Lunch With The Glenn’s & Why I Now Have More Respect For Darth Vader

In case one of the other fellows wishes to also compose a blog on this subject, I will just share a few thoughts.

 A few weeks ago the Winter Glenn Fellows had the wonderful opportunity to have lunch with Senator Glenn and his wife Annie, (I found that I had quite a bit in common with Mrs. Glenn, as we both were overly excited about the food and were keen to have dessert prior to pictures).  The occasion was kept quite intimate with the Fellows, Dr. Kolson, Mike McCandlish, the fellows’ mentors, and a few OSU/Ohio connected additions rounding out the party.  The Glenn’s, at Dr. Kolson had warned us, were very interested in the experiences of we students in DC and the duties of our internships.  The affair felt more conversational than formal, with Senator Glenn and Annie very graciously answering all our questions thoroughly.  It was fantastic to hear their stories first hand.  While it was obviously great to gain some insights into the life of a Senator and his wife, I really enjoyed the stories leading up to the Senatorial run.

 As the population ages, it is harder to find those willing and able to share first hand stories from Pearl Harbor and World War II.  Senator Glenn spoke on how upon hearing the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor, he and Annie met and engaged in a long conversation that ended with Senator Glenn joining the marines, while Annie finished school.  This decision to join the marines is what would inevitably steer Senator Glenn’s path towards NASA and the Friendship 7 flight.  As the generation that witnessed the most infamous attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor, I couldn’t help but wonder how it will be to recollect our reactions 60 years from now and what kind of impact it will have on future students of government and public policy.

Additionally, I enjoyed hearing Senator Glenn’s response to a question regarding the present funding and operations for NASA.  I found this subject matter of particular interests because Senator Glenn would be debating the issue from a Senators perspective, who understands the need to make tough decisions in order to reduce spending, but also from a former Astronauts perspective, who understands the value of space exploration and study.  I will not review the Senator’s full response, however, there does seem to be some practical arguments for NASA to become less reliant on Russia to send our men and women into space.

I also wanted to note that I found Mrs. Glenn’s perseverance in overcoming a debilitating stutter quite inspiring, and I was impressed at the ease at which she discussed her decades of struggles with the impediment.  I also learned I had more respect than I thought for Darth Vader…Apparently, Vice President Biden and James Earl Jones, thus, by extension, Darth Vader and Moufasa, also overcame stutters.

-Kristen M