John Glenn Funeral

I first met John Glenn when I was 9 years old and had the honor of meeting (and photographing him) dozens of times over the years. He was a truly unique person, being whole heartedly genuine and pure spirited. Each and every time I saw him the one constant was his childhood sweetheart Annie by his side – I never saw them separated. I can’t imagine her sorrow.

We’ve lost a true American hero and just a nice guy. He was Captain America, Steve Canyon and Mr. Rogers all rolled into one and always accompanied by his Wonder Woman Annie.

My sympathy goes out to Annie, Lynn and David.

The United States Marines carry the casket of Astronaut, United States Senator, and US Marine Colonel John Glenn photographed Saturday, December 17, 2016 at the Ohio State House. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

The United States Marines carry the casket of Astronaut, United States Senator, and US Marine Colonel John Glenn photographed Saturday, December 17, 2016 at the Ohio State House. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

The United States Marines carry the casket of Astronaut, United States Senator, and US Marine Colonel John Glenn photographed Saturday, December 17, 2016 at the Ohio State House. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

Annie Glenn watches from her funeral limo as the United States Marines carry the casket of Astronaut, United States Senator, and US Marine Colonel John Glenn and load him into the hearse before the funeral processional photographed Saturday, December 17, 2016 at the Ohio State House. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

John Herschel Glenn Jr. was a United States Marine Corps aviator, engineer, astronaut, and United States Senator from Ohio. In 1962, he became the first American to orbit the Earth, circling it three times.

Before joining NASA, Glenn was a distinguished fighter pilot in World War II, China and Korea. He shot down three MiG-15 aircraft, and was awarded six Distinguished Flying Crosses and eighteen Air Medals. In 1957, he made the first supersonic transcontinental flight across the United States. His on-board camera took the first continuous, panoramic photograph of the United States.

He was one of the Mercury Seven, military test pilots selected in 1959 by NASA as the United States’ first astronauts. On February 20, 1962, Glenn flew the Friendship 7 mission, becoming the first American to orbit the Earth, and the fifth person and third American in space. He received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal in 1962 and the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1978, was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1990, and was the last surviving member of the Mercury Seven.

Glenn resigned from NASA in January 1964. He planned to run for a U.S. Senate seat from Ohio, but an injury in February 1964 forced his withdrawal. He retired from the Marine Corps the following year. He lost a close primary election in 1970. A member of the Democratic Party, Glenn first won election to the Senate in 1974 and served for 24 years until January 1999.

In 1998, while still a sitting senator, Glenn became the oldest person to fly in space as a crew member of the Discovery space shuttle and the only person to fly in both the Mercury and Space Shuttle programs. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012.