JFK ON COLONEL JOHN GLENN'S FIRST FLIGHT

February 21, 1962 - I was in my sophomore year at Worcester Junior College at the time. Taken from a news conference  " The U.S. places its first man into orbit around the earth. Lt. Col John H. Glenn USMC circles the earth three times in a Mercury space capsule." JFK is quoted saying " I'm have one statement. It is increasingly clear that the impact on Colonel Glenn's magnificent achievement yesterday goes far beyond our own time and our own country. The success of this flight , the new knowledge it will give us, and the new steps which can now be undertaken, will affect life on this planet for many years to come."




Then, in the summer of 1998 I heard Glenn was returning to space at age 77. I beseeched my cousin, an Associated Press photographer at Cape Canaveral to get me credentialed, and he did. For 9 days I learned what it is like to be a "space photographer." It was one of the most adventuresome parts of my life.


There were 84 satellite tricks beaming the news up to the skies. Walter Cronkite and Tom Brokaw were seen lounging around and Mr. Cronkite assented to my shooting a Kodachrome  of himself.




I particularly paid attention to John Glenn who seemed to be ambulating his aging bones in fine style.Friendship Seven  was the first name of his capsule.. now it was Discovery 7... with 7 astronauts heading for the heavens. I was perched on a small peninsula with my 35MM camera and a Kodak Panoramic capturing the vertical image heading for the stars.  The noise was unbearable and the trail of smoke formidable. But that was in 1998.




Mr. Glenn was easy  for signing autographs as he was a Senator and even wanted to be present. On his first flight, Col. Glenn's words of how wonderful the view was from space is truly memorable. Today we take all of this with a grain of salt. We must remember... everything starts with an idea.




JFK's enthusiasm on the space program was second to none. That is why I spent the winter of 1999 in Titusville learning all about space history. "WE CHOOSE TO GO TO THE MOON IN THIS DECADE!"