Godspeed John Glenn!

I pulled this signed photo out last night and stared at it for a while. I treasured this before, but clearly it means even more to me now.

We won't see his like again anytime soon.

Sadly, there will be soon be a time when there won't be anyone alive who's walked on the Moon. I talked with Apollo 12 astronaut Al Bean a while back and he mentioned it was getting really tough to recall what walking on the Moon was really like. So very sad...

With government constraints on NASA in the post-shuttle era, I really fear for our future in space.

That's a great memento!  My dad turns 90 in two weeks.  He served in the Navy in WWII.  All of those guys in the Vet's home where he lives are treasures. Hard to believe that all of the stories and knowledge of that time will soon be gone as first hand experience.   Fortunately, guys like Glenn and Buzz spoke often, and a lot of history has been passed down.

Thank You for John Glen, Lord!

I have a few of the PW space pieces, but they are packed away, so no pics. My John Glenn story is that I was lucky enough to be in the Senate Gallery when he was speaking on the floor.

We tend to use the word hero all too often these days. John Glenn really was an American Hero, successful in all his life's endeavors. To a life well lived!!! I wish there were more like him.

I just realized, all the Mercury Seven astronauts are gone now...

We will go back to the Moon and we will begin settlement of Mars and some of the moons of the outer planets.  It won't be in our lifetimes but our children will see it begin to unfold.  It has to be done if we are to endure.  And the further we press out, the more precious becomes this Earth!

A true American.  

John Glenn, A true American hero. R.I.P. John Glenn

Built this today.  What the Mercury Capsule car might have looked like.

I followed John Glenn and the other six original astronauts like a tick on a dog.  I was 14 when he orbited the Earth.  What an amazing time those years were for our space program.  

The ship I was on had a  capsule recovery hoist. we on station during those tests.

I rember watching on Moms bed viewing a borrowed black&white, and have held on to this since the day it was delivered. (A few shots below too)

I also have good reason to believe I am "automotive" too.  (a true Lionel X set fan will know what I mean. I'm open for questions, and have.a few questions about that orders paperwork myself. Little remains really in that was a huge set and I played hard)

The USS Hornet is berthed in Alameda, CA.  It was the recovery ship for the Apollo 11 mission.  The quarantine trailer is on display on the hanger deck along with several others items from the early space program.  

I still have my scrap book from that era.  I followed the exploits of the Mercury 7 and the follow on missions with newspaper and magazine clippings.  John Glenn and the others were my heroes.  All of them had the "Right Stuff".

All of my NASA trains are packed away.  I will have to get them out for a run on the G&O.

NH Joe

Oops..

I didn't realize he had passed until I read this thread.  A sad day indeed.  The Mercury 7 were all American heroes. May he rest in peace.

-Greg

Sorry about the focuses.  I'm shaking a lot today.

These are the survivors at the head, though a few flats are repurposed. And from the target car back, cars that reminded me of my old ones from that X.set,  or just replacements(2). The base launcher is the original, and though launched a few billion times, still bounces rockets off the ceilings from the floor.

  The set had three engines and three critters, and far more cars than I can quickly recall. It may have been two big sets delivered together too, but that X was there and I had every car on the "automotive" roster, plus some, all recieved in one day and in a few BIG Lionel boxes.

John Glenn was the ultimate example of a great American in my honest opinion. We were lucky to have him grace us with his presence.

Just a personal John Glenn story. I was in college when the then Senator John Glenn was running for President. I was in student government and we invited him to speak. I was in charge of our green room and I had five minutes of one on one time with him and like a little kid told him how much I admired him and was real nervous. I asked him to sign my name take which he graciously did. (The only person I have ever asked for an autograph.) He noticed I was nervous, more than he was, and joked that he was the one who should be nervous as he was running for President. This calmed me down and he went out to deliver a fine speech. He was just an all around nice guy and you could see a very genuine person with great character. if any of us could be half the man he was we would be truly blessed.

May your soul soar to the heavens John Glenn!

Miketg

p51 posted:

I pulled this signed photo out last night and stared at it for a while. I treasured this before, but clearly it means even more to me now.

We won't see his like again anytime soon.

Sadly, there will be soon be a time when there won't be anyone alive who's walked on the Moon. I talked with Apollo 12 astronaut Al Bean a while back and he mentioned it was getting really tough to recall what walking on the Moon was really like. So very sad...

With government constraints on NASA in the post-shuttle era, I really fear for our future in space.

Great story Lee and what a treasure to have met him and still have that personal photo.

According to some, there are others (men/women) who may have walked on the moon and elsewhere in recent times. Although highly controversial and almost unbelievable,  google 'Secret Space Program' and sift through some of whats out there. There could possibly be something going on that most of us are unaware of...

He was a true American hero. I believe he gave up flying and sold his twin engine airplane just a couple of years ago. Him and his wife used to go flying all the time.

This is Ground Control to Colonel Glenn
You've really made the grade
And the papers want to know what made you rare
Now it's time to leave this orb if you dare ...

Ad astra.

ns1001 posted:

He was a true American hero. I believe he gave up flying and sold his twin engine airplane just a couple of years ago. Him and his wife used to go flying all the time.

John stopped flying and sold his plane when he was 90....our local newspaper had his complete obituary yesterday ...it was a full page in length.it would have been so deserving if he could have been the first man to walk the moon.... I too was interested in spaceflight in the 60's so much as nasa sent me color photos of the original 7 and the 2nd group hired on in the mid 60's...as noted above,everyone that walked on the moon will be gone in 10years and anyone associated with the Apollo project will be gone in the next 20

Thanks to the ogrr mag.  forum owners for letting this topic continue ....

c.sam posted:

Secret Space Program' and sift through some of whats out there. There could possibly be something going on that most of us are unaware of...

The most "well known" secret program was the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL or "mole") program the Air Force ran in the 60's with Col. Yeager in charge of astronaut training.  It was also known as "Blue Gemini" and would have orbited a large station solely for the purpose of intelligence gathering.  After the program was cancelled, much of the station hardware went to the Skylab program and the giant camera they were working on became the basis for the Hubble Space Telescope.  The sport of hang gliding also arose from a proposed idea of having the modified Gemini Spacecraft land as a glider.