SYLACAUGA, Ala. – United States flags all across the world will be flown at half-mast today, April 6, 2017, as a mark of respect for former Ohio Senator and astronaut John Glenn’s interment at Arlington National Cemetery.
On Wednesday, April 5, President Donald J. Trump released a proclamation stating, “As a mark of respect for the memory of John Glenn, I hereby order, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, that on the day of his interment, the flag of the United States shall be flown at half staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset on such day.”
Alabama Governor Robert Bentley echoed Trump’s proclamation by directing all flags in the state to be lowered to half-staff in Glenn’s honor.
John Glenn, born July 18, 1921, has a list of accomplishments during his life is unmatched by many. That legacy started in WWII when Glenn left college and became a pilot in the marines. He went on to fly in the Korean War, and after the war became an airplane test pilot. His legacy was just beginning.
Glenn was hand-picked by NASA in 1959 as one of the first seven astronauts known as the “Mercury Seven.” Later in 1962, Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth. According to NASA, Glenn made three orbits around Earth totaling about five hours in space. His mission showed that the Mercury spacecraft worked in space. The mission also helped NASA learn more about being in space.
Following his time with NASA, Glenn went on to be elected Senator of Ohio in 1974. While in the Senate, he served as chairman of the Committee of Governmental Affairs, member of the Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees. He would serve his state for 25 years until his retirement in 1999.
Before his retirement in 1999, Glenn made one last trip to space. In 1998, Glenn returned to NASA at the age of 77 to study the effects of space on older adults. It had been 36 years since his first spaceflight, but that did not stop Glenn. NASA said he was the perfect candidate for the study because of the organization’s familiarity with him. With the trip, Glenn became the oldest man to ever fly in space.
After a life impacting so many, Glenn passed away on Dec. 8, 2016, at the age of 95. But today April 6, with flags flown low, we not only honor Glenn, but we celebrate his life and accomplishments and his legacy of a true American hero.
Jeremy Law for SylacaugaNews.com | © 2017, SylacaugaNews.com/Marble City Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.