John left college to enlist in the Naval Aviation Cadet Program. Despite his success in the Navy and his brilliance shown during that first orbit, It wasn't until nearly twenty years later, after his historic spaceflight, that Glenn was awarded a degree in engineering from Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio.

Glenn piloted fighter planes over the Marshall Islands during WWII and after the war, instructed others in advanced flight training, and even when he had fulfilled his duty to fight in combat, John, after a discussion with Annie, made the decision to fly missions during the Korean War. He has earned six Distinguished Flying Crosses, an award that exists to honor those who display heroism and bravery above and beyond the call of duty. Accomplished and precise, this pilot also proved to be an aviation hero in peaceful times when he set the transcontinental speed record from LA to Long Island. It was the first transcontinental flight to average supersonic speed.

John Glenn's military experience put him on the path to a career in aviation, but his sense of honor, hardworking nature, and quick thinking earned him a spot on NASA's first list of astronauts. All these qualities, in addition to his perseverance and ability to work well under intense pressure, were key components to that first manned orbit on the Friendship 7 and proved to be essential to the integrity of the nation's entire space program. While in orbit, the ship's automatic controls malfunctioned and Glenn ended up taking control of the craft manually, all the while snapping pictures of sunsets, the lights in Australia, and a sandstorm in the Sahara.

After the celebrations of NASA's successful early spaceflights, he continued to work with aeronautics and support the US Space Program unwaveringly, but would remain grounded for thirty-six years. On the 25th anniversary of the Friendship 7, Glenn remarked, "The exploration of the unknown is nothing less than an expression of America's Spirit." Glenn's outer space exploration came full circle in 1998, when he completed one last mission on the Space Shuttle Discovery.

In between space missions, John continued in a career serving the public. He ran for the US Senate, and after a few lost races, was elected Senator of Ohio by an overwhelming majority. Senator Glenn fought to clean up decades of environmental waste left by the nuclear weapons surge during the Cold War and helped to create federal legislation to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. In addition to these significant breakthroughs, Glenn also improved the economy and environment of the Great Lakes states and initiated plans to cut fraud within the federal government. Elected for an unprecedented four terms as Ohio senator, he could be counted on for tackling numerous other international and domestic issues with great success and integrity.

After 24 years of service, John retired from the Senate. Yet, there are still times when he wishes he was still working on Capitol Hill, so he continues to find ways to reach out and make a difference in the lives of others. With Annie, he set up the John Glenn Center for Public Service & Public Policy at Ohio State University. The center strives to engage and educate young people in public service, in addition to enhancing the quality of public service and ensuring quality research for public policy.

Public recognition has followed John Glenn throughout his adult life, but despite the fame and his own place in the history of heroes, he sees more heroes in everyday life and people than in public figures. For Glenn, heroes are people who have put their own affairs as secondary and have dedicated themselves to something that is important to the public as a whole. His biggest hero is his wife Annie, who overcame severe stuttering to become an accomplished public speaker and public advocate for people with disabilities. In an interview with MY HERO, Glenn reflects on heroism: "We always think of heroes as being well-known publicly, but I think that we are made up of a whole nation of heroes in their own way. They face problems that are very, very difficult. They face these things with courage...they, too, need recognition."

Each of Glenn's words carries with it a sampling of his passion and integrity, and these qualities and sentiments solidify why John Glenn is a true hero, a hero's hero, and one of the ultimate role models for our times.

by Kathy Crockett

JOHN GLENN AND ANNIE STORY

John Glenn, A Memoir, “She was part of my life from the time of my first memory.”

Beautiful & inspiring story, worth the read.

John Glenn and Annie.

For half a century, the

world has applauded John Glenn as a heart-stirring American hero. He lifted the nation's spirits when, as one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, he was blasted alone into orbit around the Earth; the enduring affection for him is so powerful that even now people find themselves misting up at the sight of his face or the sound of his voice.



But for all these years, Glenn has had a hero of his own, someone who he has seen display endless courage of a different kind: Annie Glenn.

They have been married for 68 years.



He is 90; she turned 92 on Friday.

This weekend there has been news coverage of the 50th anniversary of Glenn's flight into orbit. We are being reminded that, half a century down the

line, he remains America's unforgettable hero.

He has never really bought that.

Because the heroism he most cherishes is of a sort that is seldom cheered.  It belongs to the person he has known longer than he has known anyone else in the world.

John Glenn and Annie Castor first knew each other when – literally  -- they shared a playpen.

In New Concord, Ohio, his parents and hers were friends. When the families got together, their children played.

John -- the future Marine fighter pilot, the future test-pilot ace, the
future astronaut -- was pure gold from the start.

He would end up having what it took to rise to the absolute pinnacle of American regard during the space race; imagine what it meant to be the young John Glenn in the small confines of New Concord.

Three-sport varsity athlete, most admired boy in town, Mr. 

Everything.

Annie Castor was bright, was caring, was talented, was generous of spirit. But she could talk only with the most excruciating of difficulty. It haunted her.

Her stuttering was so severe that it was categorized as an "85%"
disability -- 85% of the time, she could not manage to make words come out.

When she tried to recite a poem in elementary school, she was laughed at. She was not able to speak on the telephone. She could not have a regular conversation with a friend.

And John Glenn loved her.

Even as a boy he was wise enough to understand that people who could not see past her stutter were missing out on knowing a rare and wonderful girl.



They married on April 6, 1943. As a military wife, she found that life as she and John moved around the country could be quite hurtful. She has written: "I can remember some very painful experiences -- especially the ridicule."

In department stores, she would wander unfamiliar aisles trying to find the right section, embarrassed to attempt to ask the salesclerks for help. In taxis, she would have to write requests to the driver, because she couldn't speak the destination out loud. In restaurants, she would point to the items on the menu.

A fine musician, Annie, in every community where she and John moved, would play the organ in church as a way to make new friends.

She and John had two children; she has written: "Can you imagine living in the modern world and being afraid to use the telephone?

'Hello' used to be so hard for me to say. I worried that my children would be injured and need a doctor. Could I somehow find the words to get the information across on the phone?"

John, as a Marine aviator, flew 59 combat missions in World War II and 90 during the Korean War. Every time he was deployed, he and Annie said goodbye the same way. His last words to her before leaving were:  "I'm just going down to the corner store to get a pack of gum."

And, with just the two of them there, she was able to always reply:


"Don't be long."



On that February day in 1962 when the world held its breath and the Atlas rocket was about to propel him toward space, those were their words, once again. And in 1998, when, at 77, he went back to space aboard the shuttle Discovery, it was an understandably tense time for them. What if something happened to end their life together?

She knew what he would say to her before boarding the shuttle. He did -- and this time he gave her a present to hold onto:  A pack of gum.

She carried it in a pocket next to her heart until he was safely home.

Many times in her life she attempted various treatments to cure her stutter.  None worked.

But in 1973, she found a doctor in Virginia who ran an intensive program she and John hoped would help her. She traveled there to enroll and to give it her best effort. The miracle she and John had always waited for at last, as miracles will do, arrived. At age 53, she was able to talk fluidly, and not in brief, anxiety-ridden, agonizing bursts.

John has said that on the first day he heard her speak to him with
confidence and clarity, he dropped to his knees to offer a prayer of
gratitude.



He has written: "I saw Annie's perseverance and strength through the years and it just made me admire her and love her even more." He has heard roaring ovations in countries around the globe for his own valor, but his awe is reserved for Annie, and what she accomplished:

 "I don't know if I would have had the courage."

Her voice is so clear and steady now that she regularly gives public talks.  If you are lucky enough to know the Glenns, the sight and sound of them bantering and joking with each other and playfully finishing each other's sentences is something that warms you and makes you thankful just to be in the same room.

Monday (February 20, 1962) was the anniversary of the Mercury space shot, and once again people remembered, and spoke of the heroism of Glenn the astronaut.

But if you ever find yourself at an event where the Glenns are appearing, and you want to see someone so brimming with pride and love that you may feel your own tears start to well up, wait until the moment that Annie stands to say a few words to the audience.

And as she begins, take a look at her husband's eyes.