 milestones in human progress that mark recorded history. In my judgment, this nation's orbital pioneering in space is of such historic stature. Representing, as it does, a vast advancement that will profoundly influence the progress of all mankind. It signals also a call for alertness to our national opportunities and responsibilities. It requires physical and moral stamina to equal the stresses of these times and a willingness to meet the dangers and the challenges of the future. John Glenn throughout his life has eloquently portrayed these great qualities and is an inspiration to all Americans. This film, in paying tribute to John Glenn, also pays tribute to the best in American life. Many maps until February 20, 1962. It came to fame in a single day with an American adventure that history will call the John Glenn story. Fashioned in the American image, this pleasant little city typifies a nation's ideal way of life. A man might make a good life here in the circle of family and friends. He might let his imagination soar. He might explore the wonders of the wide world all about him. Life's simple mysteries. With bright discovery, daily opening doors to knowledge. He can look away to distant places, to exciting adventures hidden only by the horizon and the future. Like this boy, like boys everywhere, young John Glenn dreamed of the future as he looked to far away new frontiers. Why? He might even learn to fly. This town and these people, they knew John Glenn as a schoolboy, as a teenager, and as a neighbor. Like Mayor Taylor, they followed his career as he blazed a trail across the high sky. I watched John Glenn grow up from a freckled face, red-headed lad in the man you all know today. John's youth and his life today are an example for all Americans to follow. New Concord High. Like these youngsters, John attended school here. His principal and teacher was Harford Steele. He was an excellent student, and he graduated with honors from our high school. I taught Johnny and hundreds of others that our democracy is a precious heritage and that we should preserve, protect, and if at all possible, make some contributions to it. He has made a significant contribution in his mission in space. And this fine new school in New Concord, it's the John Glenn High School, with its first graduating class receiving diplomas. Young John helped his father about this shop when he wasn't in school or acting as lifeguard in the summer at Highway Camp or at college. John went on to college at Muskingum, right in New Concord. The high regard of the college is expressed by its president, Dr. Glenn McConega. John's conquest of space has captured the hearts and the imagination of all Americans. So have his superb qualities of leadership, moral and physical strength, and emotional stability. John found time for athletics, winning four high school letters. Muskingum coach Ed Sherman recalls John Glenn's athletic record. John played football right here on this field. He was captain of his high school team and played center for the college. He has proven the value of teamwork, both as an athlete and later as an astronaut. Just like these boys, John took an active part in our physical fitness program. He proved that a good mind and a good body always go together. Campus discussions are inspired by the first orbital flight of an American. I think that John Glenn, by his flight, has given us an opportunity to see that, well, we have a chance to do something for our nation, too. Maybe I'll even go somewhere sometime. We have the same opportunity that he had. Glenn proved by his flight that there are still many frontiers to be explored and conquered. And that just shows how very vital our education is if our future is to be go. Glenn always had a strong spiritual side, as Dr. Charles Morehead recalls. John Glenn attended Sunday School and services at this church when he was a boy like Randy Bradley here. Let's attend services for a moment at John Glenn's church, made at this church by Dr. Henry Evans. They made a most handsome couple. John and his Marine uniform, Annie a beautiful happy bride. They both recognize the importance of the spiritual things of life, as well as the mental and physics. The trial is also great for those who wait, as recalled by Annie's parents, Homer and Margaret Caster. Johnny's orbital flight was a real test of courage for Annie, too. She was a very brave girl. Annie had complete faith in the space program, just as she had confidence in everything Johnny set out to do. This house was home for John Glenn. John Glenn Sr. and Mrs. Clara Glenn are gratefully proud of their son's accomplishments. John was fully prepared for his orbital flight as were the other astronauts and the entire team. In a way, John has been preparing all his life for his venture into space. As a small boy, his idea of a holiday was a visit to the airport. And when he grew up, it was no surprise to us when he decided to learn to fly. Flight commanded young John's major interest. He had to learn to fly. World War II interrupted college. He received his first flying lessons from pilot Harry Clever. This is John's flight record with my comment after his first flight, which was eager to learn, relaxed, alert, and good coordination. He certainly has retained these flight qualities right into outer space. At Pensacola and Corpus Christi, many aviators have won their wings here. Like these cadets, John went on to Corpus Christi, Texas to learn about airplanes and navigation, with time also for physical conditioning and sports and for religious inspiration. Like these naval aviators to win his wings, the Navy's thorough training prepared Lieutenant John Glenn for wartime action in the South Pacific. Flying 59 missions in coarse airs like these, he joined in blasting enemy targets. Until it was peace, and Glenn returned to Corpus Christi as advanced flying instructor until Korea. Major John Glenn came back to combat to fly 90 missions, to shoot down three makes. Korea, John Glenn came home to flight test the supersonic F-8U crusader to flash across the nation, California to New York, setting a supersonic speed record of three hours and 23 minutes, with experimental thrusts towards speed and altitude. The limitations of time and distance were being brushed aside as experimental planes like the X-15 launched from its Air Force mothership rocket to record-breaking altitudes and speeds. Unmanned experimental flights and orbits pressed onward until it was time for man to orbit, until the word was go. Chosen from many Americans who answered the president's call, these astronauts dedicated themselves to study, training, and physical conditioning. With Alan Shepard learning about weightlessness as it will be encountered in outer space, and Gus Grissom becoming acquainted with the stress of greatly increased gravity, as Wally Sharaw masters manual spacecraft control. Three years of engineering skill and scientific experimentation have gone into this historic Atlas launching. Its component parts have come from countless sources devised and fabricated by many thousands of technicians in hundreds of United States cities. And this, the motive power, carefully raised to position on its gantry. This, the Atlas, with power to develop 360,000 pounds of thrust, with capability to swiftly lift the spacecraft and its passenger as high as 160 miles to inject the spacecraft into orbit at 17,500 miles an hour. And now the word is go as the spacecraft is lifted into its position atop the Atlas. This spacecraft, six feet across at its widest heat shield end, 10 feet tall, built to withstand heat shield temperatures of 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit as the wind rushes by at more than 15,000 miles an hour. As the astronaut prepares for space flight, for adventure into outer space, mercury control waits and watches with the Atlas standing ready to throb into life. Ready, Friendship 7 is ready. And so is John Glenn, which the elevators lift Glenn to the 11th level, the spacecraft level. And takes his place in Friendship 7, looking towards the unknown. The Atlas is ready. And so is the astronaut. As all the world holds its breath and all the world is witness, a tropic sun, the tracking ship, Roseknot waits and follows his course as he flashes towards the coast of Africa as an awesome panorama of the earth below. Beyond human sight, Friendship 7 makes a slow boat out of the sun as the spacecraft girdles the earth every 90 minutes. Like a shooting star at five miles a second, 17,500 miles an hour, John Glenn streaks away from today, into the night of tomorrow, racing towards the dawn of yesterday. As Glenn sights the lights of Perth and Rockingham, as he flashes over Australia, across the Pacific, to contact waiting ground stations at Wymus, Mexico. California waits as Friendship 7 streaks home to the land of its origin, an unseen comet lining across the United States in eight lightning minutes of flight. Completing three history-making circuits of the globe, John Glenn fires retro rockets to slow the spacecraft, to direct it back to earth. The first warning of possible disaster, a chilling signal flashes an indication that the capsule's heat shield may be loose. The astronaut might perish like an earthbound meteor and 3,000 degrees of re-entry heat without the heat shield. Strapped over it, the retro pack might hold it in place. Cape Canaveral makes the decision, both listens and stands still, and helplessly hopes Cape Control shows the way. Using fly-by-wire control for re-entry, John Glenn rides his craft through the vastness of space towards the curving globe beneath. As science in its amazing exactness selects the Caribbean from all the oceans of the earth to receive Friendship 7 as it blazes into the earth's atmosphere, the fiberglass surface of the heat shield is starting to oblate, to melt and vaporize as a glowing electrically charged wake streams back to block off communication as the earth's atmosphere slows the capsule's descent. 56 minutes, John Glenn has streaked through three days in three nights and over 81,000 miles. Never a journey so far. Never a traveler so welcomed by the world for journey in time. So far the way, so long the hours for those who wait as Annie Glenn has waited to salute the Glenns with Vice President Lyndon Johnson. As the President of the United States arrives at Cape Canaveral, to be greeted with John and Annie Glenn by the cheers of thrilled lines of proud Americans. In ceremonies at Mercury Control Center, President John F. Kennedy presents the NASA Distinguished Service Medal to astronaut John Glenn, as Annie and Lynn and David Glenn proudly share applause with the other astronauts and with the world. As John's parents learn firsthand about Friendship 7, as does Marine Corps Commandant General David M. Shoup and the President of the United States. And this rainy day in Washington is a happy day as the President and the astronaut arrive to drive through rainwashed, crowd-flooded streets to the White House for a reception as John and Annie Glenn with Vice President Lyndon Johnson greet distinguished guests, including astronaut Alan Shepard. Godspeed, John Glenn. Godspeed into the future. Into even greater accomplishment. Into the hearts of all Americans. Welcome to Washington. Welcome back to this planet. From the nation's capital to the towers of Manhattan to the ticker-tape parade of New York, cheering crowds roar a mighty welcome shared by all Americans, by free people everywhere. Across the land, the scene is the same and the heart is the same as John Glenn comes home to New Concord, Ohio. At the capital, there's an introduction by the Speaker of the House, the Honorable John McCormick. Members of the Congress, it is a privilege and I deem it a high honor to present to you a brave and courageous American, a hero in World War II and in the Korean conflict who recently, in a most notable manner, added glory and prestige to our country, the first United States astronaut to have achieved orbital flight Lieutenant Colonel John Herschel Glenn, United States Marine Corps. Mr. President, members of the Congress, I'm only too aware of the tremendous honor that's being shown us at this joint meeting of the Congress today. This has been a great experience for all of us on the program and for all Americans, I guess, too. And I'm certainly glad to see that pride in our country and its accomplishments are not a thing of the past. I still get a real hard to define feeling down inside when the flag goes by, and I know all of you do, too. The launch itself was conducted openly and with the news media representatives from around the world in attendance. This is certainly in sharp contrast with similar programs conducted elsewhere in the world and elevates the peaceful intent of our program. Today, I know that I seem to be standing alone on this great platform, just as I seem to be alone in the cockpit of the Friendship 7 spacecraft. But I'm not. There were with me then and with me now thousands of Americans and many hundreds of citizens of many countries around the world who contributed to this truly international undertaking voluntarily and in a spirit of cooperation and understanding. We are all proud to have been privileged to be part of this effort, to represent our country as we have. As our knowledge of this universe in which we live increases, may God grant us a wisdom and guidance to use it wisely. Thank you. Thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea. In the pattern of all our free American traditions, John Glenn's trailblazing venture into space has shown the way for human progress, for brotherhood around the world. His story speaks of people and places and industry, of the greatness that is America. It sings of the unselfish aims of a nation striving constantly for peace, directing all its power and persuasion toward the preservation of freedom. In its majesty and magnificence, this is the land. In all their historic greatness, these are the people. And the John Glenn story is their story. It throbs with a nation's restless energy. It soars with the adventurous spirit of Americans everywhere. Across this vast spread land, in all its towns and cities, on all its far-flung farms and ranches, deep in its reaches of forest and plains, of winding roads and rivers, majestic mountains and lakes and sea-lashed shores, people turned their eyes and hearts toward the high sky, sending their hopes and prayers, writing through space, with John Glenn in Friendship Seven, as all the world watched and hoped. With mankind's wonderment about the universe, finding an approach at last toward fulfillment. In the John Glenn story.