Space Man

“I had seen three sunsets and three dawns, flying from one day into the next and back again. Nothing felt the same” (275).

The Book

Reading John Glenn: A Memoir by John Glenn with Nick Taylor is like having a conversation with a grandparent. One can imagine Glenn being interviewed and ending up down a rabbit hole of stories. This doesn’t take away from the narrative flow, rather it allows Glenn’s personality and beliefs to come through.

Glenn was born in 1921 and grew up in New Concord, Ohio. This small town and her people are where Glenn traces his love of country and its ideals back to. Family, teachers, and community members all influenced how Glenn viewed the role of a citizen and decisions for his future. He and Annie Castor started dating in high school, with both staying in New Concord to attend Muskingum College. After the start of World War II, Glenn was motivated to serve his country. He joined the Civilian Pilot Training Program in January 1941 and then the college Naval pre-flight school in 1942. In the middle of training, he applied and was accepted into the Marines. Glenn’s training competed in 1943 and one month later he and Annie married. Through the end of the World War II, Glenn flew missions in the Pacific as a fighter pilot.

Post-World War II, Glenn remained with the Marines. During the late 1940s and 1950s, Glenn was stationed in China and fought in the Korean War, often separated from Annie and their two children. In 1954, he transitioned to being a test pilot. Three years later, Glenn broke the airplane cross-country speed record. His average speed was 723 mph and he passed over New Concord, with people reporting sonic booms in his wake. Glenn volunteered for NASA in 1958 and began years of vigorous physical, mental, and academic training with the Project Mercury astronauts.

After watching two of his fellow astronauts head into space, it was finally Glenn’s turn in 1962. On the Friendship 7—named by his two children—he was the first American to orbit in space. At this point in the memoir, the narrative slows as Glenn describes the experience in detail. He advocated and received permission to take a camera with him. In between assigned tasks, Glenn took photos. An overwhelming excitement across the country greeted him when he returned to earth: parades in DC, New York City, and New Concord and copious amounts of fan mail. All Glenn wanted was to go back into space again; he would have to wait 36 years.

A close friendship with Robert Kennedy and strong sense of civic duty led Glenn to run for US Senator from Ohio. He dedicated his four terms (1975-1999) to making principled decisions, government efficiency, and constituent relations. While preparing for a debate on NASA’s budget in 1995, Glenn realized that the medical impact of space travel on astronauts was similar to aging on earth. He thought, why not send a senior citizen into space to study the effects? After much petitioning, his wish was granted and Glenn joined the crew of the space shuttle Discovery. In 1998, he returned to space for nine days of research experiments. His safe return was greeted with as much enthusiasm as his 1962 orbital flight.

Throughout John Glenn: A Memoir, Glenn weaves his emotions, thoughts, and personal beliefs into the narrative. He candidly shares hard lessons learned and his moral, spiritual, and patriotic beliefs. Readers can get a sense that there are still strong emotions about certain events in the past. You might not agree with Glenn’s decisions or beliefs, but you can appreciate his honesty. The book is broken up into six parts and there are two sections of black and white photos. Chapters flow well and include the right amount of detail. I particularly appreciated the time Glenn spent on astronaut training and how he compared his experience in 1998 with his earlier experience.

The Place

The John & Annie Glenn Museum, located in Glenn’s childhood home, ensures that visitors will be immersed in Glenn family and American history. Every two years, museum staff change the artifacts and décor of the first floor to reflect three different eras: the Great Depression (1937), World War II (1944), and the Space Race (1962). Period pieces supplement the plethora of Glenn family artifacts. After experiencing the first floor, the tour continues upstairs. It includes Glenn’s bedroom, as it was when he was a teenager, and galleries dedicated to Glenn’s military service, the Space Race, and Annie.

Our tour guide was a life-long resident of New Concord who personally knew Glenn. She mixed personal stories in with the overall narrative of the tour—and it was great! We were the only ones on the tour, allowing us to ask questions and linger in the house. While tours typically last an hour, they can go longer depending on the interest level of visitors.

From May to October, the John & Annie Glenn Museum is open 10am-4pm, Wednesday-Sunday. There is an admission fee and a small parking lot is behind the house. If you have the time, you can purchase a dual ticket for this museum and the National Road & Zane Grey Museum to save a few dollars. There is a seven-minute drive between the two museums and both can easily be visited in one day.